The carbon footprint of business travel in the knowledge-intensive service sector |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014 Tartu, Estonia;2. Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Lossi 36, 51003 Tartu, Estonia;3. Department of Geography, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium;1. Institute for Transport Studies & School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom;2. Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom;3. Department of Geography, School of Environment, Education & Development, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom;1. Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, United Kingdom;2. John Bates Services, Abingdon, United Kingdom;1. Department of Transport and Regional Economy, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium;2. Research Group for Urban Development and Urban Studies Institute, University of Antwerp, Mutsaardstraat 31, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium |
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| Abstract: | We explore the travel needs and patterns, and the corresponding carbon footprint, of small service organizations during different phases of knowledge-intensive business processes, and compare the results with the priorities given to travel-related goals by staff. We apply a combination of focus group data, mobile positioning, and individual follow-up interviews as study methods. The need for physical travel is determined by a combination of the perceived potential for knowledge creation and transfer offered by each trip, the strength of interpersonal relationships in business networks, and the significance of the travel goal in terms of economic sustainability. The priorities given to travel goals reflect the environmental load of business travel only in domestic contexts, where executing core business processes accounted for the highest carbon footprint. We propose the ways in which the management of business interactions could take into account sociotechnical environment and social recognition of low-carbon communication and travel modes. |
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| Keywords: | Business travel Carbon footprint Environmental load Mobile positioning Virtual communication |
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