Big steps for a smaller footprint - Effectively reducing emissions from academic travel

We who work at Lund University collectively travel a lot and claim it is essential for our research and competitiveness, all the while knowing that it is not sustainable, and that no viable technological solution is on the horizon. Previous attempts to reduce travel-related emissions have failed, as evidenced by the fact that emissions in 2023 were lower than in 2019 by only 9 %, instead of the 50 % reduction targeted in LU's sustainability plan. Therefore, a change in norms and ambitions around academic travel is needed. We will use the departments of Biology, Physics, and Center for Sustainability Studies, three travel intense departments, as a testbed for activities to reduce carbon emissions from work related travels.