Written by Dr Alison Chisholm, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, and Dr Juliet Carpenter, Director of Research at the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation, Kellogg College.
As two researchers standing on the deck of a ferry crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, watching enormous container ships slide past against the backdrop of two continents, we were struck by how this was no ordinary conference commute. As academics increasingly grapple with the climate impact of work travel, our journey from Oxford to Marrakesh by train and sea offered a compelling alternative to flying.
Travel to global conferences is seen as one of the ‘perks of the job’, and it’s generally considered important for networking and disseminating our research. It can also be a sign of our professional status, it gets us out the office or lab to experience new places and keeps our interest fresh[1].
But… we know the climate crisis demands urgent action and that air travel is about the most carbon-intensive individual activity there is. Estimates of the proportion of universities’ emissions from flights varies from around 10% (Universities of Helsinki and Oxford) to over 70% (University of British Columbia)[2]. Whatever the exact figure, we know that academics’ contributions to their institutions’ CO2 emissions are significant.
So, can we square our love for being at important conferences, our mission to push the boundaries of knowledge in our field and progress our careers, with our desire to travel responsibly?
The good news: There is a way to get to conferences without damaging the planet. It may not always be the quickest, easiest, or cheapest option, but it comes with other benefits.
Two researchers from the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation (GCHU) and Primary Care travelled overland (and sea) to a conference on urban health in Marrakesh and are ready to share all, the highs and the lows!
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences website.