SUMMER ISSUE | SUMMER 202 2
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THE ONTARION
The Centre for International Programs' new carbon-neutral initiative allows students to discover new cultures, ideas, and landscapes, while also being environmentally-friendly. CREDIT: KIRA MORTIMER
U of G’s Centre for International Programs launches its carbon neutral initiative in partnership with Planetair As study abroad programs make their return, students, faculty, and staff will have the opportunity to offset their travel emissions through CIP’s new program ALYSSA MARKS
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fter over two years of pandemic-related travel bans, we are beginning to see the incremental removal of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Many people are taking this long-awaited opportunity to book the flights and vacations that they have missed out on over the past two years. But these flights and travel plans may have lingering environmental consequences.
Flying produces massive amounts of carbon emissions, and is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. A flight from Montreal to London produces as much CO2 as heating a European home for a year, says the David Suzuki Foundation. Many industries have taken action in reducing their carbon footprint, but the aviation sector has grown theirs by 75 per cent from 1990 to 2012. If the industry
continues on its current trajectory, carbon emissions are expected to continue growing. We are at a point where, if the aviation industry were a country, it would be amongst the top 10 carbon emitters in the world. As people begin to purchase tickets for tropical resorts and relaxing vacations, study abroad and exchange school programs are amping up as well. In fact, U of
In order to see a future for the environment and to see a future for study abroad, we feel that this is an important initiative. — Jacqueline Veres
G’s Centre for International Programs (CIP) has begun reopening many of their study abroad programs, with some starting as soon as the summer 2022 semester. In light of the growing knowledge about the environmental impact of air travel, the CIP has developed a carbon neutral initiative to offset and reduce the carbon emissions associated with international study programs. The CIP has also vowed to offset the carbon emitted as a result of their daily business and operation of the office, says Dr. Lynne Mitchell, director of the CIP. “We know that studying abroad is important in developing intercultural competence, professional development … and academically [as well]. But it is also a large contributor to carbon emissions and climate change. In order to see a future for the environment and to see a future for study abroad, we feel that this
is an important initiative,” said Jacqueline Veres, marketing and communications coordinator at the CIP. The carbon neutral initiative, which was launched at the beginning of March, is a collaborative project with Planetair, a non-profit organization and service that provides individuals and companies with the opportunity to offset and compensate for their carbon footprint. Planetair accomplishes this by helping users calculate their emissions and offsetting those emissions through environmentally positive projects. These projects can consist of reforestation efforts, research, sustainable housing, investments in renewable energy, and so on. With this new initiative, the CIP plans to achieve complete carbon neutral study abroad by 2025. Students participating in summer 2022 study abroad programs will be the first to have access to it. With the initiative’s launch, the CIP and Planetair have also initiated a lighthearted contest by providing members of the U of G community with unique codes to mark which group they identify with–students, staff, faculty, or alumni. These codes will then be tallied up in a year's time to see which group purchased the most carbon offsets. Interestingly enough, this isn’t the CIP’s first time launching a carbon neutral initiative. Just a few years ago, the CIP launched a similar carbon neutral
