Reconsidering Discretionary Travel - Sciences Po
Pré-Publication, Document De Travail (Working Paper) Année : 2024

Reconsidering Discretionary Travel

Michael Sullivan
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Résumé

Constraining high emissions discretionary travel is an essential part of climate change mitigation. This working paper contends that the time has come for governments to require businesses and private citizens to reduce discretionary travel and minimize emissions where travel cannot be avoided. In the near-term, technology alone cannot solve the problem when alternative energy projects often rely on resource extraction projects that have their own ecological and public health costs, particularly for disadvantaged mining communities. To limit emissions resulting from discretionary travel, we must apply the lessons we have learned from pandemic mitigation practices about how to work and meet for business purposes remotely. Here, I begin by surveying the scientific evidence about the damage caused by travel related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Second, I examine the lessons that we can apply from pandemic mitigation practices towards combating transport emissions. In the process, I draw distinctions between discretionary and necessary travel that serves human rights interests that should be exempt from quotas and rations. Third, I cover the challenges of reducing ground transport emissions in countries with low population densities like Canada that are dependent on automobile transportation. Fourth, I highlight the contribution of wealthy knowledge workers to overall travel emissions and proposals for reducing the environmental impact of their activities with remote work and flight rationing. I conclude by considering the implications of maintaining features of a remote work-based economy to meet the exigencies of the climate emergency.
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hal-04694663 , version 1 (11-09-2024)

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  • HAL Id : hal-04694663 , version 1

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Michael Sullivan. Reconsidering Discretionary Travel. 2024. ⟨hal-04694663⟩

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