Airplane: The fact that flying is not very environmentally friendly has probably become common knowledge by now: In addition to CO2, which is harmful to the climate, flying also releases nitrogen oxides, aerosols and water vapor, which contribute to global warming. Since these substances are emitted at high altitudes, they have an even greater impact on the greenhouse effect than if they were released on the ground.
Rail: Rail is considered to be particularly climate-friendly - and often rightly so, since long-distance trains have even been running on green electricity since 2018. In a direct comparison, according to co2online.de, traveling by train from Berlin to Cologne, for example, produces ten times less CO2 than traveling by plane. However, it should be noted that not the entire rail network is electrified. Some trains therefore still run on diesel power, which has a correspondingly poorer environmental impact.
Car: Many companies provide their employees with a company car so that they can get from A to B flexibly. It's great if they use an electric car for this purpose. After all, electric cars often have a better environmental balance sheet than trains. With internal combustion engines, however, the picture is quite different: The German Federal Environment Agency has calculated that cars emit an average of 152 grams of greenhouse gases per kilometer, while long-distance trains emit only 50 grams.
Long-distance bus: The coach is often even more climate-friendly than the train: it emits only 36 g of greenhouse gases per kilometer, according to calculations by the Federal Environment Agency. Buses are often better utilized than trains, so the eco-balance is more positive. If companies want to transport a large number of employees to a conference, it can be worthwhile from an environmental perspective to hire a bus.