Flying Less in Academia: Rethinking Air Travel for a Sustainable Future
Academics lead by example to reduce air travel emissions and foster climate-friendly professional practices worldwide.
As climate change rapidly accelerates, the role of the academic community in reducing its environmental footprint is facing intense scrutiny. One focal point is air travel—a long-standing fixture of academic life, connecting scholars globally but also carrying a significant carbon cost. The ‘flying less’ campaign within academia is gaining momentum, seeking to reshape research culture, foster sustainability, and set a public example in the fight against the climate crisis.
The Problem: Academic Air Travel and Carbon Emissions
Air travel is among the most carbon-intensive activities on an individual basis. Although only a small fraction of the global population flies regularly, frequent flyers—including academics—contribute disproportionately to aviation’s climate impact. For many researchers, attending conferences, collaborating internationally, and conducting fieldwork have long been regarded as essential to progress. However, the environmental cost of these activities is substantial.
- Aviation Emissions: Aviation accounts for approximately 2–3% of global CO2 emissions, but its impact is amplified by high-altitude effects and contrails.
- Unequal Distribution: A small group of frequent flyers, including many academics, generate most aviation emissions.
- Single Flights Matter: A round-trip transatlantic flight can add as much as 2–3 tons of CO2 per person—nearly the annual per capita emissions of some developing countries.
Within the context of a global effort to limit warming to well below 2°C, these emissions are increasingly indefensible—especially among those advocating for urgent climate action.
The ‘Flying Less’ Campaign: Origins and Goals
The Flying Less campaign was launched by a group of academics who recognized the contradiction between climate science consensus and the travel-heavy culture of higher education. Their aim is twofold:
- To reduce air travel for academic purposes such as conferences, workshops, and research collaboration, and
- To model climate-responsible behavior, inspiring broader institutional and sectoral change.
The campaign is not about never flying, but about flying less—making deliberate, critical choices about when and why air travel is necessary and when alternatives can suffice.
Main Objectives
- Raise Awareness: Highlight the environmental costs of academic flying.
- Encourage Institutional Change: Push universities and funding agencies to reconsider travel incentives and support alternatives.
- Foster Cultural Shift: Make low-carbon travel modes and virtual engagement standard practice.
Why Academic Air Travel Matters
Academics contribute uniquely to global CO2 emissions due to the frequency and distance of their travel. The issue is particularly acute in fields where international conferences are integral to professional advancement, and where flying is perceived as essential for success.
- Academic flying is often regarded as a privilege, opening doors to global networks and resources, but it also normalizes high-emission lifestyles.
- Transparency around the environmental consequences of such travel is growing, creating a moral imperative for scientists and educators to align their actions with their research findings.
What others are reading
| Activity | Estimated CO2 Emissions (kg) |
|---|---|
| Round-trip NYC-London flight (economy) | 1,600 – 2,000 |
| Car (one year, average use) | 4,600 – 5,000 |
| Annual electricity for small household | 1,000 – 2,500 |
Key Drivers of Academic Air Travel
- International Conferences: Critical for networking, sharing research, and career progression but often nonessential in-person.
- Research Collaboration: Travel for multi-institutional projects, some of which can be conducted virtually.
- Institutional Norms: Many institutions incentivize or require travel through funding, awards, and evaluation metrics.
Challenges in Changing Academic Travel Culture
Despite strong climate arguments, shifting away from air travel in academia involves confronting entrenched norms and systemic barriers:
- Career Advancement: Networking at conferences is often linked to research visibility and promotions.
- Equity Issues: Uneven access to alternative modes of travel or remote participation may disadvantage some scholars.
- Institutional Inertia: Academic systems are slow to update expectations, reward structures, and event formats.
- Global Inequity: Academic and scientific communities in the Global South may rely more on in-person links for gaining recognition.
- Technological Gaps: Not all regions have equal access to reliable digital infrastructure for virtual events.
Case Studies and Institutional Responses
- Some universities have set carbon budgets or included air travel in their sustainability plans.
- Funding agencies have piloted remote conferencing grants and incentivized low-carbon research exchanges.
- Train travel is being encouraged for regional travel where infrastructure allows, with universities covering travel time as work hours.
Alternatives to Flying: What Works?
Practical solutions to reduce academic flying are increasingly accessible and can deliver both sustainability and professional benefits.
- Virtual Conferences & Webinars: Online meetings enable wide participation, global reach, and reduced costs.
- Hybrid Events: Combine local in-person gatherings with global video links for both engagement and access.
- Slower Travel Modes: Encouraging travel by train or bus for regional meetings, often with support for flexible scheduling.
- Restructured Networking: Building collaborative research infrastructures that do not depend on physical presence.
- Extended Stays: When travel is essential, longer-term visits can replace multiple short trips.
The Moral and Pedagogical Imperative
As educators and thought leaders, academics have an outsized influence on social values. Their travel choices are not just personal—they set professional norms and send powerful signals to students, colleagues, and the public at large.
- Leadership by Example: When academics demonstrate restraint in their own travel habits, it underlines the urgency of addressing climate change.
- Integrating Sustainability: Embedding discussion of ethical, environmental, and equity implications of travel in teaching and institutional policy prepares students for climate-responsible leadership.
Alignment with Research and Advocacy
- Scholars who research climate and sustainability are increasingly expected to “walk the talk” by modeling responsible travel.
- Students and early-career researchers are demanding institutional reform and climate-conscious policy from their mentors and administrations.
Balancing Global Scholarship and Climate Commitments
There is legitimate concern that reducing air travel can create barriers to collaboration, cultural exchange, and academic opportunity—particularly for those in less-connected regions or under-resourced institutions. The ‘flying less’ movement stresses a nuanced, equitable approach:
- Prioritize local and regional events where feasible, reserving international travel for high-impact, irreplaceable occasions.
- Invest in digital infrastructure and training to support equitable participation in virtual spaces.
- Recognize alternative forms of scholarship and visibility within academic evaluation systems.
- Build cross-institutional alliances to facilitate remote collaboration without sacrificing research quality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why target academic flying when there are bigger sources of emissions?
While academia’s share of total emissions is relatively small, academics are influential role models. By adopting sustainable practices, they can inspire broader social and institutional change, and lend credibility to climate advocacy efforts.
Does flying less really reduce carbon emissions?
In isolation, one less ticket does not immediately ground a plane. However, when many people participate, cumulative lower demand leads to fewer flights being scheduled, thus lowering total emissions. Sustained action by influential communities can trigger larger shifts in industry and policy.
Are virtual conferences as effective as in-person events?
Virtual conferences can provide wide access, lower costs, and increased inclusivity when well-designed, though they may not fully replicate informal networking. Hybrid models are emerging to blend the strengths of both formats.
What about equity and inclusion?
Care must be taken to ensure that low-carbon academic practices do not isolate or disadvantage those with less access to strong internet connections, travel funds, or established networks. Institutional support and flexible program design are key.
How can universities support flying less?
Universities can adopt policies to count virtual engagement toward promotion, invest in digital infrastructure, offer grants for remote collaboration, include air travel in carbon accounting, and revise expectations for academic visibility and collaboration.
Key Takeaways and Action Steps
- Assess the necessity of each academic trip and seek lower-carbon or digital alternatives
- Advocate for institutional policies that support remote participation, carbon accounting, and climate leadership
- Re-envision academic success and impact beyond frequent flying and in-person networking
- Invest in the technologies and practices that equitably expand access to global scholarship
- Promote a broader cultural shift in academia to prioritize sustainability in all professional activities
The academic flying less movement stands at the intersection of ethics, leadership, and climate policy. By rethinking traditional models of scholarship and collaboration, higher education can take proactive steps to mitigate the climate crisis while fostering a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient research culture for the future.
References
- https://www.clivespash.org/social-ecological-activism/campaign-for-academics-to-fly-less/
- https://academicflyingblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/
- https://talyarkoni.org/blog/2020/01/23/fly-less-give-more/
- https://academicflyingblog.wordpress.com/author/vassarbordercourse2012/page/2/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOK6JdVzjLk
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09644016.2023.2193068
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