University of Southampton (virtual) travel scenarios: emissions implications

Abstract

This paper estimates the emissions ‘impact’ of different travel modes using BEIS 2021 per passenger kilometer emissions factors and videoconference emissions factors sourced from the literature.

From a Scope 3 emissions reduction point of view the emissions factors imply that one person’s emissions from a 1 hour videoconference (with video) are the same as a single person travelling:

~ 30 km by international train ~5kmbycoach

~ 4 km by national train

~ 2 km by electric vehicle (currently) ~ 1 km by local bus

~ 0.5 km by petrol car

~ 0.5 km by domestic flight

This has implications for both recording and managing Scope 3 employee (and student) commuting emissions as well as employee business travel.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Ben Anderson: orcid.org/0000-0003-2092-4406

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