Student & Business Travel

With ~90,000 annual business travel flights and ~100,000 student trips to and from campus each year, campus travelers and aviation partnerships are central to reducing emissions from air travel

Student and business travel account for about 25% of Stanford’s Scope 3 emissions footprint, reflecting the university’s global academic mission and highly mobile community. Travel emissions arise from fossil fuels burned during air, rail, and ground transportation for academic programs, research, conferences, sports, study away, and campus-related mobility.

Stanford is working to reduce the climate impact of these essential activities while preserving access to academic and professional opportunities. For example, Stanford partners with booking platforms to pilot new features such as carbon filters and rail suggestions to enable travelers to more easily integrate sustainable travel options into their journeys. Challenges remain due to limited low-emission travel alternatives, decentralized decision making, and industry-wide constraints such as sustainable aviation fuel availability. Stanford is advancing new research on student travel behavior, developing sustainable travel dashboards, and working with suppliers to accelerate decarbonization across the travel sector. These efforts will support informed decision-making and long-term reductions in Scope 3 travel emissions.

Stanford promotes low-emission business and student travel by encouraging rail use, light packing, and economy seating, among other tips. When air travel is necessary, the university recommends booking nonstop flights, using platforms that display and track carbon metrics, selecting airlines with strong sustainability commitments, and combining trips.

Mitigation
ongoing

Stanford is developing Sustainable Travel Dashboards to display departmental travel emissions, enable peer comparisons, and offer actionable tips to reduce unnecessary travel. These tools will enhance transparency and accountability across campus, supporting behavior change that is expected to result in an annual emission reduction of ~1,700 MTCO₂e.

Mitigation
planned

Stanford works with its travel and aviation suppliers to reduce emissions associated with university-related air travel by promoting low-emission flight options, supporting the development and procurement of sustainable aviation fuel, and encouraging transparent emissions reporting. Activities in this area also include using Stanford’s influence and academic expertise to address the barriers associated with sustainable aviation fuel today.

Mitigation
ongoing

Stanford offers a range of on-campus activities during academic breaks to provide meaningful alternatives to long-distance travel and strengthen campus community. Programs include Outdoor Center courses, Alternative Spring Break, the Humanities Research Intensive, and hosted Thanksgiving dinners. These offerings are complemented by coordinated communication efforts, including event calendars and distribution lists such as the Sustainable Student Travel email list, which share information on campus activities, outdoor gear rentals, local destinations, and low-emissions travel options.

Mitigation
ongoing

Airport Takeoff: Student-Led Rideshare Options During Peak Departure Times

Organized by Students for a Sustainable Stanford, $5 airport shuttles provide affordable, shared transportation to Bay Area airports during academic breaks. The program offers a practical alternative to single-occupancy car trips and ride-hailing, reducing travel emissions during peak departure periods.

In a given break period in 2025, hundreds of students used the shuttles, with participation spanning both undergraduate and graduate populations. In addition, the program engaged thousands engaging through shuttle reservations or carpool matching. By combining low-cost transit with coordinated ridesharing, the program lowers emissions, improves equity in access to transportation, and demonstrates how student leadership can advance climate-smart travel choices at scale.