UC Berkeley Business Air Travel Carbon Mitigation Program

Business Air Travel Carbon Mitigation Program

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Program Overview

The Business Air Travel Carbon Mitigation Program applies a carbon emissions fee to university-funded air travel and reinvests those funds into campus projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.

Business air travel is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions at UC Berkeley, accounting for approximately 10.6% of total annual emissions. At the same, the university has committed to reducing air travel emissions by 70% from the baseline 2019 by 2045, which amounts to a reduction of over 17,000 MT of CO2e.

Achieving this target requires both reducing unnecessary travel and mitigating the emissions from essential travel. This program supports that effort by assigning a cost to air travel emissions and reinvesting those funds into projects that deliver carbon reductions on campus.

The program was launched in 2022 as a pilot with partial departmental participation and manual year-end charges. As of July 1, 2025, it has transitioned to a fully automated, campus-wide model, improving consistency, reducing administrative burden, and eliminating the need for manual adjustments. The program has evolved from pilot projects to a structured portfolio focused on measurable impact, scalability, and transparency.

How it works 

The carbon emissions fee is applied automatically during the travel reimbursement process and charged directly to the funding source used for the trip. The fee is $10 for domestic flights and $25 for international flights. All departments and fund types are included, ensuring a consistent and streamlined approach across campus.

Funded Projects 

Funds collected through the program are reinvested into campus projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, contributing to long-term sustainability and operational efficiency. 

Since its inception, the program has supported various sustainable initiatives.

This program allows UC Berkeley to implement innovative and necessary projects that otherwise have limited funding sources. Some of these projects–particularly those that reduce energy use or the need to travel–will save the campus money.

Examples of Projects: 

  • Retrofitting lab equipment to reduce energy consumption, including replacement of older low-temperature freezers

  • Supporting on-site solar PV and battery storage installations

  • Promoting alternatives to traveling for meetings (e.g. funding video conferencing licenses, equipment for hybrid meetings on campus) 

  • Installing EV charging capabilities and incentivizing electrification of the campus fleet.

  • Other carbon reduction initiatives such as communications for behavioral campaigns 

Projects will be selected based on criteria listed in the Project Scoring Matrix, including carbon savings, equity and collaboration.

Projects are scored based on the following criteria, weighted to prioritize carbon savings.

  • CO2 reduced: Project demonstrates quantitatively and qualitatively verifiable short and long- term GHG reductions of the overall campus footprint

  • Innovation: Project is novel in concept, idea, or process to revolutionize campus decarbonization

  • Engagement: Project includes long-term strategy to maximize awareness of benefits, through specific means/mediums, to a wide-ranging audience

  • Inclusion & Collaboration: Project includes well-defined working structure which includes interdisciplinary stakeholders**

  • Diversity & Equity: Project includes social benefits for a wide population and advances campus diversity and environmental justice**

**In alignment with UC Berkeley’s Strategic Plan, the Campus Sustainability Plan, and the Regents Policy 4400, projects that counter the effects of climate change, foster diversity and sustainability, and promote environmental justice will be prioritized for funding.

Updated April 2026

Featured Funded Projects:

UC Berkeley's Business Air Travel Carbon Mitigation Program marks its first anniversary with a diverse portfolio of exciting projects. Three projects were initiated during the inaugural year, including:

Project 1: ULT Freezer Replacement Incentives to replace ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers that are over 10 years old with energy efficient Energy Star freezers. Round three is open for application now.

Project 2: Sustainable Travel Event at UC Berkeley Campus. The event included a number of travel partners discussing their sustainable practices. Look for the next event in Fall 2025 - November, 6.

Project 3: Hybrid Meeting Rooms to Reduce the Need for Travel. The initiative involves updating conference rooms with state-of-the-art audiovisual and video conferencing systems, ensuring seamless and efficient hybrid meetings. 

Learn more. 

Communications Toolkit:

View the communications toolkit, containing distribution materials and additional resources.

FAQ:

Read the UC Berkeley Business Air Travel Carbon Mitigation Program FAQ to find answers to common questions about funded projects, fee transactions, partners, and resources & communication.