In 2018, the Swedish language got a new word: flight shame. The word was coined because many people began to feel uncomfortable about flying. Flying accounts for just over two percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, and from an environmental point of view, flying is something that individuals do that affects the climate most.

You guessed it: Flight shame became known by climate activist Greta Thunberg, although she was not the first to use the word. As more people said they would stop flying, another movement was started as well: Stay on the ground. Travelling by train was seen as a much better alternative.

As the knowledge about the climate crisis surfaced, the sentiment against unnecessary flying followed shortly behind. The word “flygskam” was spread, and translated to other languages. The word obviously was spot on, expressing how many people felt. Pre-covid, the domestic flight decreased in many European countries.