Sustainable Ferry Travel: Everything you Need to Know

Nowadays, when you're planning a trip, it's not just about how long you need to book off work or whether your hotel has a swimming pool or not. It's also about how that trip will impact the planet. After all, we only get one planet so we need to look after it!

More and more people are taking sustainability into consideration when planning their trips, from travelling shorter distances and to fewer destinations to opting for lower-emission transport options to get there. And that's where ferries come in!

Here's everything you need to know about sustainable ferry travel...

What is sustainable travel?

Sustainable travel is all about travelling in a way that reduces the negative impacts of tourism on the environment. This involves focusing on lower emissions, less waste and making eco-conscious choices. It’s also about respecting local cultures and traditions and supporting local businesses and in turn, their economies.

How to travel sustainably

So, now you know what sustainable travel is, it’s time to think about how to travel sustainably. Some of the most eco-friendly things you can do are:

• Choosing more sustainable transport options: your choice of transport is one of the most important ways you can lower your carbon footprint. For example, choosing to go by ferry rather than flying can significantly minimise the CO₂ emitted. Once you've arrived in your destination, it's important to take transport into consideration too. Walking, cycling or even getting a local bus is better than driving.
• Stay in eco-friendly accommodation: choose hotels and B&Bs that use renewable energy, have water conservation and waste reduction implementations in place, employ local staff and use locally-sourced foods.
• Pack light: in general, packing less is better for the environment. This is because it reduces the amount of fuel needed during transportation. Less luggage = less fuel = a happier planet!
• Choose ethical tour operators: If you decide to do any tours once you've reached your destination, we'd recommend doing your research and choosing tour companies that use sustainable practices and respect the local community.

Why are ferries more sustainable than flying?

Taking a ferry rather than flying can reduce the carbon emissions of your journey. This is because a ferry produces less carbon emissions per passenger than flying does. This is especially the case for short-haul flights which use more emissions per km than long-haul flights.

According to the DEFRA (Department of Energy, Food and Rural Affairs), a single foot-passenger travelling on a ferry will produce only 19g of CO2e per km compared to 186g for the average short-haul flight passenger. That’s a whopping 90% reduction in their travel carbon footprint! 

Ferries also carry a larger number of passengers so the emissions are spread across a larger amount of people. And ferries are also more fuel-efficient per km per passenger too. Although, we recommend choosing conventional ferries over high-speed ferries as slower ferries produce less fuel and therefore emit less CO₂ per km per passenger.

Travelling by ferry also encourages ‘slow travel’, an approach which is becoming increasingly more popular. Slow travel is all about encouraging people to take their time on their journey and stay longer in one place to really experience and immerse themselves in the local way of life.

The answer? Go by ferry!

What are ferry companies doing to be more sustainable?

Sustainability is huge in the travel industry right now, with many ferry companies implementing more environmentally-friendly procedures.

Fuels play a big part in this. Ferries are increasingly opting to use more eco-friendly fuels such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which reduces CO2 emissions. Other eco-friendly fuels include Ultra-Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (ULSFO) and biofuels.

Other ways that ferry companies are helping to make their fleets more sustainable include using hybrid-electric engines or fully electric systems.

Sustainable Ferry Companies

Knowing just how much tourism can negatively affect the environment, many ferry companies are focusing on sustainability. See below some of the procedures that some ferry companies currently have in place to help the environment:

• Wasaline: using hybrid vessels, optimising energy consumption, using recycled materials for the ship's interior, using local suppliers and having a waste management system in place
• Viking Line: reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions, offering customers the option to purchase biogas in order to reduce their travel emissions by up to 90%, reducing food waste, increasing their digital presence and supporting environmental organisations and sustainability research
• Brittany Ferries: one of the first companies to be awarded the "Green Marine Europe" eco-label, Brittany Ferries are using hybrid ships, smoke filters to reduce sulphur and particulate emissions by 97% and eco-steering software
• Stena Line: reducing emissions on continental freight routes, using LED lighting, using AI to optimise engine power, speed and reduce fuel consumption, and reducing food waste
• P&O Ferries: P&O's new super-ferries have eco-friendly features including a double-ended design with two bridges to reduce fuel, a power management system, a heat recovery system and generators which can be exchanged for batteries
• Irish Ferries: minimising the consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels, recycling oil, bulk purchasing to reduce the number of deliveries and packaging, and promoting customer awareness of the marine environment
• Naviera Armas: Naviera Armas are the first plastic-free shipping company. They are also reducing paper usage, using environmentally-friendly products, taking part in environmental education projects and working to raise environmental awareness among all Naviera employees

Calculate your carbon footprint

Planning your next getaway? Did you know that you can calculate your travel carbon footprint on our website? Check out our carbon footprint calculator here.