Student International Travel in Higher Education: Emissions, Student Well-Being and Solutions

Attracting international students in Higher Education is advantageous for students and economies, but it comes with an environmental cost. Indeed, a recent UK consultation suggested university estimates of their emissions should include at least one return journey home for every student per academic year but current discussion is not informed by data on the extent and purpose of student flying. We report an attempt to collect accurate data on student international travel habits. We identify well-being as a potential driver and consider ways to address these emissions.

At a university in the South-West of England, students were surveyed about their flying habits in the schools of Education, Psychological Sciences, Medicine and Business. Students (N=1709) were required to open a “carbon survey” and either complete it or decline participation, before being able to submit their final 2023-24 assignment. This achieved a high (86%) response rate. Once opened, the survey revealed four questions focused on consent, numbers of flights to each of 5 world regions, the seating class used and which world region their home was located in. Responses were subjected to graphical, descriptive and statistical analysis. Additionally, four 90-minute focus groups (each comprising 4-5 students) were held across three universities in the South-West and South Wales. Student participants (N=18) were recruited through advertisements offering a financial inducement. Focus group transcripts and researcher notes were subjected to deductive content analysis and a more inductive emergent thematic analysis, to address research questions regarding why they flew and how this issue might be approached.

Analysis revealed estimated CO2e emissions from student international travel were almost 5 times the university’s combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Most (63%) of this figure derived from international students, whose emissions exceeded three times those of domestic students. There was no significant difference between undergraduate and postgraduate behaviour. Non-economy flights (premium economy, business and first) inflated emissions by 27% (international students) and 16% (home). Amongst international students, 42% of emissions were from flying to home during the academic year and only 25% to non-home regions. 77% of flights by domestic students and 84% of flights by international students to non-home regions were to Europe.
Focus groups highlighted:

* the loneliness and isolation experienced by some international students during breaks
* how flying home or elsewhere can be a response to such feelings
* How the academic year structure encouraged air travel by detracting from the practicality of alternatives
* Misunderstandings around the impact of flying and the decision to fly
* Ways to reduce student international travel emissions including:
o More support for international students to stay in the UK during breaks (e.g. more activities)
o Changing the academic year structure to support the well-being of international students
o Education and information about flying and climate change
o Practical support to travel locally

Discussion focuses on the responsibility of HE institutions for student flying emissions and how data should be communicated. For example, based on established principles, our findings suggest our current approach to hosting international students in the UK may ultimately be responsible for more than 900 deaths per year due to climate change.