There’s an inherent tension in academia, especially within well-resourced institutions, many of which have ambitious goals to cut their CO2 emissions. On the one hand, many researchers see participation in international meetings, the undertaking of research in distant locales, and collaboration with scholars around the world as central to their work. On the other hand, they are aware that such activities often rely on air travel and thus contribute to the climate crisis. To help academics and institutions, figure out how to cut their travel-related emissions, FlyingLess—a project based in Germany (and not to be confused with FlyingLess, this initiative, despite our common concerns and aims)—has created a toolbox. The goal of the evidence-based toolbox is to enable scholars and institutions to enact the FlyingLess motto: “Successful research, less flying.”

The toolbox is made up of different units (or modules), slides, documents, and videos. The video below introduces the toolbox and explains its various components. (A briefer, one-minute version of the video is available here.)