Our Commitment to Sustainable Business Travel
Strategy 2030 makes a clear commitment to embrace the Sustainable Development Goals across all of the University’s activities.
In support of this, Queen’s Net Zero Plan sets out the principles for achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040 across all institutional activities including travel.
As a signatory to the UKRI Concordat for Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice, we are actively adhering to the guidance on business related travel.
Sustainable Business Travel Policy
The need to travel, whether locally, within the UK or internationally, is fundamental to the University and the broader academic community.
Whether for shared learning, research projects or recruitment, or to promote the University, there will continue to be a need for travel. At the same time, the University has a responsibility to promote responsible travel, balancing strategic objectives with our commitments to meeting Net Zero.
This policy defines the processes which apply to travel on University business and the sustainable travel principles which should be used by everyone when considering travel on behalf of the University.
Sustainable Business Travel Policy
Sustainable Business Travel Guidance
Our Sustainable Travel Guidance document is intended to support staff to make an informed decision and better understand the carbon implications of business-related travel.
It aims to encourage the whole University community to reduce, where possible, the carbon impact of business-related travel and to reduce the carbon impact of required travel.
Sustainable Business Travel GuidanceTHE AIR TRAVEL JUSTIFICATION TOOL
Flying is a carbon intensive form of travel: one long-long haul flight emits as much carbon as many people do in a whole year! With global annual passengers expected to double in the next 20 years, emissions from air travel are only set to increase.
In the Higher Education Sector, air travel to attend conferences is pervasive and encouraged.
However, the current trend of air travel cannot continue if we are to limit a global temperature increase to 1.5°C and strive towards a net zero carbon sector and society.
Queen’s has developed a tool to help those travelling for business to determine the importance of attending a particular conference or event.
Use the Air Travel Justification Tool
Disclaimer: the purpose of the tool is not to provide a conclusive, scientific measurement of importance or a ready-made decision, but rather, to help you reflect on why you may or may not choose to participate in a conference or meeting to which you must fly. Additionally, this tool does not intend to simplify the issue of flying in the higher and further education sector or suggest that academics, researchers and staff must completely eliminate flying. Rather, it asks you to rethink the idea that we can and must always fly and to normalise other ways of coordinating, collaborating, researching and being, as academics.
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Purpose of this Tool
The Air Travel Justification Tool is essentially a decision tree that helps you determine the importance of attending a particular conference or event after you have established that there are no alternatives to flying (for example, you cannot take the train, present/learn remotely etc.).
Please note:
- The tool does not ask you to completely eliminate flying, but rather to travel better and only attend the most beneficial business meetings and conferences.
- The tool recognises instances when you must attend a conference/meeting to which you must fly and instead asks you to be more conscious of non-essential flights.
- The tool recognises the importance of informal meetings and conversations that occur during conferences and meetings, and understands the necessity of occasionally engaging in informal spaces provided by in-person conferences and meetings.
The tool also facilitates self-reflection, supporting you to engage with your individual, social and material boundaries and evaluate your needs.
- How to Use this Tool
Firstly, please consider a conference/event/meeting to which you must fly.
The Air Travel Justification Tool is comprised of three assessments based on presenting, networking or learning/contributing contexts. Each assessment consists of statements with which you may agree or disagree depending on your circumstances. Responses are assigned a number. For some statements, the numbers assigned to responses may be higher due to perceived importance.
- The Air Travel Justification Tool and the Sustainable Development Goals
The Air Travel Justification Tool supports the realisation of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as highlighted below:
SDG 5: Gender Equality seeks to dismantle structures that create barriers to opportunities, rights and empowerment for women. Women are underrepresented in managerial and senior positions and often shoulder more domestic tasks than men. This tool considers the obligations women may have when justifying a flight in order to achieve gender equality in the further and higher education sector.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production seeks to reduce material consumption and the overextraction of natural resources. This tool encourages a reduction in flights and consequently a reduction in the consumption of kerosene used to fuel aircrafts by supporting users in properly justifying air travel and avoiding non-beneficial business travel.
SDG 13: Climate Action seeks to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This tool contributes to this goal by supporting reductions in air travel, a carbon intensive form of travel that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions causing global temperature changes.