Turku University of Applied Sciences to start offsetting travel emissions

Offsetting travel emissions is a part of responsible measures taken to achieve carbon neutrality.  The first action towards carbon neutrality is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions e.g. by absolutely cutting down travelling and preferring remote meetings.

“We aim at carbon neutrality in our operations, but we cannot shift all travels into remote meetings in the time after the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting carbon offsets will guide us to search for solutions more sustainable for our environment”, says Rector and President Vesa Taatila from Turku University of Applied Sciences.

Active reporting and monitoring of emission reductions supports the decrease of travel costs and number of trips taken. However, because the operations of Turku University of Applied Sciences are broadly international in nature, all travel cannot be avoided.

There are several offset methods, but for a regional operator like Turku University of Applied Sciences, a local offset model is optimal to be able to monitor the direct impacts. 

Offsetting travel emissions will start in 2021, by compensating the emissions of the year according to the price level of EU’s Emissions Trading System, primarily with mechanisms with local impact. Thus, the impacts are clearer to monitor and report.   

The target agreement made with the Ministry of Education and Culture includes a goal for universities of applied sciences to become carbon neutral by 2030.

As an active regional operator, Turku University of Applied Sciences participates in the main goal of the climate policy of the City of Turku, which is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2029. Turku UAS’ own goal is to be carbon neutral already by 2025.

“With our own activities we want to set an example and, in practice, we aim at being carbon neutral much earlier than the targeted years”, says Taatila.