New study spotlights need for more low-carbon travel

MICE News
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Climate change researchers, especially professors, fly more than other researchers – but are more likely to have taken steps to reduce or offset their carbon footprint, a new study has found. 
An international survey of more than 1,400 university researchers was carried out by the UK Centre for Climate and Social Transformation (CAST), which is coordinated by Cardiff University.  
 
A follow-up experiment with more than 350 researchers found that providing information about the impact of aviation and support for workplace policies increases intentions to fly less. 
 
The large-scale study - the first of its kind to survey climate academics about their travel for conferences, field work and meetings – is published in the journal Global Environmental Change. 
 
Director of CAST professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, who led the study, said the findings were “unexpected” but said it also suggested “knowledge alone is not enough” to tackle global warming. 
 
“Our findings highlight that climate scientists, like many other professionals, can struggle to square their environmental commitments with competing professional and personal demands, and academia itself is not doing enough to change this culture,” she said. 
 
“Crucially, our research demonstrates the need for policies and ways of working to encourage and enable low-carbon travel and use of virtual alternatives – something which is already happening in light of Covid-19."

New study spotlights need for more low-carbon travel

MICE News
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Climate change researchers, especially professors, fly more than other researchers – but are more likely to have taken steps to reduce or offset their carbon footprint, a new study has found. 
An international survey of more than 1,400 university researchers was carried out by the UK Centre for Climate and Social Transformation (CAST), which is coordinated by Cardiff University.  
 
A follow-up experiment with more than 350 researchers found that providing information about the impact of aviation and support for workplace policies increases intentions to fly less. 
 
The large-scale study - the first of its kind to survey climate academics about their travel for conferences, field work and meetings – is published in the journal Global Environmental Change. 
 
Director of CAST professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, who led the study, said the findings were “unexpected” but said it also suggested “knowledge alone is not enough” to tackle global warming. 
 
“Our findings highlight that climate scientists, like many other professionals, can struggle to square their environmental commitments with competing professional and personal demands, and academia itself is not doing enough to change this culture,” she said. 
 
“Crucially, our research demonstrates the need for policies and ways of working to encourage and enable low-carbon travel and use of virtual alternatives – something which is already happening in light of Covid-19."