I am looking forward to spending the summer at the National University of Singapore (NUS). It’s a great opportunity to experience a different part of the world, but I’ve also been thinking about how to keep things relatively sustainable on my trip.
The flight will be the biggest part of my carbon footprint. I’m flying with Emirates, which does use more fuel-efficient aircraft and offers some support for carbon offsetting. I’ve chosen to offset the emissions from my flight through a verified program called Gold Standard, which supports renewable energy and reforestation projects around the world. I know this doesn’t completely undo the environmental impact, but I think it’s a reasonable step to take and is better than doing nothing.
When I get to Singapore, I plan to mainly use public transport. The MRT and bus systems are known for being reliable and easy to use, and they’re a much more sustainable option than relying on taxis or private cars. Around the NUS campus, I’m also thinking about renting a bicycle. The university is pretty big, and bike-sharing apps like Anywheel are easy to use and reasonably priced. It seems like a good way to get around without contributing to traffic or emissions.
That said, I realise there’ll probably be situations where public transport or cycling isn’t practical. In those cases, I might use the Grab app, which is Singapore’s version of Uber. They actually offer a “Grab Green” option in the app, which uses hybrid or electric vehicles. If I do end up needing to get somewhere by car, I’ll try to choose that whenever it’s available.
In terms of day-to-day choices, I’m aiming to avoid unnecessary waste. I’ll be taking a reusable water bottle with me since Singapore is hot and it’s easy to end up buying bottled water. There are refill stations on the NUS campus, so staying hydrated without plastic shouldn’t be too difficult. I’ll also bring a bag with me for shopping or grabbing food on the go.
Food-wise, I’m looking forward to trying local food, which is often cheaper and involves less packaging than takeaway chains. I’m not strictly vegetarian, but I do try to eat meat less often, so I’ll be looking out for plant-based options when I can. Singapore has plenty of great vegetarian dishes already built into the local cuisine, so that should be straightforward.
I’ll be staying in university accommodation, which I think is a bit more efficient than hotels in terms of energy use. I’ll turn the lights and air conditioning off and unplug any electronics when I leave the accommodation. My aim is to make decisions that are more in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially climate action and responsible consumption. Hopefully, I can take what I learn and apply it more in future travels too and hopefully share some of it with others along the way.
