University-Sponsored Travel at the University of Michigan: A Report Developed for and Supported by the U-M President's Commission on Carbon Neutrality

This report was compiled during the academic year of 2019-2020 for the University of Michigan (U-M) President's Commission on Carbon Neutrality by the University-Sponsored Travel Internal Analysis Team. The University-Sponsored Travel team’s report seeks to achieve the following six goals: 1) To compile published literature on travel footprints, footprints of academic meetings, university and other travel policies; 2) To determine quantitatively the amount of University travel and its associated carbon footprint; 3) To understand why University personnel travel; 4) To propose ways to educate the University community to consider the carbon footprint when deciding whether travel is warranted and how to carry it out to minimize the carbon footprint; 5) To propose a system of offsets for travelers to use; and 6) To propose changes for travel-related data management systems.

This report focuses on recommendations to develop a standard system to book university-sponsored travel with carbon footprint information, educational materials to assist faculty, staff and students to make informed decisions on their travel from a carbon footprint perspective, and suggestions on how to mitigate essential travel through a carbon offset program at the university.

This publication is a result of work sponsored by the U-M President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality to inform the PCCN’s final recommendations to U-M President Mark Schlissel. This publication does not reflect Commission-level recommendations and should not be interpreted as being recommendations of the PCCN nor carrying its endorsement.