'Obligation' on universities to trial eco-friendly travel
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Universities have been called on to start trialing new ways to collaborate internationally in a bid to reduce the sector's emissions from international air travel.
It comes as the revealed that seven universities spent close to €850,000 on business class airfares since 2021.
Business class travel is not common amongst most university staff, with the majority of institutes having policies in place that prioritize cheaper or more sustainable travel options when possible.
However, since the strictest restrictions on overseas travel were lifted following the pandemic, some university staff have traveled across the globe on luxury flights provided by airlines such as Emirates, Qantas, and British Airways.
Many of the universities told the they have travel policies in place. University College Dublin (UCD), which had the largest spend on business class flights at almost €444,000, said it generally only approves business class flights for staff who are traveling long distances on university business, such as student recruitment.
Business class travel is associated with a larger carbon footprint, although climate experts caution there is no such thing as sustainable aviation.
While emissions from university staff and students make up a low percentage of overall carbon emissions, there is an obligation on universities to start trialing alternatives, according to Norah Campbell, an associate professor at Trinity Business School.
Emissions from the aviation sector are growing faster than any other transport emissions, Prof Campbell said. Figures from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) show that Ireland experienced an 88% increase in energy usage from aviation between 2012 and 2018. Prof Campbell said:
“Global aviation is likely to use up about one sixth of the remaining carbon budget for 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050.” The recommendation by many is to use that carbon budget on life-supporting activities, not global aviation, she added.
“It is heresy to say that we must end global aviation, at least until hydrogen-powered aero mobility is scalable, but the public obligation is on universities to get over that shock and start to trial alternative models of international collaboration and intercultural experience.”
“No one wants more Zoom. The university must trial slow travel models and offer the public different ways to imagine pleasurable, non-aviation futures.” An example of this could be walking to Spain on Erasmus while teaching takes place en route.
Air travel details released via Freedom of Information included business class trips from Dublin to Brisbane via Dubai, as well as three return flights with Turkish Airlines from Dublin to Kuala Lumpur, costing almost €11,276.
A spokesman for the Department of Further and Higher Education said that universities certify that Government travel policy requirements are being implemented in all respects.
"Universities should also be cognisant of the need to achieve economy and efficiency in their expenditure on official travel and should have a policy in place that covers both foreign and domestic travel."
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