Eurostar, the high-speed rail service linking the UK and mainland Europe, is launching a new partnership with Trees4Travel, which offers passengers the opportunity to plant trees when they book their journey via the Eurostar for Business platform.
We are proud to be the greener way to go between the UK and the continent and we are committed to reducing our own impact on the environment.
Paul Brindley, Eurostar’s Head of Indirect Sales & Distribution
The new initiative comes after growing demand from Eurostar business travellers to further support sustainable travel initiatives. Passengers can now choose to plant a tree when booking on the Eurostar for Business platform at a cost of £3 (€3.50) per tree and Eurostar has pledged to match each tree purchased. Launched in September 2020, the Eurostar for Business platform offers organisations of any size a seamless start to their travel experience with all bookings easily accessible in one place, as well as access to promotional fares.
This Eurostar initiative will not only draw down more than double the carbon created by any of the journeys it represents, but also should inspire other carriers to recognize that so much can be done, if we only work together on climate action.
Nico Nicholas, Co-founder and Chief Eco Officer at Trees4Travel
Trees4Travel will facilitate the activation for Eurostar, undertaking reforestation projects in developing countries to restore eco-systems, biodiversity and support indigenous communities through employment.
“We are so delighted to be working with this most sustainability forward-thinking transport provider. This Eurostar initiative will not only draw down more than double the carbon created by any of the journeys it represents, but also should inspire other carriers to recognize that so much can be done, if we only work together on climate action”, said Nico Nicholas Co-founder and Chief Eco Officer at Trees4Travel said.
Eurostar’s Head of Indirect Sales & Distribution, Paul Brindley, added “We know that sustainability is at the heart of business travel policies and we are always looking for more ways we can help our business travellers to be part of creating a more sustainable future. We are pleased to partner with Trees4Travel to bring this to the Eurostar for Business platform and look forward to growing our relationship and many trees on behalf of our travellers”. Furthermore, the company claims that there are significant carbon savings to be made when choosing to travel by train rather than plane, considering a passenger’s carbon footprint from one flight is the equivalent of 13 Eurostar journeys.
While the initiative is certainly good willed, many people question the practice. According to euronews, tree planting schemes are being criticised as a trendy way for companies to appear environmentally conscious without actually being helpful. Such projects can result in adding trees that do not belong in a particular environment or generating monocrop forests that lack biodiversity. For tree planting schemes to be successful, they should benefit the existing ecosystem and any communities involved in the process, as well as ensure the trees are cared for after planting, at least for a few years.
