The FROGBEAR project recognizes the unprecedented outcomes of the Climate Emergency and is taking actions to combat this crisis while supporting sustainable practices. Air travel emissions are one of the major sources of emissions by individuals and institutions. For example, a round-trip flight for one traveler from Vancouver to Beijing produces 2.76 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions. The global nature of the FROGBEAR project requires some air travel to conduct research, however the project is committed to reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with its activities. This is done by:
- Prioritizing alternatives to air travel for lectures and conferences by providing options and incentives for virtual participation, allowing some scholars to participate who otherwise would not be able to, while reducing project costs at the same time.
- Tracking emissions associated with project activities and working to reduce these.
- Purchasing high quality carbon offsets for all flights. Our funder, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) recently made changes to allow the purchase of carbon offsets as an eligible expense (https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/InterAgency-Interorganismes/TAFA-AFTO/TAFA_changes-AFTO_modifications_eng.asp). The FROGBEAR project now purchases Gold Standard offsets from Ostrom Climate, a company specializing in carbon management.
