The Sustainable Business Travel Working Group is seeking your help in developing recommendations on how we approach business travel in future. We are committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions before 2040 and recognise that business travel (both domestic and international) underpins a cross-section of University activities, including education, research and student recruitment. However, the environmental impact of travel, particularly in relation to carbon emissions, has resulted in us taking a fresh look at how we conduct these essential elements of our core business.
We recognise that there will be diverse views on this topic across the University community and the Working Group is looking to gather as many perspectives and views as possible via a consultation process including a survey, Focus Groups and a dedicated email address (sustainablebusinesstravel@abdn.ac.uk).
The consultation is open until Wednesday 15 December.
Survey
An online survey has been developed to gauge views and attitudes across the University towards the role and importance of business travel. It also seeks to identify what incentives or other measures we could consider in seeking to reduce the emissions impact of that travel, without undermining our core activities. The survey is now live and will remain open to receive responses until Wednesday 15 December.
Complete the survey.
Feedback
A series of Focus Groups will be hosted (via Microsoft Teams) as part of the University-wide consultation exercise. Focus groups will take place on the following dates:
- Monday 29th November 14:00-15:30 (Early Career Researchers) Register here
- Tuesday 30th November 10:00-11:30 (Postgraduate Researchers) Register here
- Thursday 2nd December – 13:30-15:00 (Postgraduate Researchers) Register here
- Monday 6th December 11:00-12:30 (Early Career Researchers) Register here
The Focus Groups will consider the following themes:
- Incentives to Travel Less or to Travel via Sustainable Modes
- Hybrid Conferencing
- Equitable Travel
- Tackling Internal UK Flights
- Authorisation and Management of Travel
There will be an opportunity to raise additional topics in the focus groups that you feel should be considered when developing recommendations for Sustainable Business Travel.
Written Submissions
We fully appreciate that not everyone will feel comfortable in participating in a group discussion. Therefore, a dedicated email address (sustainablebusinesstravel@abdn.ac.uk) has been established for you to submit written comments, reflections and views in a secure and confidential manner. This mailbox is now active so submissions can be received with immediate effect and it will remain open until Wednesday 15 December.
All feedback received as part of this consultation process will be treated in a confidential manner and will not be attributed to any individual(s). If you have any problems in accessing any of the consultation process mechanisms, please contact Heather Crabb, Clerk to the Working Group (h.crabb@abdn.ac.uk).