Travel

Business travel

Sustainable Business Travel policy

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The Sustainable Travel Policy was agreed in March 2021 and was implemented in January 2022. It sets out how all local, national and international travel taken on behalf of the University should take place.

The University launched a new Sustainable Business Travel policy in January 2022, which made considerations of the environmental impact a key factor in deciding how or even if we travel for work.

The policy supports the University’s 'Climate Conscious Travel' approach of understanding the environmental impacts of travel and using lower carbon methods of transport where possible, minimising the overall number of journeys to reduce carbon emissions and sequestering the carbon emissions from all travel.

Sustainable Travel Policy (2021)

Why do we need a Sustainable Travel Policy? 

Travel hierarchy

A new travel hierarchy was introduced within the Sustainable Travel Policy, which included the following principles:

• avoidance of air travel for travel within Great Britain, with a limited number of exceptions
• where air travel is required, flight class is restricted to economy class, unless for health reasons or disability
• first class air travel is not allowed for any reason
• support the uptake of first class and sleeper rail or coach services where practical.

A new travel management supplier contract was put in place in February 2022 to help standardise the travel booking process.

Increase in business travel

The University’s absolute carbon emissions in this academic year increased compared to the previous year, partly driven by an increase in carbon emissions associated with business travel.

The volume of business travel increased with the lifting of international travel restrictions put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2022.

Carbon emissions associated with travel will likely increase into academic 2022-23, with a full year without travel restrictions, however through the new Sustainable Business Travel Policy the University aims to ensure future travel is more environmentally and financially sustainable.

Business travel data

Use the arrow to scroll through to see the distance and number of journeys. Please note our reporting data has changed, so we are reporting on short, medium and long-haul flights this year rather than domestic, short-haul and long-haul. We have also grouped together different kinds of flights for total journey numbers.

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Staff and student commuting

A return to on-campus teaching took place during this academic year, with Covid-19 restrictions starting to ease and then being removed in April 2022.

During this period of restrictions being relaxed, the University’s Travel Survey took place, allowing for the collection of travel behaviour data to estimate annual carbon emissions for travel to work and study, to better inform travel planning measures effectively.

Policies, plans and reports

Shift in working patterns

The survey highlighted that compared to academic year 2019-20, the proportion of staff and students travelling to the University five days a week had changed significantly. For staff this changed from 69 per cent to 23 per cent. For students this changed from 53 per cent to 22 per cent. This change in working patterns directly impacts on travel behaviours and ultimately the carbon footprint for commuting travel.

Lower carbon footprint, but more motor vehicle use

Compared to academic year 2019-20, the carbon footprint has reduced by 14 per cent from 13,858 tCO2e to 11,860 tonnes CO2e.

The mode share data shows an increase in car and bus use, and reductions in walking and cycling.

Attitudinal questions designed to understand how students and staff behaviours would change once Covid-19 related restrictions were removed indicate that this modal change is unlikely to be permanent.

The next Travel Survey will take place in 2023.

Support for active travel

The University has improved facilitates for cyclists as part of its efforts to support active travel.

With the help of funding from Cycling Scotland’s Cycling Friendly Campus fund, two new bike stores have been installed at King’s Buildings campus.

A new store with a capacity for 30 bikes has been built on James Hutton Road between the Grant Institute and Ashworth Laboratories.

Meanwhile, on the eastern side of the campus, a new store in the car park by the Faraday Building has a capacity for 20 bikes.

Improvements to showers and changing facilities were also implemented at King’s Buildings campus in 2022.

New cycling facilities for College of Science and Engineering

Staff and student commuting data

The graph below shows emissions from staff and student commuting. Use the arrow to see the combined totals.

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