Carbon Impact of a Paris-Rome Flight

POV I'm flying for a weekend in Rome. What is the carbon impact of a round-trip flight from Paris to Rome? Discover the environmental footprint of air transport.

150 kg CO₂

350 kg CO₂

900 kg CO₂

✈️ Quiz: Carbon Impact of a Paris-Rome Flight

A - 150 kg CO₂ | B - 350 kg CO₂ | C - 900 kg CO₂

Airplane in flight and carbon emissions

🎯 Answer: B - 350 kg of CO₂!

A round-trip flight from Paris to Rome emits an average of 350 kg of CO₂ per passenger, equivalent to about 1,750 km traveled by car. Air travel is one of the most polluting modes of transport per kilometer traveled, with a significant carbon impact even for short European journeys.

Airplane and condensation trails Air transport pollution Train as an alternative

The Carbon Impact of Air Transport

The Paris-Rome flight perfectly illustrates the problem of short flights in Europe, which represent a disproportionate carbon impact compared to available ground alternatives.

Details of Paris-Rome Emissions

  • Distance: 1,105 km one way
  • Total Emissions: 350 kg CO₂ round trip
  • Per kilometer: 160g CO₂/km/passenger
  • Flight duration: 2h15 per journey
  • Car comparison: Equivalent to 1,750 km by car
  • Total impact: With radiative forcing: +420 kg CO₂eq
A weekend in Rome by plane generates as much CO₂ as a month of average heating for a French household.

Comparison with Alternatives

Ground alternatives for reaching Rome from Paris offer significantly reduced emissions, even if they require more travel time.

Carbon Impact by Mode of Transport

  1. Plane: 350 kg CO₂ (2h15 flight)
  2. Train: 22 kg CO₂ (11h journey)
  3. Bus: 55 kg CO₂ (20h journey)
  4. Car alone: 180 kg CO₂ (12h driving)
  5. Car with 4 people: 45 kg CO₂ per person
  6. Car-sharing: 35-50 kg CO₂ per person

🚄 The train emits 16 times less CO₂ than the plane on this route

Putting the Impact into Perspective

To better understand what these 350 kg of CO₂ represent, it is useful to compare them to other daily activities and individual climate goals.

350 kg CO₂ Equivalent To

  • Heating: 1 month of gas heating for a home
  • Car: 1,750 km in a thermal car
  • Food: 70 meals with beef
  • Electricity: 6 months of average electricity consumption
  • Carbon budget: 17% of the annual 2°C target (2t CO₂/year)

🌍 Solution: Paris-Rome Night Train

22 kg CO₂ instead of 350 kg - A 94% emissions saving!

The Altitude Effect of Airplanes

CO₂ emissions represent only part of the actual climate impact of aviation. The altitude of emission multiplies the warming effect.

📊 Paris-Rome Flight Impact

Direct CO₂ emissions 350 kg
With altitude effect 420 kg CO₂eq
Distance traveled 2,210 km R/T
Total flight time 4h30

Aggravating Factors of Aviation

  1. Altitude effect: High-altitude emissions + 20-50%
  2. Condensation trails: Additional warming effect
  3. Nitrogen oxides: Ozone formation at altitude
  4. Water vapor: Greenhouse gas at this altitude
  5. Aerosols: Complex interactions with the climate
  6. Take-off consumption: Very high on short flights

Sustainable Solutions and Alternatives

Given this significant carbon impact, several alternatives allow for discovering Europe with a reduced environmental footprint.

🚆 Night Train: The Comeback!

Paris-Rome by sleeper train: comfort, sustainability, and discovery

Choosing the train over the plane for Rome means saving the equivalent of 6 months of domestic electricity emissions.

The round-trip flight from Paris to Rome, with its 350 kg of CO₂ per passenger, perfectly illustrates the disproportionate carbon impact of air transport on short European distances. Equivalent to the emissions of 1,750 km by car, this Roman weekend weighs heavily on the individual carbon budget. Fortunately, alternatives such as the night train can reduce emissions by a factor of 16 while offering an enriching travel experience. Faced with the climate emergency, rethinking our transport choices becomes essential.

🌱 Responsible travel: every transport choice matters for the climate