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Mobility
In the past two years, the university has made great progress towards sustainable mobility. The President's Board and Senate approved the air travel plan «less for more», which stipulates continuous data monitoring and a 30 % reduction in flight emissions. Together with the Sustainability Office, the faculties, departments and institutes developed specific steps for reduction, to be implemented starting in summer 2021.
New flight data monitoring
Traffic in Switzerland is responsible for about 40 % of all CO2-eq. emissions in the country1. International air traffic is a particularly important contributor at approx. 20 % – and growing2. Flight emissions are particularly relevant to universities because flights are, or were, an established part of academic life, enabling fieldwork, conferences and international collaboration. The flight data monitoring first introduced in 2019 shows that air travel is responsible for about 48 % of total greenhouse gas emissions at the University of Basel: 11,400 metric tonnes of CO2-eq. were released into the atmosphere from 2017 to 2020 due to air travel, despite a sharp decline in flights in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (-80 %).
«less for more»
The air travel project less for more was developed by the Sustainability Office together with the Accounting department and the SAP Competence Center, and the plan was approved by the President's Board and the Senate in the fall of 2020. Comprehensive flight data monitoring enabled the calculation of flight-related greenhouse gas emissions for the years 2017-2020 at the level of faculties, departments and institutes. The goal of “less for more” is to permanently reduce flight emissions by 30 % compared with the baseline for 2017-2019. To achieve this, the faculties, departments, and institutes were called on to develop specific reduction steps, taking into account the disciplinary differences in research and teaching.
The Department of Environmental Sciences supports the 'less is more' initiative without reservation. We environmental scientists above all should and will set a good example and do whatever it takes to reduce flight-related CO₂ emissions. I am confident that we will be able to reconcile efficient scientific knowledge exchange, successful fieldwork and reduced flight mobility. The current move towards digitalization is extremely beneficial in this respect.
Prof. Dr. Moritz Lehmann, Head of the Department of Environmental Sciences
Since October 2020, the Sustainability Office has guided and supported the university's organizational units in developing steps for reduction to be implemented starting in summer 2021. In addition, numerous virtual informational events have been held and a project website with data, factsheets, and helpful tools for sustainable travel planning created for researchers. To improve options for innovative digital forms of communication in teaching and for meetings, several lecture halls and seminar rooms in the Kollegienhaus at Petersplatz were provided with equipment for virtual or hybrid events in the fall of 2020. To boost digitalization, about 160 mobile AV media kits have also been procured. These will enable high-quality virtual meetings and collaboration even after the coronavirus pandemic.
Goals & actions
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Reduce flight-related greenhouse gas emissions by 30% compared with 2017-2019 baseline
Implement measures of the flight travel project "less for more" and continue to monitor flight data
Sustainability Office
Accounting Department
All departments, faculties and institutes
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Improve data on mobility-related greenhouse gas emissions
Record business travel-related emissions broken down by means of transport (air, rail, car) from 2021
Accounting Department
Sustainability Office
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Improve infrastructure and support for virtual meetings
Provide several classrooms in the Kollegienhaus with the necessary technical equipment for virtual meetings; completion of alterations planned in fall semester 2021
Prepare a plan for provision, maintenance and support of virtual meetings at the University of Basel; coordinate the roles of Facilities and IT Services
Facilities
Project management & engineering
IT Services
Facilities
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Reduce flight-related greenhouse gas emissions by 30% compared with 2017-2019 baseline
Develop specific reduction goals and proposals for action to reduce flight-related greenhouse gas emissions
Survey researchers at the University of Basel to identify appropriate interventions to reduce air travel
Sustainability Office
Sustainability Office
Center for Cognitive & Decision Sciences
(Faculty of Psychology)
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Improve data on mobility-related greenhouse gas emissions
Set up data collection and calculate the greenhouse gas footprint of the University of Basel's air travel 2017-2019
Accounting Department
Sustainability Office
