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Why do business travel emissions matter?

The University’s Climate Plan, which is a key supporting document to the Sustainability Strategy, sets out our commitments for addressing the climate crisis and outlines priorities for reaching net zero carbon for scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

Scope 1 and 2 carbon comes from energy we generate on site, fuel used in fleet vehicles and electricity purchased from the grid. Scope 3 carbon emissions are more difficult for us to control as they are associated with our supply chain and behaviours. Business travel is measured and reported under our scope 3 emissions.

We have adopted the EAUC Standardised Carbon Emissions Framework to allow us to accurately track and report on our carbon emissions. This data will be reported to the University’s Sustainability Committee annually and will also be published in the University’s annual financial statements as part of our commitment to transparency in sustainability reporting.

Externally, the University must report its scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in the annual Estates Management Return (EMR). Data extracted from the EMR is used by several league table providers to assess our environmental performance.

Funder Expectations

Business travel is often required for those working in academia, but it contributes significantly to our scope 3 carbon emissions. This has been acknowledged in recent policy updates from funders:

To reduce the emissions from travel funded by Wellcome, researchers should follow the guidance set out in the Wellcome Trust Environmental Sustainability Funding Policy. They state that researchers should:

  • Minimise their travel and that of their staff, collaborators and all grant participants (for example, clinical research participants, focus group attendees, advisory boards etc) when designing and undertaking their project.
  • Use alternatives (such as video conferencing, hybrid meetings and attending conferences virtually) where possible.
  • Leverage existing local skills for fieldwork or if necessary, upskill others who are already located in the field rather than to travel to site themselves.
  • Choose modes and class of transport that have a lower carbon impact where travel is essential (this includes taking the train instead of flying and travelling economy class when flying is unavoidable)
  • Offset the remaining carbon emissions of all journeys or use an alternative to offsetting where their organisation has received Wellcome’s approval for this. While offsetting is not a long-term solution to emissions Wellcome accepts its use as a way of mitigating remaining travel emissions once all other efforts to reduce them have been taken.  

The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) also has criteria [G35] linked to travel: “The lab has implemented at least one action to reduce travel and adopted low-carbon travel policies where possible”.

Set out in their Policy on Environmental Sustainability in Research, Cancer Research UK expects research teams to “undertake only essential travel for research activities and if a virtual/digital alternative for the purpose of the travel is not available. Costs associated with travel for research collaboration purposes directly related to the activity funded on the grant are eligible to be included in a grant application as per their Costs Guidance. Where travel is necessary, the decision on the form of travel should consider options with a lower environmental impact, primarily through lower emissions, even if this comes at a higher price”.

The Concordat for Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice – to which the University of Liverpool become a signatory in April 2024 – includes a commitment to reduce emissions from business and academic travel. ”For R&I to have global reach and benefit, we recognise that we must address carbon emissions associated with travel, and will promote ‘climate conscious’ travel in our R&I endeavours. Where travel is deemed essential in the context of the initiative, we will actively seek to travel less frequently, consider hybrid options for those travelling from further afield and prioritise to accommodate low carbon modes of travel (while also ensuring inclusivity and being mindful of the needs of attendees)”.