Transition plan sustainable travel policy 2020-2030

With the (further) development of a sustainable travel policy, we aim to find a balance between two important objectives. On the one hand, there is the need for an academic institution to be internationally active and to exchange knowledge, experiences, and people. On the other hand, the academic world also recognizes the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to act by establishing additional concrete and effective guidelines and measures.

Objectives

Ghent University is committed to flying less, more thoughtfully, and more sustainably, aiming to reduce the CO₂ emissions from air travel by at least one-third by 2030, compared to the reference year 2019. To this end:

  • Ghent University strives to balance the necessity of international engagement with the urgent need to address the climate crisis; it also contributes to the ongoing international debate on this issue;

  • The university is shifting 'the standard' toward sustainable mobility by promoting alternatives and discouraging non-essential travel;

  • For necessary air travel, a contribution is collected to partially offset the emitted CO₂;

  • Ghent University engages its expertise and commitment to contribute to sustainable mobility solutions.

Achieved Milestones

  • Sustainable travel policy for staff: air travel is only undertaken when truly necessary; by default, staff do not fly when the train journey is less than 8 hours; CO₂ emissions are partially offset with a contribution equivalent to the EU ETS price.

  • Guidelines for air and rail travel in first and business class.

  • Sustainable travel policy for students: students receive an additional grant when they choose sustainable travel options, and short trips (<1 month) outside the EU are not permitted (for reasons of social sustainability).

Actions 2025–2028

  • Adjust the CO₂ contribution to align with the ETS price (revised annually) and coordinate with EU policy.

  • Provide 50% subsidies for sustainable business trips and travel abroad for teaching assignments.

  • Highlight frontrunners and share inspiring stories.

  • Promote alternatives to air travel: show where you can go by train.

Where do we stand?

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