Meeting commenced at 1:02pm
Present: Gillian Lewis (Auckland), Robert McLachlan (Massey), Sal Lampkin (Chair; Massey), Lin Roberts (Lincoln), Sherry Tseng (Otago), James Higham (Otago), Charlie Potter (Admin; Massey), Brendan Moyle (Massey), Quentin Atkinson (Auckland), Jan Evans-Freeman (Canterbury)
Welcome to new member: Lynda Johnston (Waikato)
Apologies: David Hall (AUT), Sylvia Nissen (Lincoln)
Karakia
Presentation by Robert McLachlan (David Hall UTA due to a rescheduled event)
Robert shared a presentation he had recently attended by the ALLEA (European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities), Climate Sustainability in the Academic System | ALLEA Panel and an article, ‘Responding to the climate emergency: how are UK universities establishing sustainable workplace routines for flying and food?’ by Claire Hoolahan et al (2012) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2021.1881426
Connect Collectively
Feedback from members that the NZUATC is gaining recognition across university communities, with people looking to the Consortium for leadership in this space. The members discussed the need to congregate the air travel work in each university and establish external communications regarding current research.
The members discussed the potential and viability of introducing carbon caps or credits for individual staff, carbon budgets within which departments operate, or carbon budgets specifically for conference travel (the majority of university staff travel). Time is needed to collect series data on cost and carbon emissions to inform any policy change proposals.
The members discussed connecting with funding providers around the consideration of including carbon emissions in funding applications, making carbon consumption from projects more transparent.
Approaches have been made to specific universities from Tourism NZ with an idea to promote conferences based in NZ. This raised concerns across the members regarding the carbon emissions that would result from groups of individuals travelling here for that purpose.
Defining the wider system
The members discussed the need to define and reach out to the wider system in which NZUATC operates. For example, identifying key actions and contacts, getting policies and mechanisms in place to facilitate key stakeholders working together and the possibility of conferences and research collaborations with external stakeholders.
Early Career Researchers
The members discussed the option of prioritizing early career researchers (ECRs) for travel opportunities, as offshore air travel is an important part of building their external relationships and networks. Surveys from at least three of the member universities regarding this cohort indicate that while existing networks can be maintained, new relationships are harder to build without air travel. This aspect around the impact for ECRs needs to be explored further.
Use of NZUATC Website
The members reviewed the website and discussion included suggestions that the reference section be categorized, expanded to include recent publications when they become available, and for it to serve as a repository for discussion documents as members produce them.
Gaining Momentum
The group discussed the possibility of universities being challenged around a ‘lack of action’ to ensure the intentions of their respective strategies and policies are carried through, and the need to ensure transparency and momentum for future action.
Consortium 2022/3 Plan of Actions
- Compile collective NZ-wide contacts and develop these relationships
- Create a NZ-wide conversation around international air travel
Explore the concept of carbon budgets, caps and credits for staff travel - Propose travel-related policy for NZ universities and external interested Parties
- Take bold (even radical) steps towards positive change in this space, with caution regarding how the process is managed
- Organize an online conference towards the end of 2022 (Massey led)
AOB
Proposal that Air Travel Related Work Activities of Member Universities document is updated and becomes a live document.
Date of next meeting
Thursday 31st March, 1-2pm
Meeting closed at 1.57pm