Mobility is an integral part of everyday life, as is our responsibility towards the environment. At the University of Augsburg, we are committed to ensuring that students, staff and visitors can travel sustainably, with simple, fair and environmentally friendly alternatives. 

From the start of the summer term in 2026, it will be possible to rent 'swabi' bikes from Stadtwerke Augsburg on campus. With just a few clicks or a scan, you can be on your way – ideal for short journeys between the campus, the city and your home. A discount code will also be available for university members during the summer term of 2026. 

We support fahrmob, a non-profit ride-sharing platform that connects people with similar routes, for shared journeys in the Augsburg area. Whether you're travelling to university, the office or a meeting, travelling together means lower fuel costs, less CO₂, less traffic and more community spirit. 

When it comes to longer journeys, it is clear that, when all factors are taken into account, train travel is often comparable in terms of time to plane travel, but causes only a fraction of the CO₂ emissions. It's a small decision with a big impact. 

TRAIN OR PLANE?

Air travel has the highest carbon footprint per kilometre travelled of any type of transport. On average, around 292 grams of greenhouse gases are emitted per passenger kilometre travelled by air in Europe, which is roughly eight times more than a journey by high-speed train. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), aviation accounts for around 2.5% of global emissions. In addition to direct CO₂ emissions, aircraft also produce nitrogen oxides and water vapour at high altitudes. Taking these effects into account, global aviation contributes around 4.3% to global warming. [2]
In an academic context, travel accounts for a significant proportion of individual emissions. Therefore, every flight avoided makes a direct contribution to climate protection. Studies also show that academic achievement should be assessed independently of flying behaviour, as key success factors lie elsewhere. [3]
From a practical perspective, the train also has advantages: whereas a large part of flight time cannot be used productively, up to 80% of train journey time can be. [4]
For many European destinations, flying only offers a slight time advantage compared to travelling by train.

Finde die geheime Botschaft, auf dich wartet ein Schatz!

Sources:

[1] IEA (2025) Aviation
[2] DEFRA (2024) UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting
[3] Wynes et al. (2019) Academic air travel has a limited influence on professional success
[4] Sample model for a UZH business trip from Zurich to Paris: UZH (2016) Factsheet: Dienstreise