Mobility

Traffic in Switzerland is responsible for about 40 % of all CO₂-eq. emissions in the country¹. International air traffic is a particularly important contributor at approx. 20 % – and growing². Flight emissions are particularly relevant to universities because flights are, or were, an established part of academic life, enabling fieldwork, conferences and international collaboration. The flight data monitoring first introduced in 2019 shows that air travel is responsible for about 48 % of total greenhouse gas emissions at the University of Basel: 11,400 metric tonnes of CO₂-eq. were released into the atmosphere from 2017 to 2020 due to air travel, despite a sharp decline in flights in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic (-80 %).

Since October 2020, the Sustainability Office has guided and supported the university's organizational units in developing steps for reduction to be implemented starting in summer 2021. In addition, numerous virtual informational events have been held and a project website with data, factsheets, and helpful tools for sustainable travel planning created for researchers. To improve options for innovative digital forms of communication in teaching and for meetings, several lecture halls and seminar rooms in the Kollegienhaus at Petersplatz were provided with equipment for virtual or hybrid events in the fall of 2020. To boost digitalization, about 160 mobile AV media kits have also been procured. These will enable high-quality virtual meetings and collaboration even after the coronavirus pandemic.