Carbon budget and decision guide for work travel by air
On this webpage, you will find information about the university's carbon dioxide budget, what applies to each Faculty/unit, as well as a decision guide for the university's employees. The decision guide should be used as support for decision-making regarding air travel. There is also a so-called travel ladder with questions before you apply for project funds, decide, plan, and budget them.
Air travel accounts for around 95 percent of the university's emissions of carbon dioxide from work travel. A reduction in work travel by air needs to be prioritised in order to reach the set goals until 2030. The biggest emissions come from longer flights. Therefore, special attention needs to be directed towards reducing air travel between continents and within Europe.
The carbon dioxide budget and the decision guide are based on the Vice-Chancellor's decision's to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and established targets for each Faculty and unit for the period 2019–2030, with a reduction of seven percent per year.
Reg.no. 305–23.
- Each Faculty and unit has a carbon dioxide budget with an indicator in kilograms per unit. The indicator is in the archives maintained by the Registrar's Office. See Reg. no. 305-23, decision 2023-12-18.
- Carbon budget check:
The manager appoints a person who makes indicative extracts in the travel agency Egencia's reporting system every month.
- Managers make decisions about travel.
The employee prepares the decision-making material for the manager by drawing up the destination's emissions via the travel agency Egencia's reporting system, alternatively via a template available on the website Flightemissionmap.org. The emission is stated in kilograms of CO2. The carbon dioxide emission (CO2 emissions) must be approved by the manager before the trip can be booked.
NOTE! Expenses will not be approved for flights booked outside the framework agreement.
For travel bookings, see the Book your work travel webpage. On the website Meetings and travel policy, see the heading General rules and guidelines.
Read more on the Book your work travel webpage
- Read more on the Meetings and travel policy webpage (Swedish only).
- The manager follows up the carbon dioxide budget annually.
Step 1.
Think about the following when you are looking for projects, deciding, planning, and budgeting:
- How does the choice of travel patterns in the project/collaboration affect the possibility of participation for different employees? Can travel-free working methods lead to increased participation?
- Can research funders' increased demands on sustainability and the design of the application change travel patterns?
- How do you work with high quality in a travel-free collaboration?
- By actively advocating travel-free participation in meetings, can you influence the norms and values of the collaborative actors, for example if you are an invited speaker and refer to the University of Borås’s research-based goal of annual reduction of emissions from air travel?
Step 2:
Consider the university's common goal for a sustainable use of resources:
- Is your on-site participation necessary?
- Can the university influence standards for low-carbon collaborations by proposing digital solutions/hybrid solutions?
- Have you considered whether it is the right prioritisation of your working time and the university's resources?
- Consider whether the trip is worth the impact on the environment, cost, and time away from the workplace. Why do you have to travel? Are you following the university's meeting and travel policy?
- Intercontinental trips make up the largest share of the university's emissions from work travel, and it is above all these trips that need to be reduced. Consider whether the university’s studio can be used instead of travelling. Consider whether it is enough to travel only on the first occasion/start-up of the project and then meet digitally.
- If several people planning to participate – is this necessary?
Step 3
What other options instead of travelling are there?
Can someone already on site participate in your place/perform the task?
- Are there other ways to exchange information that do not require travel? Can you download material from the event or follow live broadcasts? Can you participate digitally? Can you use the university's studio for live broadcasting at events? Can you take support from EduTech regarding various digital educational tools, support for recording lectures and giving excellent lectures, coaching in how to use mini-studios?
- Weighing in whether digital alternatives lead to improved internationalisation linked to equality around financial resources and geographic location for travel, participation, and efficiency.
Step 4
Planning your trip:
- On what occasions and how do you plan for the best possible effect of the trips?
- How is train travel facilitated? For example, is an extra overnight stay or travel day needed? Can part of the travel time be used for work and planning, depending on when you travel and what your employment contract looks like? Consider the total travel time, including time for transfers and time spent at the airport. Also compare the cost of different modes of travel. Do other meetings, which have changed to digital, make up for a longer travel time by train instead of flying?
- If flights are considered: is there CO2 budget left for the unit for this trip and does the responsible manager have CO2 capacity to say yes to the trip?
- Can you combine the trip with other activities?
Step 5
Booking your trip:
- Within Sweden, we travel by train. Domestic travel by air should be specifically discussed with one’s immediate manager. Many longer distances can be covered by night train.
- For many destinations in Europe, trains are a possible alternative to flying and with the possibility of using the travel time for work. Discuss it with the travel agency.
- If you need to travel by air, layovers should be avoided by taking part of the route by train or bus. Discuss with the travel agent about alternatives to air travel within Europe. Ensure that the journey is carried out safely and that the Work Environment Act is followed for 24-hour and weekly rest.
- For intercontinental travel, there is unlikely to be an alternative to flying. Ensure that the journey is carried out safely. How should air travel be booked with a focus on minimising the travel's negative environmental impact and in a cost-effective manner without the work being neglected? Can you stay extra days at the destination to cut down on future trips? Can you take a train to Kastrup or Stockholm to avoid a layover?
Do you have suggestions for improvement on how the university can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from air travel as well as deviations regarding the carbon dioxide budget and travel for work? Email your suggestions: miljoledningssystemet@hb.se
