Estimating and Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Academic Travel

Air travel is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions in the research and higher education sectors. This chapter examines the greenhouse gasses and pollutants in jet fuel combustion and how together they have a stronger global warming effect than accounting for carbon dioxide alone. This section gives estimates of how much air travel contributes to the overall carbon footprint of higher education institutes, and gives examples of the amount of carbon emissions associated with different types of academic activities from congresses to proposal review processes. The chapter introduces tools to estimate travel carbon footprints and addresses the strengths and limitations of carbon offsetting. Evidence of the potential role of virtual formats for decision-making and prioritization tasks, and for reducing bias and improving efficient interaction, especially in culturally diverse teams, are highlighted. Lastly, stories and examples of how groups and organizations are reducing their travel footprint are given, including low-carbon conference models. Key takeaways from the chapter include: tools to estimate travel-related emissions; opportunities to create more participatory and social virtual conferences; and how reducing the frequency and scale of in-person meetings significantly reduces their carbon footprint.