At Black Skies Blue, we’re always trying to make lower-carbon choices and encouraging our clients to do the same. But let’s be honest, sometimes the greener option isn’t the easiest, cheapest, or even possible.
Whether it’s meeting client expectations, staying connected with stakeholders, or bringing your team together in real life, there are always competing priorities. Convenience, cost, time pressures, and the simple lack of clear sustainability data can all steer us away from what we want to choose.
So when we planned a full-day, in-person workshop in Edinburgh, I decided to turn my journey from Cornwall to Edinburgh into a real-world test case, balancing sustainability, cost, convenience, and logistics side by side.
The Journey: Cornwall to Edinburgh
The goal: Get to Edinburgh and back within two working days.
The options:
- Fly there
- Take the train
- Drive
- Some mix of the above
In the end, I flew there and took the train back. Along the way, I compared cost, carbon, and convenience, and got a proper taste of how these choices actually play out.
- Flying was 4.5x faster than the train, but emitted 7x more CO2 and cost 2.6x more.
- Trains were slower, but much smoother and massively lower carbon.
(Prices and carbon estimates vary depending on routes, booking times, and services. I used Trainline’s Carbon Calculator and airline disclosures to compare.)
Now I have to caveat here, that price can vary wildly and has a big impact on our decisions as an SME.
Convenience vs Carbon – What really matters
On paper, flying wins on speed. But when you factor in:
- Airport queues
- Security checks
- Transfers
- Delays (I had a six-hour one!)
…it’s not always as fast or stress-free as you think.
By contrast, the train ride back was slower but gave me:
- A mobile workspace
- A city centre arrival
- Time to decompress
From a wellbeing and productivity perspective, trains are far more valuable than they often get credit for.
The Environmental Impact: Trains vs Planes
According to Trainline, the train emits 87% less CO2 than flying on the same route. Even factoring in the greener ambitions of airlines like Loganair, which offers “Green Fares” and aims to decarbonise by 2040, the train still wins – right now.
What About Driving?
Driving can seem like a flexible option, but for long distances, it’s rarely the best.
For this journey:
- A return drive would cover 1,078 miles
- Cost around £142 in fuel
- Take nearly 20 hours behind the wheel and
- Produce 3x the emissions of the train
That’s a hard no for time-pressed, climate-conscious SMEs like us.
What Would I Do Next Time?
I’d book the train both ways, without hesitation.
Here’s why:
- Lower carbon footprint
- Time to work and think
- Arrive in the city centre
- Avoid unpredictable delays
- Align with our values
It’s not just about emissions, it’s about making work-life and sustainability actually work together.
How We Make Travel Decisions at Black Skies Blue
We’ve baked this thinking into our travel policy. Here’s the rough decision framework we use:
- Can we avoid it?
Could this be virtual? Relationships matter, but not everything has to be in person. - What’s the lowest-carbon practical option?
Use tools like EcoPassenger or Trainline’s calculator to compare. Or follow our own Sustainable Travel Hierarchy. - Does it work for time, budget, and people involved?
Travel shouldn’t mean late nights or lost weekends. Respect working hours. - What can we do better next time?
Learn from each trip. Improve as we go. - Can we influence others to think sustainably too?
Bring this up with your clients, peers, and membership bodies. Change spreads through conversation.
Final Thought – Progress Over Perfection
Not every choice will be perfect. But if we all choose lower-emission options when we can, and push to make them more accessible, we’re moving the needle.
So drop the guilt. Keep trying. Let’s make sustainability something we grow into together.
Looking for Help with Travel Policies or business sustainability roadmap? We work with purpose-driven organisations across Scotland to build practical sustainability strategies, from policy to reporting to culture change.
Contact Jayne Saywell, one of our business advisors to see how we can help and help you find joy in a sustainable future.
