Adapting, Implementing, and Scaling up an Academic Flying Less Policy: Lessons from Lund, Sweden
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The document discusses the need for universities to act as climate leaders by adopting policies that reduce air travel emissions, particularly highlighting the case of Lund University. It emphasizes that reducing flying is one of the most impactful actions universities can take towards achieving climate goals and presents various strategies for implementing a 'flying less' policy. Key models and interventions are suggested to foster a culture of low-carbon research and encourage collective action among faculty and students.
Adapting, Implementing, and Scaling up an Academic Flying Less Policy: Lessons from Lund, Sweden
- 1. Adopting, implementing, and scaling up an academic flying less policy: Lessons from Lund, Sweden @KA_Nicholas Kimberly Nicholas Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies Kimnicholas.com Photo: #BeyondOil2019 Conference train, @UiBCET
- 2. Synthesis of Climate Science @KA_Nicholas It’s warming It’s us We’re sure It’s bad We can fix it 2
- 3. @KA_Nicholas Photo: Wine Spectator, 24 October 2019
- 4. @KA_Nicholas Emissions need to plummet towards zero
- 5. Key points • Universities should be climate leaders, with a strong focus on absolute emissions reductions • Reducing flying is probably the highest-impact climate action for universities • Substantial action can start with 2-3 people and bridge bottom-up and top-down • There are great models for creating low-carbon research cultures @KA_Nicholas
- 6. ”Lund University works to understand, explain, and improve our world and the human condition.” @KA_Nicholas
- 7. Total CO2 reported by Lund University 2018 @KA_Nicholas Flights over 500km 90% Flights under 500km 4% Machines 3% Car travel 3% Bus travel 0% Train travel 0% Data: https://www.medarbetarwebben.lu.se/sites/medarbetarwebben.lu.se/files/redovisning-miljoledningsarbetet-2018.pdf
- 8. Universities are high emitters; a few academic fliers contribute most emissions Wynes & Donner, 2018, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions report • Almost 1/3 did not fly • 8% produced half of all flight emissions • 25% produced 80% of emissions @KA_Nicholas Flight emissions = 63-73% of those of UBC campus
- 9. Peter Kalmus, climate scientist: initial carbon footprint dominated by flying Kalmus, 2016, “How far can we get without flying?” YES Magazine @KA_Nicholas
- 10. Timeline for LUCSUS Travel Policy @KA_Nicholas 2017 2018 Present data on LUCSUS flying emissions LUCSUS Director agrees to take flying question forward Jan Apr Recruit MSc student to study academic flying May Nov MSc student begins thesis Feb MSc student: national survey, workshop June MSc student defends thesis Wynes & Nicholas, “The Climate Mitigation Gap” published Appointment LUCSUS Environment officer Apr MSc student presents thesis to LUCSUS staff Aug Nov LUCSUS Director convenes seminar on travel policy DecJul LUCSUS Board adopts travel policy ResearchLeadership
- 11. LUCSUS: New flying less policy @KA_Nicholas https://www.lucsus.lu.se/article/lucsus-presents-new-travel-policy-to-reduce-work-related-emissions
- 12. @KA_Nicholas Graphic by Emma Li Johansson
- 13. LUCSUS Travel Pledge @KA_Nicholas ”Climate pledge document,” http://www.kimnicholas.com/academics-flying-less.html
- 14. @KA_Nicholas https://klimatuppropetlund.se/ Faculty and student support for reducing emissions Op-ed by 18 Swedish researchers Petition signed by nearly 5,000 students
- 16. Wynes & Donner, 2018, Action Plan, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions report @KA_Nicholas
- 18. Frequent flyer cards belong in a museum @KA_Nicholas https://www.climaginaries.org/carbon-ruins
- 19. A Few Academics Flying Less Resources • Academic Flying: data, resources, webinars http://www.kimnicholas.com/academics-flying-less.html • Policy brief for the Green New Deal, ”Flying Less is Critical to a Safe Climate Future” https://www.publicadministrationreview.com/2019/07/16/ gnd24/ • Academic Flying Less Resource Guide (Katz-Rosene et al.) https://docs.google.com/document/d/19FRJbAJsbV3Sr14 I3jYU1qLjRxE0S_2KIIrTEkaZ3eA/edit?usp=sharing • Academics Flying Less https://academicflyingblog.wordpress.com/ @KA_Nicholas
- 20. @KA_Nicholas Intervention Example To reduce emissions from aviation Nudges Customers “nudged” by being given preportioned meal sizes (Friis et al. 2017). Change defaults in government booking systems to better support booking train travel. Prompts Participant received text-message reminders to reduce red meat intake (Carfora et al. 2017). Display a note on a travel booking website asking customer to consider linked low- carbon options. Justification Carbon footprint information of meal choices displayed (Brunner et al. 2018). Make carbon footprint of flights versus other choices more explicit in transport mapping and travel booking systems to inform travel decision. Instructions Energy saving tips provided to households (Allcott 2011). • Design government and institutional travel policies that prioritize travel-free meetings, then ground-based travel (von Arnold 2018; Tyndall Centre 2019). • Provide instructions and technical support for institutional videoconferencing hardware and software to lower barriers for digital alternatives to air travel (Wynes and Donner 2018). Feedback Monthly energy statement mailed to households (Carroll et al. 2014). • Give institution members individual reports about personal air travel, including a comparison to the average member of the department or with a sustainable global citizen’s annual carbon budget (with normative, encouraging messages for those whose emissions are below the average). • Make public the emissions of public sector employees who generate above a certain threshold in air travel emissions. Similar social pressure interventions have been effective in encouraging behaviors like voting (Davenport et al. 2010) and reduced household energy consumption (Delmas and Lessem 2014). Nicholas & Wynes, 2019, World Resources Institute Expert Briefing
- 21. @KA_Nicholas Intervention Example To reduce emissions from aviation Social modeling Neighborhood leaders model a proenvironmental behavior. • Highlight and promote local destinations, emphasizing the economic benefits for local economies (e.g., collaboration of Swedish universities, regional governments and tourist agencies that includes 100 vacations reachable by train, and carbon calculator for travel plans) (Klimatsmart Semester 2019). • Promote positive stories of slow travel and its health, quality time, adventure, and other benefits. • Attitudes and behavior have been changed by knowing someone who flies less or doesn’t fly (Westlake 2017). • Increase institutional or leadership commitment to reduced flying. Cognitive dissonance Stressed the gap between an individual’s actions (driving) and values (environmental concern) (Tertoolen et al. 1998). • Require that air travel advertisements contain messages stating the environmental harms of flying, similar to the practice with cigarette packages and pharmaceutical drug commercials. • Social media campaigns can highlight high emissions from air travel by “clueless influencers” (aningslosainfluencers 2019). Commitment Subjects committed to reduce car use (Tertoolen et al. 1998). Sign personally formulated pledges at the individual, business, city, and regional levels. Rewards Employees offered option to cash out parking spots (Shoup 1997). • Employers give more days off to support employees who travel slower (e.g., Climate Perks initiative by the NGO Possible). • Replace frequent flyer programs with a financial incentive program that rewards lower- carbon options. Competition Group competition reduced energy use at university residence (Sintov 2016). Stimulate interdepartmental competition to reduce air travel emissions at large public institutions. Goal Group goal of 5% energy reduction given to households (Abrahamse et al. 2007). • Align aviation with Paris temperature targets. • Campaign for 50% reduction by 2023 of greenhouse gas emissions from Swedish universities (including flight emissions) by university researchers (Alvesson et al. 2018) and students (Bernholz et al. 2019) Nicholas & Wynes, 2019, World Resources Institute Expert Briefing
- 22. Budget for household emissions for <1.5°C: 2.5 tons/person/year in 2030 (1.5° Lifestyles Report) Wynes & Nicholas, 2017, Environmental Research Letters Graphic by Catrin Jakobsson @KA_Nicholas One roundtrip flight NYC-London= 64% of a sustainable annual carbon budget
Editor's Notes
- #2: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2159.html
- #5: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-wri-data-suggests-emissions-have-already-peaked-49-countries För att ha en god chans att begränsa uppvärmningen till två grader behöver de globala koldioxidutsläppen snabbt vända neråt för att på sikt upphöra helt (netto noll).
- #9: https://pics.uvic.ca/addressing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-business-related-air-travel-public-institutions-case-study
- #10: https://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/life-after-oil/how-far-can-we-get-without-flying-20160211
- #16: https://www.chalmers.se/en/news/Pages/swedish-universities-develop-comprehensive-framework-for-their-climate-work.aspx
- #17: https://pics.uvic.ca/addressing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-business-related-air-travel-public-institutions-case-study
- #23: Study: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa7541 Magazine articles, films, infographics, supporting materials: http://www.kimnicholas.com/responding-to-climate-change.html