Determinants of CO2 emissions generated by air travel vary across reasons for the trip

Abstract

This study estimates factors of importance for the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions generated by travellers flying for different reasons based on representative Austrian micro data for the period 2014–2016. The annual average number of flights taken by adults vary between 0.1 (visiting friends) and 0.8 (going on holiday), and the amount of CO₂e emissions generated by each return flight is approximately 1100 kg. This leads to a total of 6 million tonnes CO₂e emissions per year. Results of the Pseudo Poisson Maximum Likelihood estimations reveal that the amount of CO₂e emissions created is related to socio-demographic, locational and seasonal factors, although mainly for the largest group of travellers: the holiday makers. In this group, individuals with university degrees, young persons (16–24 years) and capital city residents generate the largest amounts of emissions, as opposed to persons with children and large households. Residents of the capital region each quarter cause 64 kg more CO₂e emissions than inhabitants of rural areas, persons with university degrees create 74 kg larger emissions than those without degrees and young adults instigate 90 kg more emissions than middle-aged persons. CO₂e emissions of holiday flights are highest in the first quarter of the year. The importance of education is also pronounced for CO₂e emissions related to business travel, as is gender.