There is a pressing need for humankind to lead more sustainable lives and work to undo, or at least halt, the damage that has been done to our planet at the hands of human activity and climate change. Indeed, earlier this year, the United Nations stated that we have just 11 years to prevent irreversible damage. One of the ways in which people can reduce their environmental impact is through practising sustainable travel, and Allianz Assistance UK has found that though awareness of this is rising, more remains to be done.

The insurer surveyed 500 consumers across the UK and found that although only 22 per cent of UK holidaymakers actively take steps to reduce their environmental impact when taking a holiday abroad, 32 per cent plan to take action in the future. Worryingly, the research found that 23 per cent of those surveyed don’t consider the environmental impact of travelling and/or plan to do anything about it.

“It’s clear from our research there is growing consideration by UK travellers for the environmental impact our holidays have. But, the reluctance to make a change to our norm could simply be down to people not knowing where to start to make changes. As our survey demonstrates, only one-fifth of those who think about their environmental impact do something about it,” said Kate Walker, Head of Direct Business, Allianz Assistance UK.

The reluctance to make a change to our norm could simply be down to people not knowing where to start to make changes

Awareness is apparently improving thanks to widespread news coverage of the travel arrangements of the UK Royal Family, combined with the ever-louder voice of young environmental activist Greta Thunberg, prompting people to look at their own actions. Allianz’s research emerged from the context of the UK Government calling for evidence to investigate if more people could be offered the chance to carbon offset, which reduces their carbon footprint when buying travel tickets. This practice would see travellers compensating for carbon dioxide emissions caused by their travel by participating in schemes designed to make equivalent reductions of the gas in the atmosphere. Allianz is clearly committed to the cause, with Allianz SE topping the Dow Jones Sustainability Index ─ which evaluates the sustainability performance of thousands of companies ─ for the third year in the row based on its sustainability score for 2019.

With large companies such as Allianz helping to pave the way towards a more sustainable future, a positive influence can be had on other companies and consumers, creating hope that through awareness and dedication, the planet can be preserved. “By working together, we can learn and adopt small changes that together, can make a significant difference,” Walker said.