We recognise the negative impact that travel has on the environment, primarily due to the carbon emissions from air travel. Through a range of actions and commitments linked to the CANIE Accord we aim to make a number of changes to the operation of the DMU Global programme to make our programme more sustainable, and to contribute to addressing the climate crisis.
This webpage is our public commitment to the purpose and principles of the CANIE Accord. Our aim is to highlight the actions that we are taking to contribute to the Accord. These include:
Article 4 – Leadership and Influencing
Article 5 – Emissions Accounting and Reduction
Article 6 – Travel
Article 7 – Facilities, Operations and Procurement
Article 8 – Climate Education
Click the Article tabs below to learn more about the actions we are taking.
Leadership and Influencing
Principle 4:Embed climate action in organizational missions and strategies, policies and frameworks including official strategic documents
Sustainability and the UN SDGs sit at the heart of our strategic framework. DMU has a sustainability implementation strategy that can be accessed here.
Emissions Accounting and Reduction
Principle 18: Account for emissions from international education activities
Work with our travel provider (Diversity Travel) to provide accurate reporting from June 2024 on carbon emissions as a result of student travel through DMU Global.
Principle 19:Establish immediate, mid-term, and long-range limits on verified carbon credit projects. Verified carbon credit project limits should be defined as percentages of baseline year emissions AND follow up on carbon credit projects to ensure they deliver.
For the carbon offset projects we use will ensure they are QAS approved, gold standard projects that deliver against their stated aims.
Principle 29: Establish a levy on individual and institutional frequent flyers to generate funds to support projects with proven environmental and climate justice outcomes.
As of September 2023, we have launched the DMU Global Carbon Levy for all DMU Global student flights. Funds will go towards meaningful local, ethical, sustainability and net zero focused projects as part of the Community Challenge Fund run by DMU.
Travel
Principle 31:Adjust, or introduce, climate conscious travel policies to incentivise lower carbon means of travel and reduce emissions-intensive business and academic travel
In September 2023, we launched a new Global Green Grant to provide funding that covers the full cost of lower carbon means of travel for all study abroad and work placement students.
Principle 35: Arrange student travel to ensure lowest emissions
All student group travel will be arranged through DMU Global and our travel provider (Diversity Travel). To ensure lowest emissions, the first option for all travel bookings will be the one with lowest emissions. All trips to destinations accessible by Eurostar will be required to book rail travel instead of flying.
Principle 36: Invest in technology to improve the virtual exchange and other online international experiences
Continue the development and promotion of virtual experiences through our DMU Global Online Learning initiative, encouraging staff to develop COIL initiatives with our partners globally.
Facilities, Operations and Procurement
Principle 42:Commit to collaborating with organizational sustainability unit(s)
We have committed to working with the Sustainability Team on a range of activities, including but not limited to: carbon literacy training and recognition of learning (digital badges); developing carbon inset and sustainability focused projects; improved centralised reporting of carbon emissions.
Principle 48:Encourage international education stakeholders to become Signatories to the CANIE Accord.
Through our networks and membership organisations we will share our best practice and encourage others to sign the Accord. We will lobby UUKi to establish a working group dedicated to sustainability by September 2024.
Principle 52: Include climate action criteria in the contract and procurement processes to consider suppliers’ climate strategies
As per our Lot 2 of SUPC Travel Management Services Framework tender for student group travel services (2022), we assess and score providers on their sustainability credentials and actions as part of the selection process.
Climate Education
Principle 58 (a):Insert climate literacy training modules into programming for all globally mobile students
Principle 63: Leverage Signatory’s influence to insert climate literacy modules into all undergraduate orientation packs
Work with colleagues across the institution to embed our training, and make it accessible to all students, including those not travelling with DMU Global.
Background
In November 2019 DMU recognised and acknowledged the Climate Emergency and agreed carbon reduction targets for the university to achieve net zero carbon emissions from scope 1 and 2 sources by 2032 and from scope 3 emissions by 2045 (all other emissions). As part of the university’s acknowledgement of the Climate Emergency it has also committed to a number of actions including engaging staff and students through the Carbon Literacy project, forming cross-university working groups to address key issues to name just a few initiatives.
Whilst these University-wide initiatives exist, we feel it is the responsibility of individual departments to commit to their own actions to address the Climate Emergency. Noting that overseas student and staff travel currently accounts for 7% of carbon emissions at DMU, DMU Global is committed to minimising the impact our international activity has on the environment.
