North West calls for transparency from influencers, as polling reveals influencers fuel climate change

With a huge uptick of social media-inspired trips taking place this summer, more than half of people in the North West (51 per cent) say they believed travel influencers should share more information on the environmental impact of their lavish trips, new polling from sustainability non-profit foundation myclimate reveals..

The most popular destination for Brits inspired by influencers was Dubai, with as many as one in five people saying they booked a trip to the city after seeing an influencer travel there.

According to myclimate’s carbon calculator, this amounts to a staggering 1.8 tonnes of CO2 emissions per person for each round-trip in economy seats from London Heathrow.

The news comes as record temperatures and wildfires scorched much of Europe, with British holidaymakers left stranded as high-profile airlines TUI and Jet2 grounded flights.

The survey shows that jet-setting influencers are fanning the flames of the climate crisis by influencing their fans and followers to travel further and more frequently in search of the perfect Instagram post.

North West people were more likely than the national average to say they would travel further to stay at a resort recommended by an influencer they like (37 per cent compared to 36 per cent), as well as paying more money to stay at a resort if an influencer they liked had recommended it (36 per cent compared to 35).

Conversely, two in five people in the North West say that one of their top priorities is to keep the environmental impact of travelling abroad as low as possible, with eco-conscious Gen Z and Millennials leading the way (49 per cent of 16 to 34-year-olds agreed with this statement compared to 40 per cent of respondents aged 35 to 55).

However, despite their green convictions, younger respondents were significantly more likely to find themselves indulging in environmentally costly excursions after being influenced.

People aged 16 to 34 (41 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 and 40 per cent of people aged 25 to 34) were more likely to be travelling abroad this summer to a destination they were inspired to visit after seeing an influencer post about it on social media than older people aged 35 to 55 (29 per cent of people aged 35 to 44 and 22 per cent of people aged 45 to 55).

Influencers could make a tangible difference, and use their vast numbers of followers to help save the planet. More than a third of total respondents agreed that they would consider taking a more sustainable method of transport when travelling abroad if an influencer they like was promoting it, rising to more than half of adults aged 16 to 24.

Kai Landwehr, Director of Corporate Marketing at myclimate called on travellers to put sustainability first when booking their holidays, adding: “Flying is one of the most carbon intensive choices a person can make. To stop climate change, people can only generate 0.600 tonnes of CO2 per year, but this is easily wasted in the span of a single round trip flight.

"People should consider if a flight is unavoidable or if there are other more climate-conscious alternatives.

"When flying is neccessary, people can calculate their carbon and support climate protection projects that save the amount of emissions created.”

There are promising signs that people are willing to step up to protect the world we live in.

While a third of people have donated to a carbon offsetting scheme to minimise the impact of a trip abroad, many more are willing to take the leap. Almost half of people would consider donating to a carbon offsetting scheme to minimise the impact of a trip abroad, including a majority of people aged 25 to 34.

Using myclimate’s carbon tracker tool, viewers can find out more about some of the worst offenders, with high profile influencers, social media personalities and celebs like Emma Chamberlain, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg and Rita Ora finding themselves responsible for significant emissions in their own right, without even considering the additional emissions inspired by their picture-perfect trips. myclimate’s tracker bot identifies the travel routes of influencers, and calls out the most frequent fliers in their comments, encouraging them to consider the costs of their travel.

Mr Landwehr added: “Climate change can no longer be ignored, but we still can keep it under control. We’re calling on influencers to accept the responsibility that comes with their platform, and step up to encourage their followers to make conscious choices for our planet and our future.

“While contributing to certain climate protection projects can help as a last resort and a climate-friendly aviation is not foreseeable today, avoiding unnecessary flying where possible is the number one-way ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against climate change. Our Carbon Tracker can help people see the damaging impact of influencer travel, as well as the environmental impact of their own flight habits.”