Business travel-related carbon emissions at the University
The University has launched a Travel Approval Portal (TRICAP), which requires you to consider any risks that may be associated with your business travel and then register any planned travel, accordingly.
We have also introduced a new Travel Hub that enables staff to self-book travel and accommodation.
But first up, have you taken a moment to consider whether your business trip is necessary, particularly given the impact of air travel on carbon emissions?
- Our Climate Change Strategy ('Glasgow Green') commits us to reducing our carbon emissions by just over 50% during the 2020s, in line with what the United Nations Environment Programme suggests is required to prevent global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees.
- Pre-pandemic, business travel (predominantly air travel) at the University accounted for almost a quarter of our carbon footprint.
- The Covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions reduced the carbon impact of business travel to almost nothing over the past couple of reporting years.
- Now that international air travel has begun to open up again, our business travel emissions have already started to rebound significantly.
To try and minimise the extent of this rebound, the University has developed Sustainable Business Travel Guidance for staff, which provides you with tools and examples to help you determine whether your travel is justifiable, and if so, how to reduce the associated carbon impact.
In addition, the University has developed a reporting data summary that will allow you to understand the annual carbon impact of business travel for your College and School. The summary also allows you to compare how this impact varies across the organisation.
We would ask that you take a little time to reflect on this information and consider how, at either a College, School or individual level, you can contribute to reducing the impact.
Access the Business Travel Carbon Report