Mobility & Travels – Umweltlifeguide

In the sixth chapter, we want to talk about the topic of mobility. We want to pose the question of how we can move and travel sustainably.

Why is this relevant?

The transport sector in Germany (as of 2018) is responsible for approx. 21% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Transport increased by 14% in the period from 1995 – 2018. [2]

A passenger car is used for an average of only 45min per day, the rest of the time it consumes precious urban space – 10 km² in Munich alone [3]! By the way: instead of one car 10 bicycles could be parked!

Another important point is vacation trips. If you go to Madrid by train instead of flying to Thailand by plane, you will blow 1.7 tons less CO2 into the atmosphere. [1]

1 quarks CO2 Rechner: https://www.quarks.de/umwelt/klimawandel/co2-rechner-fuer-auto-flugzeug-und-co/

2 Umweltbundesamt: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/verkehr/emissionen-des-verkehrs#-das-mehr-an-pkw-verkehr-hebt-den-fortschritt-auf

3 Klimareporter:https://www.klimareporter.de/advertorials/wie-viel-platz-nehmen-pkw-in-staedten-ein

What can I do?

Take the bicycle, train or bus instead of the car or plane
If you go by car, take other passengers with you
Do not book flights for distances under 1,000 km
Compensate the emissions of longer trips (e.g. via Atmosfair)
Explore the surrounding area by bike & train
Travel less, but longer

Travelling by plane is about 6 times more harmful to the climate than by train (CO2 emissions on the same route)
quarks CO2 Rechner: https://www.quarks.de/umwelt/klimawandel/co2-rechner-fuer-auto-flugzeug-und-co/

Mobility in Bavaria

There are numerous ways to spend your free time in and around Munich in nature. Here we have collected some destinations that you can reach by public transport or by bike:

In Munich

Surroundings of Munich

Organized bus travels by the DAV (Deutscher Alpenverein)

Car Sharing in Munich, for example via STATTAUTO.

Cycling maps for Bavaria via ADFC or borrowing bicycles via Freien Lastenradler.

Travelling around Europe

The following table shows how much CO2 you can save by taking the train instead of the car or plane.
Note: The figures are based on average European capacity utilization. The national electricity mix is taken into account for trains and no climate factor is included for airplanes. All numbers are in kg (CO2) [1].

Train or bus?

You can certainly reach your next vacation destination in Europe by train or bus. You will not only save CO2 compared to air travel and car journeys, but with the (night) train and the right tricks, you can get your adventure even cheaper: Did you know that the Bahncard25 (U27) only costs 34,20€ and the BC50 60,70€ per year?

On the right side, we have collected more tips for you.

Travelling by train:

Travelling by bus: