Managing academic air travel emissions: Towards system-wide practice change

Tseng, Sherry H. Y.; Lee, Craig; Higham, James

doi:10.1016/j.trd.2022.103504

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 62 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They also have access to government support for this work through the Carbon Neutral Government Program, 2 which aims to eliminate coal from the public sector. However, universities with a high percentage of emissions from air travel have a more challenging task of seeking reductions in academic and student air travel (Tseng & Higham, 2022). This difference is striking when comparing UC, which reports that 72% of its emissions are from burning coal, which it is in the process of eliminating, and UoA, where 80% of emissions derive from air travel, 44% of which are from international students.…”

Section: Universities' Responses To Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Emissions from air travel are a significant percentage of emissions for all universities in Aotearoa. While all universities have acknowledged this is an area where emissions need to come down, it is also understood there are a range of cognitive norms and complex social practices involved in academic flying which means instructing academics to fly less is not going to work (Tseng & Higham, 2022). Universities are still developing the initiatives in this area, making it premature to gauge the progress that has been made, especially given the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on aeromobility immediately prior to the research period.…”

Section: Universities' Responses To Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Responding to climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand: Universities, neoliberalism and narratives of change

Lomas,

Bond

2024

N Z Geog

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article investigates how the eight universities in Aotearoa New Zealand are responding to climate change. It employs a mixed methods approach and involves a detailed analysis of the documentation that universities have produced in relation to climate change, supported by a critical discourse analysis and interviews with key actors in universities' climate change response. All universities in Aotearoa New Zealand were found to be mobilising in response to climate change, with targets set for reducing emissions, plans developed, and work programmes underway. These targets are not limited to decarbonization but include ambitions to embed sustainability values across teaching, research and campus life. While these climate change responses contain positive and aspirational narratives grounded in indigenous values, the primary discourses perpetuate neoliberal ideas of reconciliation that suggest no radical change is needed. Universities are further constrained by the impacts of neoliberalism and their need to financially survive within an unsustainable economic paradigm. The research concludes that it seems unlikely that transformational change will be led by universities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

show abstract

Section: Universities' Responses To Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Universities' Responses To Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Responding to climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand: Universities, neoliberalism and narratives of change

Lomas,

Bond

2024

N Z Geog

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Tseng, et al [66] apply a modified ECF to understand how academic air travel behaviours are shaped and influenced. They conclude that academic flying practices are embedded in complex systems, which are affected by wider society, the physical environment (location to transport infrastructure), work institutions and the individuals at the core of the ECF.…”

Section: Energy Culture Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These examples show the breadth of application of the ECF in workplace settings, ranging from Bell et al [67] and Dew et al [65], who apply the framework to examine the energy cultures of a specific industry/type of employer, to Tseng et al [66], who use the ECF to examine individual travel behaviours. There is yet to be an application of the ECF in a workplace environment that examines the broader external influences on an individual's (employee's) energy use.…”

Section: Energy Culture Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Workplace Energy Culture Framework: A Mixed Methods Study Examining Differences in Energy Use and Behaviours within an Industrial Workplace

Brown

2024

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

One way to achieve energy efficiency in the workplace is to change employee behaviour. Research in this area is limited, and significant gaps remain in understanding differences in how energy is used within workplaces and the suitability of existing frameworks for application in workplace settings. This paper addresses these gaps by applying and further developing the interdisciplinary energy culture framework (ECF) to examine employee energy use in an industrial workplace with an office and manufacturing areas. A mixed methods approach consisting of surveys, a focus group and interviews is applied. Results show significant differences in the office and manufacturing areas, with office areas having a more energy-efficient energy culture. Qualitative results show differences exist due to organizational behaviours, such as the effectiveness of business communications methods, varying levels of investment, the physical environment and work tasks. Results also show external influences, such as government budgets, business structure, and wider organisational cultures, impact energy cultures and how energy is used. This paper proposes modifications to the ECF, which acknowledges the multi-scalar nature of workplace energy cultures. This paper demonstrates how the ECF can be applied to workplace settings, allowing further understanding of how energy is used, and identifying wider organizational, occupational, and individual psychological influences on energy use.

show abstract

“…The most discussed aspect concerns air travel and international conferences, with the possibility of turning towards virtual events. [21][22][23] A number of studies focused on the consumption of single-use plastics, 24,25 which is a visible part of the goods purchased and thrown away in experimental laboratories, or on the carbon footprint of analytical methods. 26,27 Few debates actively engage the scientific communities on other purchases, although they can represent a major part of the indirect emissions of an experimental lab.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%