– The movement seeks to achieve change by making visible other ways of traveling, and in a larger perspective, other ways of living. Flying is seen as symbol of an unsustainable lifestyle, says Sara Ullström, researcher at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies.
Globally, aviation accounts for approximately 2.5 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. For individuals who fly, it is one of the most emission-intensive activities. There are currently no technical solutions in place that can reduce the emissions from aviation in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.
In her dissertation, Sara Ullström has interviewed key people within the flight-free movement, which started to form around 2016. They describe how they want to increase the awareness of aviation's climate impact and change the idea of aviation as a social norm. Through campaigns focused on getting people to pledge to take a flight-free year, groups such as We stay on the Ground aim to create new sustainable norms and habits.
– Their actions can be seen as a form of everyday activism that focuses on avoiding unnecessary and excessive consumption. To reformulate what constitutes a good life in a warming world is a strong motivation for many of them, says Sara Ullström.
Contrary to what one might think, the movement has not coined the concept of flight shame, which became popular around 2018. According to Sara Ullström, the movement distances itself from the word:
– The concept received a lot of attention, both here in Sweden and abroad. But actors in the flight-free movement do not focus on shame. Instead, they highlight positive aspects of avoiding flying, such as possibilities to find similar vacation experiences closer to home or by exploring sustainable modes of travel.
The glamor fades
Sara Ullström has also studied how views about holiday air travel have changed over time in Sweden: from something glamorous and exclusive in the 1950s and 60s, to a normal part of middle-class life in the 1990s, to an increasingly contested norm from 2016 onwards due to an intense debate about the negative impacts from flying on the climate. During the Covid-19 pandemic, which broke out in 2020, the debate about aviation’s climate impact lost momentum in favor of other issues, such as disease control and national security.
Today, the flight-free movement is somewhat less vocal than a few years ago, but it seems like the movement has made a lasting impact on travel norms, says Sara Ullström. Air passenger numbers in Sweden are currently 20 percent lower than before the pandemic, while global aviation has rebounded and is continuing to grow.
The decrease of air travel in Sweden can likely be explained by a combination of factors such as inflation, rising interest rates, and an increased awareness of aviation's climate impact. The flight-free movement has played an important role in showing how individuals can contribute to mitigating climate change by challenging, and creating new, norms.
– The flight-free movement seems to have paved the way for cultural change in high-carbon norms and practices which is absolutely necessary in the climate transition. Today, it is not obvious to the same extent as it was a decade ago to fly for holiday, and there are discussions about what a good life without flying might look like.
And Sara herself? How have the doctoral studies affected her? She says that she avoids air travel both privately and for work.
– I want to practice what I preach. Climate scientists can make an impact by becoming role models for sustainable change. It is important for me to try to live as sustainably as possible.
