Sustainable travel is often discussed in terms of big decisions: whether to take a short flight or a long and inconvenient bus journey, whether to offset carbon emissions, or whether we should call out wealthy and powerful people who use private jets to travel to their private islands. These choices matter, and it is true that aviation in particular leaves a visible footprint in CO₂ accounting. However, I also think this framing can sometimes reduce sustainability to a series of exceptional decisions, rather than a more continuous way of living and moving through the world.
For me, sustainable travel is not only about choosing a 40-hour bus ride to Edinburgh instead of a two-hour flight, even though such choices can be important in terms of emissions. It is also about rethinking everyday mobility and how deeply it shapes our relationship to place, time, and the environment. Living in Copenhagen has strongly influenced my perspective on this. Here, I cycle everywhere as a natural part of daily life, and I have come to see mobility not as something separate from living, but as an integrated and meaningful practice.
I intend to bring this perspective with me during my exchange. Rather than relying on taxis or buses for short distances, I aim to walk and cycle as much as possible in my host city as well, understanding travel not only as movement from A to B, but as a way of being present in the world. Slowing down and engaging with distance in a physical way can change how we relate to our surroundings and to each other. It also encourages a more reflective relationship to consumption, infrastructure, and energy use.
I believe this approach aligns with several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption, and climate action. Reducing reliance on motorized transport in everyday life can contribute to lower emissions, but it can also have broader social and health-related benefits, such as increased physical activity and more livable urban spaces. In this sense, sustainability is not only an environmental question but also a socio-economic one, shaping how cities are designed and who they are designed for.
During my stay, I also plan to make my environmental impact more visible by using apps like Kumibox to track my CO₂ footprint. This allows me to reflect on my travel choices in real time and compare different modes of transport, making sustainability more concrete and accountable in everyday decisions.
Overall, I see sustainable travel as both an ethical commitment and a practical habit. It is about making conscious choices when necessary, but also about cultivating everyday practices that reflect a more sustainable way of moving through the world.
