IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i21p12206-d672729.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the Problem Space of CO 2 Emission Reductions from Academic Flying

Author

Listed:
  • Aksel Biørn-Hansen

    (School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Daniel Pargman

    (School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Elina Eriksson

    (School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Mario Romero

    (School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Jarmo Laaksolahti

    (School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11428 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Markus Robért

    (School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 11328 Stockholm, Sweden)

Abstract

CO 2 emissions from aviation have been predicted to increase over the coming decades. Within the academic world, flying is often perceived to be a necessary prerequisite to being a successful researcher. Many Swedish universities have ambitious climate goals, but are simultaneously among the top emitters in the public sector. Reaching stated climate goals could feasibly be met through a combination of measures, including decreased flying. One way to address the challenge is to support behavioural interventions with the help of interactive visualizations of CO 2 emissions from flying. Those few examples that exist in the research literature are generally directed towards management and are less applicable to universities, given the large autonomy researchers enjoy and their discretionary control of research project funds. This paper uses a design-oriented research approach to present an analysis of the problem space at the intersection of interactive visualizations using air travel data to reduce CO 2 emissions from business air travel at our own university, KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Through a number of design experiments, evaluations and investigations, we have unearthed needs, challenges and opportunities for the creation of visualization tools to support more sustainable travel practices at universities and in other knowledge-intensive organisations.

Suggested Citation

  • Aksel Biørn-Hansen & Daniel Pargman & Elina Eriksson & Mario Romero & Jarmo Laaksolahti & Markus Robért, 2021. "Exploring the Problem Space of CO 2 Emission Reductions from Academic Flying," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:12206-:d:672729
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/21/12206/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/21/12206/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Orsi, Francesco, 2012. "Cutting the carbon emission of international conferences: is decentralization an option?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 462-466.
    2. Timothy Waring & Mario Teisl & Eva Manandhar & Mark Anderson, 2014. "On the Travel Emissions of Sustainability Science Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(5), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Veronica Ahonen & Mika Siljander & Petri Pellikka & Tino Johansson & Mikko Rask, 2021. "The Sustainability of Academic Air Mobility in Finnish Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-23, March.
    4. T. Storme & J.R. Faulconbridge & J.V. Beaverstock & B. Derudder & F. Witlox, 2017. "Mobility and Professional Networks in Academia: An Exploration of the Obligations of Presence," Mobilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(3), pages 405-424, May.
    5. Milan Klöwer & Debbie Hopkins & Myles Allen & James Higham, 2020. "An analysis of ways to decarbonize conference travel after COVID-19," Nature, Nature, vol. 583(7816), pages 356-359, July.
    6. James E. S. Higham & Debbie Hopkins & Caroline Orchiston, 2019. "The work-sociology of academic aeromobility at remote institutions," Mobilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(5), pages 612-631, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Clare Shelley-Egan, 2020. "Testing the Obligations of Presence in Academia in the COVID-19 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-10, August.
    2. Veronica Ahonen & Mika Siljander & Petri Pellikka & Tino Johansson & Mikko Rask, 2021. "The Sustainability of Academic Air Mobility in Finnish Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-23, March.
    3. Antonio Cavallin Toscani & Atalay Atasu & Luk N. Van Wassenhove & Andrea Vinelli, 2023. "Life cycle assessment of in‐person, virtual, and hybrid academic conferences: New evidence and perspectives," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(6), pages 1461-1475, December.
    4. Kranz, Johann & Zeiss, Roman & Beck, Roman & Gholami, Roya & Sarker, Saonee & Watson, Richard T. & Whitley, Edgar A., 2022. "Practicing what we preach? Reflections on more sustainable and responsible IS research and teaching practices," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 116677, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Isabel Schrems & Paul Upham, 2020. "Cognitive Dissonance in Sustainability Scientists Regarding Air Travel for Academic Purposes: A Qualitative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, February.
    6. Caset, Freke & Boussauw, Kobe & Storme, Tom, 2018. "Meet & fly: Sustainable transport academics and the elephant in the room," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 64-67.
    7. Martin Thomas Falk & Eva Hagsten, 2023. "Reverse adoption of information and communication technology among organisers of academic conferences," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(3), pages 1963-1985, March.
    8. Laura DIACONU (MAXIM), 2021. "The behaviour of airlines’ passengers in the context of COVID-19 pandemic," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 13(2), pages 230-242, July.
    9. Rashieda Davids & Pauline Scheelbeek & Nafiisa Sobratee & Rosemary Green & Barbara Häesler & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi & Suparna Chatterjee & Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy & Georgina Mace & Alan , 2021. "Towards the Three Dimensions of Sustainability for International Research Team Collaboration: Learnings from the Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems Research Programme," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-24, November.
    10. Ann Hindley, 2022. "Understanding the Gap between University Ambitions to Teach and Deliver Climate Change Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, October.
    11. Olivier Chanel & Alberto Prati & Morgan Raux, 2021. "The environmental cost of the international job market for economists," CEP Discussion Papers dp1819, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    12. Alexandra Xan C. H. Nowakowski, 2023. "Same Old New Normal: The Ableist Fallacy of “Post-Pandemic” Work," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(1), pages 16-25.
    13. Stijn van Ewijk & Paul Hoekman, 2021. "Emission reduction potentials for academic conference travel," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(3), pages 778-788, June.
    14. Bazzo Vieira, João Pedro & Vieira Braga, Carlos Kauê & Pereira, Rafael H.M., 2022. "The impact of COVID-19 on air passenger demand and CO2 emissions in Brazil," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    15. Misha Teplitskiy & Soya Park & Neil Thompson & David Karger, 2022. "Intentional and serendipitous diffusion of ideas: Evidence from academic conferences," Papers 2209.01175, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    16. Sari Ferika Ozer & Avci Nilgün & Nazli Murat & Curkan Samet Can, 2023. "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Academic Travels," European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, Sciendo, vol. 13(1), pages 14-25, December.
    17. Antoine Hardy, 2024. "Decarbonizing research laboratories? The tensions associated with the commensurability of carbon and how it opens up the boundaries of responsibility attribution," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 105(1), pages 179-198, August.
    18. Clarisse Aujoux & Kumiko Kotera & Odile Blanchard, 2021. "Estimating the carbon footprint of the GRAND project, a multi-decade astrophysics experiment," Post-Print hal-03228304, HAL.
    19. Eileen G. Merritt & Jennifer J. Brousseau & Marc J. Stern & Lara J. Hansen, 2022. "Walking the Walk toward Increasing Access and Reducing Emissions: The Promise and Challenges of Virtual Climate Adaptation Convenings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, October.
    20. Minami Kito & Hirotaka Takayabu & Keisuke Nansai, 2023. "Carbon‐neutral pathways to 2050 for Japan's aviation industry in the absence of a mass supply of sustainable aviation fuels," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(6), pages 1579-1592, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:12206-:d:672729. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.