Offsetting U of T air travel emissions
The University of Toronto offsets emissions for business air travel by investing in university-based projects aimed at reducing the institution’s carbon footprint.
How it works
As a first step, staff, faculty, and librarians are strongly encouraged to reconsider the need to travel, as well as explore more sustainable alternatives to air travel if travel is deemed necessary.
Beginning Wednesday, March 15, all unavoidable university-funded air travel (except for travel funded by external research grants) is subject to a carbon offset fee based on the distance travelled.
The fee is calculated during the reimbursement period and retroactively charged to the corresponding department.
The fees are pooled to fund tri-campus projects to reduce university-related carbon emissions. The projects are expected to focus on carbon reduction opportunities related to energy, food, waste, and transportation. Due to a variety of challenges with offset markets, such as the transparency of projects and overstated reductions, the university does not purchase third-party offsets to offset air travel emissions.
This initiative was developed in coordination with U of T’s Financial Advisory Services and Training team. Training about this change will be given to finance and business officers in early March.
Fee structure
The carbon offset fee is $0.0055/km per person for air travel in economy class. This is based on the federal government’s 2020 price on carbon of $30/tonne. For air travel in any class higher than economy, such as business or first class, the fee is doubled.
The calculation uses emission factors from the UK government.
| Examples (from Toronto round trip) | Cleveland | Winnipeg | Paris |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total distance | 621 km | 3,015 km | 12,074 km |
| Ticket class | Economy | Business | Economy |
| Total carbon fee | $3.41 | $33.17 | $66.41 |
| Total greenhouse gas eCO2 | 0.16 metric tonnes | 0.70 metric tonnes | 2.36 metric tonnes |
The fee and emissions factors used to calculate total air travel emissions will be adjusted over time to ensure they remain appropriate.
How the initiative was developed
The University of Toronto has committed to reducing its carbon footprint and taking action to minimize climate change.
As part of this commitment, the university is implementing infrastructure changes to reduce the carbon footprint associated with university operations, which involves aggressively reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that the university emits on campus.
We must also reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions we contribute to indirectly through all university activities and operations. Air travel is a significant contributor to global environmental emissions, and U of T is no exception.
Prior to travel being significantly reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it is estimated that U of T air travel generated between 26,000 and 57,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
The development of the air travel emission mitigation initiative began in 2019 but was paused during the pandemic. In 2022, an advisory group was established to guide the initiative’s development—including a robust set of project principles that set us apart from our peers by incorporating the latest research on credible offset projects. This group is comprised of members from the three campuses with expertise from both the academic and operational arms of the institution. The advisory committee will continue overseeing this initiative and any future updates.
Advisory group members
- Ahmed Azhari, Director, Utilities & Sustainability, UTM
- Danijela Puric-Mladenovic, Assistant Professor, Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design
- Jan Mahrt-Smith, Associate Professor of Finance, Rotman School of Management
- Jeff Miller, Director, Facilities Management, UTSC
- John Robinson, Presidential Advisor on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability, Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and the School of the Environment
- Marc Couture, Director, Sustainability & Energy Management, Facilities & Services
- Marianne Hatzopoulou, Professor, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering
- Ron Saporta, Chief Operating Officer, Property Services & Sustainability
- Shashi Kant, Director, Master of Science in Sustainability Management Program
Contact
If you have any questions about U of T’s air travel emissions mitigation initiative, please email sustainability@utoronto.ca.