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University travel emissions
Image: Creative Commons
Travel is part of how we work, and the activities we do when we travel may be linked to positive impacts on our careers. However, every flight we take and every trip we make adds to our environmental impact.
To combat climate change, we all need to reduce emissions as soon as possible while continuing to progress our research, teaching, individual and institutional needs. This is a sector-wide challenge, and many of our domestic and international partners are implementing their own strategies for change.
University travel (excluding commuter travel) was our largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, of those mapped in 2023. In October 2023, ANU announced a target to reduce travel emissions by 50 per cent by 2025 compared to the 2019 baseline.
The ANU Travel Emissions Tracker (available to staff and students) shows that in the last 12 months to Q2 2024, our emissions were 29% less than in 2019 - a positive step towards our goal. Since COVID-19 affected our ability to travel, our travel has been on an upward trajectory. However, the year-on-year growth has decelerated 2024.
Figure 1. Total annual travel emissions 2015 – Q2 2024 per quarter (Travel Emissions Tracker, sourced 9 July 2024)
Actions you can take
Check out the Carbon Smart Travel guide for three easy steps to reduce your carbon footprint. The guide includes action checklists and food for thought to use while planning your travel, such as:
- Considering your need to travel and what alternatives you have
- Making transport choices that reduce your carbon footprint
- Reducing your carbon footprint while travelling
The guide also gives detailed information on convenient options for when car travel is required, ways to transit between Canberra and Sydney, and other tools and resources to support your carbon smart travel.
This latest Carbon Smart Travel guide compiles advice from the ANU Travel Policy and ANU Travel Handbook, and should be read in conjunction with these documents.
Our approach
At ANU, the fundamental question guiding our efforts is how can we best support our staff to be successful with a lower carbon footprint. We aim to support our community in further reducing travel emissions by:
- Creating an enabling environment that supports local areas and individuals in reducing their travel emissions
- Working with local areas on tailored measures
- Developing tools and resources that aid decision-making for low carbon travel
- Reviewing and adjusting systems and policies to ensure an equitable and sustainable travel emissions reduction is achieved
Since 2021, staff and students across the University have collaborated to make this happen, with the main activities listed in the project table below.
Want to help shape our approach?
We are working with schools and colleges to co-design measures that support our staff in being successful with a lower travel carbon footprint. Contact the Environmental Sustainability team to contribute to our climate action program via ANUgreen@anu.edu.au.
If you have questions, please view the FAQs or contact us to get involved.
University Travel Emissions Reduction Program
| Project name | Project description | Project status |
|---|---|---|
| Cybernetic analysis of conference travel alternatives for carbon emissions reduction
| Using the lens of viable system theory, students in the Master of Applied Cybernetics program identified limitations to information transmission and the need for greater variety in control mechanisms. This analysis reveals opportunities to improve system viability, coordination, and feedback loops within the university system. They also investigated the user experience of online and hybrid events over in-person events. Read the full report (PDF, 2, 436 KB). | Complete |
| Travel in transition report: Exploring ANU travel practices in an era of emissions reduction
| This report provides findings from interviews with staff at the ANU identified as representing key stakeholder groups because of their high impact on travel emissions, the kind of work they perform or position at the university, or due to equity considerations that may make them more vulnerable to changes in travel policy. On the basis of these findings, we make eleven recommendations aimed to guide ANU towards less carbon-intensive ways of travelling and working. A summary of the findings (PDF, 666.11 KB) and full report (PDF, 871.42 KB) are available. | Complete |
| Voluntary pilot program
| Program to assist individuals in considering their greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint while making travel plans. The Program is now closed. | Complete |
| ANU Travel Lab
| An interdisciplinary group of researchers from across ANU supporting bold and urgent action towards reducing travel-related green house gas (GHG) emissions at ANU. | In progress |
| Travel Emissions Tracker (Beta version)
| Quarterly tracking of travel emissions data aggregated at whole-of-ANU, College/Portfolio and School/Department level. | In progress |
| Emissions reduction target
| Set 50% university related travel emissions reduction target. | Complete |
| Land-based travel
| Some Colleges have decided that staff/students will need to take Sydney-Canberra trips via bus/train/car from now on. | In progress |
| Travel policy and Guidelines
| Underpin the ANU Travel policy (Complete) and guidelines with sustainability principles (In Progress). | In progress |
| Low carbon travel guide
| Guide developed to provide staff and students with advice on how to reduce their emissions from travel. | Complete |