Universities need to acknowledge the emission impact of their international student cohorts as institutions work toward net zero carbon, a report has urged.
With international students a key contributor to so many institutions’ incomes, they should endeavour to accurately report on the emissions international students contribute while traveling to campuses and start doing what they can to reduce them, the paper from sustainable development specialist Arup says.
The report notes that “certain universities” are aware of the environmental impacts of policies of attracting international students and are “taking bold steps to understand and mitigate their impact”.
It notes that the Standardised Carbon Emissions Reporting for Further and Higher Education approach, led by the EAUC – The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education, features the impact of student home to term address travel.
