Any employee who avoids an air flight, choosing a more sustainable travel option, will be awarded the extra time taken to complete the journey in the form of additional annual leave – up to one full day.

Our aim is to encourage our employees to consider the environmental impact of their journeys and reduce their contribution to climate change. Inspired by the ‘slow food’ movement, slow travel focuses on the approach to travel rather than its speed and emphasises locality, ecology, and quality of life, promoting a more sustainable way to experience the world.

Why are we doing this?

The aviation industry is responsible for approximately 2.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and air travel has a much higher carbon footprint when compared with other transport options.
This is due to the following reasons:

1. High fuel use during take-off and landing: Aircraft consume large amounts of fuel during take-off and landing, which are the most energy-intensive parts of a flight.

2. Emissions intensity higher at altitude: Aircraft engines produce more emissions at cruising altitude compared to when they are closer to the ground.

3. Less passengers per unit of fuel: Planes carry fewer passengers per unit of fuel compared to other forms of transport, resulting in higher emissions per person.

4. Renewable energy potential for trains & cars: Unlike aviation, trains and electric cars can increasingly rely on renewable energy sources, significantly reducing their carbon impact.

So, for employees who fly regularly, it is likely to make up a significant portion of their personal carbon footprint. Particularly in the UK, the public flies more per person than any other nation. In addition, according to the Department for Transport in 2023, 240.9 million passengers travelled internationally to or from UK airports, and of those 71% travelled to and from Europe – journeys that could have been taken by alternative modes of transport.

The Sustainable Alternatives: Train, Road, and Boat Travel

Train Travel

Research completed by the Non-Profit Organisation EcoRes found that train travel can produce an average of 95% less emissions when compared with the same route taken via plane. The below table outlines the difference in emissions associated with Eurostar Train routes compared with plane travel.

Cars & Buses

One of the most efficient ways you can travel by road is by using coaches or public busses. The government Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy have found that travelling by coach emits 27g of CO2 per person per kilometre, compared with 41g on UK rail (but only 6g on Eurostar).

Ferry and Boat Travel

Public ferries are generally more environmentally friendly than planes due to the number of passengers they can carry per unit of fuel.

This however does not stand for private cruise travel. The cruise industry has long been under pressure to reduce environmental impacts ranging from waste disposal to air pollution, as well as high carbon emissions – not only from travel but also from powering all the on-board facilities. Although cruise travel is hard to directly compare with flight routes, studies suggest that such activity results in similar emissions as flying in terms of emissions.

The Broader Impact: Helping Our Employees and the World

Sustainability and climate change mitigation are central to our strategic vision, with our Slow Travel Policy reflecting our commitment to making a positive impact on the economy, society and the planet. We hope it will encourage our employees to adopt greener alternatives without losing their hard-earned leisure time and anticipate the initiative is part of a growing trend of offering eco-friendly and socially responsible employee benefits.

Head of ESG at Virtus, Poppy Cunningham commented:

“With this policy, we have such a great opportunity to allow our employees to make decisions that are better for our planet, without having to make personal sacrifices. Avoiding air travel is not only more sustainable but can also allow for a much calmer, enjoyable journey, with a reduced sense of climate anxiety that so many people face in our current world.
Even though reducing our employee’s personal carbon footprints doesn’t help us to achieve our company carbon reduction targets, it doesn’t mean it isn’t impactful. Although important, I think there can sometimes be too much focus on annual carbon reports, when thinking outside of the box can actually help to drive more significant change.
If nothing else – it is a great conversation starter!”