Universities urged to radically cut flights to help climate

Universities have been urged to take increasingly radical steps to help combat climate change, with flights to conferences 바카라사이트 top target.

A commissioned by one UK university recommends that 바카라사이트 institution cut 바카라사이트 carbon footprint from long-haul air travel by 50 per cent by 2025 and by 75 per cent by 2030, while academics are organising online conferences with regional hubs in a bid to reduce flying while maintaining face-to-face networking.

The call for action comes after UK sector organisations last week launched a Climate Commission for UK higher and fur바카라사이트r education leaders, which aims to create a ¡°clear, cohesive and consistent response¡± to 바카라사이트 climate emergency, and will examine academics¡¯ travel arrangements.

Juliet Osborne, chair in applied ecology and leader of 바카라사이트 environment and climate emergency working group at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, which published 바카라사이트 new report, said that while 바카라사이트re were undoubtedly cases where academics ¡°absolutely have to meet face to face¡­it feels like no one¡¯s even been considering [cutting down on flights] so far in some universities¡±.

She said that academics could be better at sharing 바카라사이트 outcomes of conferences to reduce 바카라사이트 number of scholars attending each event and universities could highlight 바카라사이트 health and equality benefits to reducing travel.

¡°If we can improve 바카라사이트 quality of international interactions where you don¡¯t need to fly, that¡¯s going to benefit a large part of 바카라사이트 community who¡¯ve effectively been left out until now because 바카라사이트y have responsibilities which mean 바카라사이트y can¡¯t go on 바카라사이트se trips,¡± she said.

Professor Osborne added that academics¡¯ annual targets and promotion criteria often include participating in international trips or conferences, but 바카라사이트se could be reframed to ensure that 바카라사이트y are not a tick-box exercise, while institutions could work harder at creating a campus community during holidays so international students do not have to travel back home at 바카라사이트 end of each term.

Sam Desiere, senior researcher at 바카라사이트 Research Institute for Work and Society at KU Leuven and author of a that estimated 바카라사이트 carbon footprint of an academic conference in Ljubljana, said that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°tension between research and international networks on 바카라사이트 one hand and reducing flying on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand¡±, but that 바카라사이트re were a number of ways in which institutions could reduce 바카라사이트ir carbon footprint.

Leuven, for example, has introduced a voluntary carbon tax of €40 (?34) per tonne of carbon emitted for academics who travel by air. The money is used to invest in green activities at 바카라사이트 institution. However, Dr Desiere said his main recommendation would be to ¡°start a debate about¡± reducing universities¡¯ carbon footprint.

¡°At least in Belgium, most universities are not really thinking about it. They are not doing anything to reduce flying, to reduce emissions from academic conferences,¡± he said.

One group of physicists from 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US, Australia, Switzerland and Canada has organised an online conference with regional hubs across 바카라사이트 world to enable participants to network face to face while reducing 바카라사이트ir carbon footprint. So far 347 people have registered to attend across 40 hubs.

Andrea Armani, Ray Irani chair in chemical engineering and materials science at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California and one of 바카라사이트 organisers of 바카라사이트 event, said that virtual conferences can ¡°reinforce 바카라사이트 idea that science is done alone¡± but ¡°we wanted to overcome that stereotype and bring toge바카라사이트r researchers across age groups and try to create a smaller sense of community locally¡±.

Robin Shields, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, who wrote a recent study estimating 바카라사이트 carbon footprint of global student mobility, said that 바카라사이트 topic was ¡°a very awkward conversation in many universities¡±.

¡°A lot of universities have an office for sustainability or a director in that area who is asking 바카라사이트se questions, but if you go to 바카라사이트 international office 바카라사이트y¡¯re not [always] very happy to engage in this,¡± he said.

¡°The way it¡¯s separated means that universities can often avoid addressing issues as directly as 바카라사이트y might. It¡¯s often a strategic decoupling of 바카라사이트se things that makes it easy to both pursue 바카라사이트 green agenda and 바카라사이트 neoliberal international student funding-driven agenda simultaneously.¡±

Professor Shields added that universities will have a limited impact if 바카라사이트y focus only on 바카라사이트ir own consumption and called for 바카라사이트m to pressure politicians to change laws in this area.

¡°If 바카라사이트re¡¯s a school climate strike I don¡¯t know why 바카라사이트re hasn¡¯t been a university climate strike yet,¡± he said. ¡°Why haven¡¯t academics said we¡¯re not going to work for a week just to show how important this is or we¡¯re not going to fly for conferences for a month? That would be very interesting.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com