Sustainable travel
As part of our Sustainability Strategy 2021-26 Imperial commits to developing a Sustainable Travel Policy.
Purpose of the policy
In-person research and teaching, national and international collaborations are woven into how Imperial operates. Some business travel is essential for both staff and students to facilitate learning and research and recognise therefore that that collaboration and travel will need to continue to be part of how universities work. We also want our travel to have significantly less impact on the planet than in the past – a challenge shared across organisations in Higher Education, public and private sector.
Scope
This policy focuses on reducing air travel because that is where our largest environmental impacts lie within business travel. This policy applies to all employees of the university and all students who choose to, or are required to, undertake travel as part of their learning or research. Currently, it does not include travel between campuses, commuting or student travel to/from Imperial at the start/end of term.
Approach
The policy is designed to transition the travel Imperial conducts to a more sustainable footing by taking a ‘climate-conscious travel’ approach. That means enabling considered travel and focusing on obtaining maximum benefit from a reduced volume of travel through
emphasis of quality over quantity.
The travel hierarchy illustrates the climate-conscious travel approach: reduce travel as much as possible and if you are travelling, to take the lowest carbon option possible.
How our leaders are incorporating the Sustainable Travel Policy
Professor Hugh Brady, President
"Planning our international travel well in advance means we can consolidate the countries we visit on a single trip. Our itineraries are intensive and designed to ensure maximum benefit to Imperial. Typically, a single trip encompasses meetings with government representatives, research and corporate partners, current and prospective donors, as well as events for alumni and friends hosted by Imperial in their home countries. I welcome our Sustainable Travel Policy and will continue to review the frequency of our international travel and the number of delegates on each trip to minimise our carbon footprint."
Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise)
"I was told as a young researcher that I had to travel more in order to get promoted, but I had two young children, so I wasn't going to travel all the time - I chose to say no to opportunities that weren't going to really add value. It’s not about the volume of travel you do, or the number of conferences you attend, but about the quality - great collaborations and the most important conferences for career development."
Senior lead quotes
Professor Tim Green, Academic Leader for Sustainability
"Sustainable travel is going to need some of us to change our habits as we ask everyone to adopt climate-conscious travel. I am only part way through those changes myself. I have collaborations and initiatives that I believe benefit from face-to-face meetings, so I have flown long-haul this year, but I have made each trip serve more than one purpose. I’ve also turned down some invitations where I don’t think the benefits of attending justify the carbon emissions.
For shorter trips, I’ve taken the sleeper train to Glasgow and am planning a conference attendance in Switzerland by train (it’s fortunate that I quite like trains). It is far from easy deciding what air travel is truly justified but I think many of us can cut down without being less effective in our roles and help Imperial achieve its goal of 25% reduction in travel emissions by 2026."
Professor Omar Matar, Head of Department of Chemical Enginee
"Imperial wants to reduce travel emissions by 25% by 2026 and we all need to contribute. We can limit long-haul flights to trips where in-person meetings are absolutely necessary. Last summer, I delivered two plenaries in China online, and flew to Orlando for a multi-purpose visit: to attend the annual AIChE conference and host receptions for our collaborators and alumni. I travelled to Edinburgh by train, and my group and I will take the train to Aachen for EUROMECH 2024 this September. As co-Chair of the Sustainability Committee in Chemical Engineering, I encourage my colleagues to adopt climate-conscious travel practices to achieve Imperial’s emission reduction targets."