The faculty ITC compensates flights by neutralizing the CO2 footprint. Flights via KLM, Air France and Delta Air Lines have been compensated since 1 October 2018 through a reforestation project. Flights of other airlines are also compensated retroactively from the same date, for which a project is now being sought. The compensation for flights is in line with ITC's aim to be a sustainable, CO2 neutral organization.
Dean Prof. Dr. Ir. Tom Veldkamp: " Sustainability is of great importance to ITC. Our aim is always to fly as little as possible. Nevertheless, our international character and mission make us the faculty with the most air travel and we feel responsible to compensate for this".
In order to compensate for flights via KLM, Air France and Delta Air Lines, new trees are being planted. This reforestation project is located in Panama and bears the name 'CO2OL Tropical Mix'. The faculty pays a fixed amount of €8.50 per ton of CO2. The faculty will further investigate the best possible ways of compensating CO2 emissions from flights.
In order to be able to carry out the compensation properly, it is important that all flights of ITC staff and students are registered in the system for travel requests for an efficiency check. At the moment, most but not all flights are registered. Veldkamp: "It sometimes happens that employees themselves arrange a flight outside the system, which is undesirable. We are going to adapt the system this year, in order to measure and compensate the impact of all our flights".
The University of Twente is active in various fields when it comes to sustainable initiatives. Sustainability is an important theme in the university's new strategy, Shaping2030. Additional capacity has been freed up to support initiatives throughout the university with expertise in environmental and sustainability issues. Services and faculties are also working closely together to achieve energy savings in campus facilities. In the scientific field, the UT is active within the UN's sustainability objectives under the theme: 'Engineering for a resilient world'.
