Towards post-COVID-19 responsible academic air travel
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
ISSN: 1467-6370
Article publication date: 26 July 2023
Issue publication date: 2 January 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to shape the future of academic air travel practices by identifying the challenges between existing air travel-related policies and practicing responsible air travel.
Design/methodology/approach
With increasing concern over global warming, many institutions have implemented sustainability programmes to tackle carbon emissions and create sustainable practices. COVID-19 has resulted in many universities seizing the opportunity to maintain reduced levels of academic air travel emissions. However, the outdated travel-related policies have caused much scope for tension arising from the policy gap between pre-COVID university travel policies and academics' intentions to reduce their air travel emissions. This study interviewed academics at the University of Otago (New Zealand) to elicit detailed narratives of their perceptions of the university’s air travel-related policies, generating co-created and mutually informative insights.
Findings
The present programme of in-depth interviews with academic staff revealed that while most staff accept the need to reduce air travel emissions, they face challenges concerning career advancement, equity and equality issues. Universities will need to evolve their travel-related policies to address these challenges, enabling academics to adopt new practices that do not unreasonably disadvantage themselves, their disciplines or their institutions.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to the literature by highlighting the institutional policy challenges to responsible academic air travel and the need for the current policy gap to be resolved. The authors propose directions for a responsible academic air travel future that will require both top-down and bottom-up approaches involving academics and institutions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge all participants for their engagement in this research. Thanks to Professor Richard Blaikie (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Enterprise) and Ray O’Brien (Head of Sustainability) at the University of Otago for their support, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions.
Citation
Tseng, S.H.-Y., Higham, J. and Lee, C. (2024), "Towards post-COVID-19 responsible academic air travel", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 202-220. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2022-0313
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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