“The true essence of travelling is not merely to see the world, but to leave every destination as beautiful as we found it.” Travelling opens the door to enriching experiences and teaches life lessons that stay with us long after the journey ends. However, are these experiences truly worthwhile if they come at the expense of damaging the very places that have so much to offer? This question feels particularly relevant as I prepare for my placement at the University of Leeds, which has committed £174 million to its Climate Plan, targets net zero by 2030, and chairs the city’s own Climate Commission. As a third-year Artificial Intelligence student, I am trained to see systems rather than isolated actions, to notice how small inputs accumulate into much larger outcomes. Sustainable travel operates on precisely this principle. Every decision I make as a traveller, however small, feeds into a far greater pattern of impact on the environment and the community that receives me.
One meaningful way I intend to contribute to sustainable travel in Leeds is by choosing environmentally friendly modes of transport. The university’s Climate Plan names sustainable travel as one of its seven guiding principles, and has worked with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to improve local bus services. I intend to rely on this existing infrastructure, using public transport and the national rail network (www.nationalrail.co.uk) rather than private vehicles, in support of SDG 13, Climate Action. When distance permits, I will walk instead, which forces me to slow down and read a place properly rather than pass through it. Each short walk or bus journey is a small node in a network Leeds is actively trying to decarbonise, and I would rather be part of it than work against it.”
As a student on a limited budget, I will also minimise unnecessary resource consumption: storing documents digitally, packing only what is essential, and buying any additional clothing suited to the Yorkshire climate from charity shops such as Oxfam or the British Heart Foundation. This reduces textile waste while supporting local causes over fast fashion supply chains, in keeping with SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production.
Being a responsible traveller also means respecting the place that receives me. I intend to apply for the university’s Student Sustainability Architect scheme, which allows students to contribute directly to institutional sustainability goals rather than simply passing through campus as a guest. I will also reduce food waste through planned meals and platforms such as Too Good To Go (www.toogoodtogo.com) and Olio (www.olioex.com), both of which work by matching surplus food to demand in real time, a small, human version of the optimisation problems I study in my degree.
Ultimately, sustainability is not about being perfect, but about making thoughtful, informed choices specific to the place one is entering. By engaging with the systems Leeds has already built, rather than working around them, I hope my placement leaves the city, in some small way, as beautiful as I found it.
