Carbon-cutting ambitions backed by new Travel Policy

Colleagues will have greater flexibility to choose the greenest transport option for their University business travel under a new Travel Policy.

The new Policy comes into effect from 1 August 2023 and is based on the set of Sustainable Travel Principles published last year and developed with input from a range of colleagues and the Students’ Union. It includes measures to reduce business flights and encourage colleagues to consider the carbon footprint of all their travel decisions.

Colleagues will be expected to use trains instead of planes to reach many European destinations and will be granted additional time to refresh after these long journeys, among other support measures.

The Policy applies to anyone travelling on University business, postgraduate research colleagues and those funded by grants or third parties, as well as students.

Additional changes to improve and simplify travel booking and approval processes are being worked on, led by Procurement, with the aim of saving colleagues time and improving their working lives.

Why is this important?

The Policy will assist the University in meeting its ambitious target to be net carbon zero by 2030, to help address the serious impacts of climate change being seen around the world.

Business flights contributed a third of the University’s total carbon emissions in 2018/19, so a change in policy is vital to achieving our target of a 30% reduction in business travel emissions by 2026, including a 60% reduction for travel within Europe.

There has already been a significant reduction in travel since the Covid-19 pandemic, and so the policy is intended to maintain this lower level rather than drastically reduce current levels of travel.

Travel choices

Changes to booking travel include:

• Requests for travel bookings will now be considered based on how low-carbon the transport is and how essential the travel is.
• Any journeys to European destinations that are within eight hours on a train from London St Pancras must now be taken by train.
• Any flights that are necessary must be via economy class as this is the lowest-carbon option.
• When colleagues arrive at their destination, they should continue to use public transport or another low-carbon option. Taxis should only be used where there is a concern for safety or where an exception has been granted.

  We fully recognise that some colleagues will be less able to choose low-carbon transport, due to having a disability, caring commitments or another reason. The Travel Policy will not prevent these colleagues from having equal opportunity to travel. Exceptions can be granted in certain individual circumstances.

Advice is available to colleagues choosing travel options. See our FAQs.

Travel authorisation

• Changes to authorising travel include:

• The University’s Travel Management Company and Heads of Schools and Functions will be responsible for enforcing the new sustainability criteria when authorising colleagues’ travel requests.
• Exemption requests are to be considered and authorised by Heads of School/Function, with support available from HR.
• An annual carbon budget will soon be assigned to each School/Function to enable local decisions on which travel to prioritise. A carbon levy on flights will also be introduced and managed at School/Function level. More information on these will be shared in the coming weeks.

See our FAQs for more information and advice.

Transition

Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning & Resource) and Chair of the University’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, said: “Changing travel habits is a vital step in the University delivering on its commitment to reduce carbon emissions.

“We appreciate that this will be a big change for some colleagues and support is available to help with the transition. We thank colleagues and students in advance for their cooperation in helping the University move forwards in this positive way.”