Travel began with nomadic and hunter-gatherer societies moving for migration, sustenance, and survival. Since it has developed into a global phenomenon. For the affluent, travel offers cultural discovery and status, but for the majority mobility is tied to economic necessity, geopolitical conflict, and climate-related displacement. Colonisation has allowed the Global North’s leisure to become reliant on the Global South’s labour and resources, and mass extraction has resulted in unequal exchange both ecologically and socially. Travel enriches perspective, but we must reckon with its environmental cost. This summer’s extreme heat across Europe revealed consequences that countries in the Global South have endured for decades, reminding us that sustainability isn’t a luxury, but a shared responsibility requiring urgent action, relating to SDG 13 – Climate Action.
For the past year I’ve been studying in Hong Kong, a dense city with unexpectedly rich biodiversity. Two modules, Animals, Culture, and Modern Society and Humanity and Nature in Crisis, deepened my understanding of biophilia and the interconnectedness of ecological and social systems in actioning real and lasting change. At Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (https://www.kfbg.org/en/), I participated in a weeding and rewilding workshops, learning regenerative agriculture relating to SDG 15 – Life on Land. I also researched and took part in a fieldtrip to see pink dolphins (https://hkdcs.org), a species whose declining numbers reflects the toll of overfishing, coastal development and pollution, a local example of ecological pressures we’re reckoning with globally.
What struck me most was the waste cycle among local and international students. Every few months a new cohort arrived and a new set of belongings was bought, meanwhile the previous students’ items were left to be sent to landfill – this included mattresses, bedding and fridges. I took initiative to gather what people would have otherwise discarded and redistributed it to incoming students the next term. By the year’s end, I organised a bulk donation to Natural Network (https://www.nnw.hk), a social enterprise led by an environmental activist who promotes minimalism and micro-activism. This ties into SDG 11- Sustainable Cities, and SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, keeping useable resources in circulation while reducing the financial burden on new arrivals.
Plastic use is deeply normalised throughout Asia, and Hong Kong is no exception. I carried a reusable water bottle, refused unnecessary single-use packaging, and used refill stations like Urban Spring (https://urbanspring.hk), a social start-up company I studied, who provide accessible drinking water for more sustainable lifestyles, aligning with SDG 6 – Clean Water.
I also volunteer at MoreGood, (https://www.moregoodhk.com) a charity running a social meal program providing nutritional meal boxes, initially created during the coronavirus pandemic to use up surplus food and distribute it to vulnerable nearby residents. This corresponds to SDG 2 – Zero Hunger and SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing, reducing food waste and food insecurity whilst supporting Hong Kong’s communities.
For me, sustainable travel is about recognising that every choice you make matters. These everyday micro-actions build a culture of care and foster stewardship for our planet.
