Greta Thunberg has been described as a “rock star” for her climate campaign, but in one crucial way she’s very different from other megastars who have spoken out about the planet’s plight. Whereas many rock stars are happy to address governments and rallies about global warming before climbing into a helicopter or private jet for the trip home, Greta undertook her European tour entirely by train.
But this wasn’t just a case of the 16-year old protestor making a point. Greta was tapping into a Swedish phenomenon known as flygskam or “flight shame”. The effects of this movement are already being felt: between late 2018 and early 2019, Sweden’s main airport operator recorded a year-on-year fall in passengers for seven consecutive months.
As Greta showed, there are greener ways of travelling. As consumers become more concerned about their impact on the environment and commit to cutting out plastic, food waste and carbon, taking the train presents a compelling alternative to short haul flights for those who wish to ‘walk the walk’ on sustainability.