Meeting commenced at 1:03pm (NZDT)
Welcome and karakia
Present: Sherry Tseng (Otago), Gillian Lewis (Auckland), Sal Lampkin (Chair; Massey), Charlie Potter (Admin; Massey), Robert McLachlan (Massey), Anita Wreford (Lincoln), Lynda Johnstone (Waikato), Susanne Becken (Griffith), Tim Ryley (Griffith)
Apologies: Brendan Moyle (Massey), Sarah Boddington (ANU), Leanne Morrison (Tasmania), Carla Pascoe Leahy (Tasmania), Jan Evans-Freeman (Canterbury), Simon McCallum (Victoria)
AUATC vision/working model and ToR
The members reviewed the AUATC vision, working model, leadership roles, and Terms of Reference. A consensus was reached around the need to target the Consortium’s approach, and updates to the ToR will reflect this. Members discussed where best to focus the AUATC work: providing advice to universities, aligning air travel policies across member universities, addressing equity issues, and/or ensuring universities are ready to make changes in line with government requirements, such as the NZ’s CGNP (Carbon Neutral Government Programme)
Further discussions included how the discourse around sustainable aviation fuels distracts from the urgency to reduce air travel practices, and that institutions focusing on international student travel makes the transition more complex.
Specific travel guidelines
Four members have completed the survey as part of developing AUATC targeted air travel policy guidelines.
Activities document
The AUATC member who has taken the lead with this work is leaving, due to a job change. The Chair and others thanked her for undertaking this. The document will remain in its current state for now.
Survey template
There are no updates.
AUATC Symposium
The Consortium agreed to delay the discussion about this event until the ToR have been updated, as this will provide clarity around the focus of the Symposium.
AOB
He Pou a Rangi (NZ’s Climate Change Commission) has called for evidence for bringing international aviation into the 2050 climate target. The call for evidence closes at 11:59pm Monday 31 July 2023. Members discussed contributing evidence as a collective.
Staffing changes mean there will soon be no University of Otago members.
Massey will no longer provide administrative support due to internal restructuring. Chair asked members to identify if support might be available elsewhere. In interim Massey members will collate minutes as it was considered important to have ongoing public record.
The members agreed it would be helpful for Chair to send a reminder regarding outstanding work to members in the month between meetings.
Chair to contact NZ funding bodies re a second meeting in July. Suggestion was made that AUATC provides advice for Government, in advance of upcoming Election in September and recent Australian Aviation White Paper will be circulated to inform members.
The use of nudges for reducing academic international air travel was discussed.
Date of next meeting
Wednesday 7 June 2023, 1pm – 2pm (NZDT)
Meeting closed at 1:57pm (NZDT)