Credit Language
OP 15: Air Travel – version 3.0
Indicators
- 14.1. Percentage of students and employees using more sustainable commuting options
Questions & Answers
How has this credit changed between STARS Version 2 and Version 3?
This is a new credit that requires information about an institution’s programs and initiatives to minimize the impact of its air travel. A comprehensive list of differences can be found in the STARS 3.0 Summary of changes.
What types of air travel reduction and mitigation efforts qualify under this credit?
Institutions should report on current policies and practices in the following areas:
- Incentives designed to encourage employees to reduce their air travel – Examples include funding that compensates for the time and financial costs incurred while traveling by land or sea, support for extended stays over more frequent and shorter research trips (e.g., for field work), and/or allowing unutilized travel funds to be transferred into funding for other priorities such as research expenses or virtual work.
- Restrictive measures designed to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its directly financed air travel – Examples include departmental carbon travel budgets or bans on short haul flights
- A program designed to mitigate the GHG emissions associated with its directly financed air travel – Examples include air travel mitigation funds or offset programs.
Suggestions for Institutions
- Work with your institution’s transportation department or similar to quantify and report on institutional air travel.
Potential Data Quality Issues
- Affirmative responses must be supported by information provided in descriptive fields.