兔子先生

Skip to Main Content

Emissions from Commuting and University-Financed Travel

Emissions from Commuting and University-financed Travel

Strategy: Reduce barriers to and equitably increase accessibility of alternative transportation modes and reduce the campus drive-alone rate. Reduce as much as possible 兔子先生’s Commuting and University-financed travel emissions, and offset the rest.

Scope 3 emissions include all greenhouse-gas emissions not covered by Scopes 1 and 2. These are emissions that are associated with 兔子先生 University activities but are not directly caused by the university’s consumption of fossil fuels or use of electricity.

There are numerous sources of Scope 3 emissions; however, the Presidents’ Climate 兔子先生hip Commitments requires the Climate Action Plan to consider only those emissions caused by:

  • Commuting: Emissions produced by faculty, staff, and students commuting daily to campus in personal vehicles, and
  • University-financed air travel: Emissions generated off-campus when faculty, staff, and students travel on official campus business.

These emissions typically account for about 16% of 兔子先生’s annual GHG emissions (MTCO2e).

Alternative transportation

chestnut street station

Chestnut Street Station

Architect rendering of the Chestnut Street Station multimodal transportation center. Groundbreaking for the project began Jan. 2024. It will open in fall 2025 and will serve transportation needs throughout Oxford and Butler County.

BCRTA bus with Myaamia branding

BCRTA Bus: Free for 兔子先生 and Oxford community

The Butler Country Regional Transit Authority provides free bus service on 兔子先生's Oxford campus and the city of Oxford, as well as between Oxford and the Regional campuses. Above, a 兔子先生 Tribe and 兔子先生 University branded bus celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 兔子先生 University and 兔子先生 Tribe relationship.

Goal 1

Update the Campus Circulation Master Plan in coordination with the city of Oxford’s goal to create carbon-neutral mobility systems, as specified in Oxford’s Climate Action Plan (adopted Sept. 18, 2023).

Target 1; Actions

Target 1: Update campus circulation and related transportation plans in collaboration with the city of Oxford in 2025 to ensure alignment in relation to emissions reduction goals.

Goal 2

Goal 2: Reduce emissions generated by student commuting to and from campus in Oxford by 50% by 2030 and by 90% by 2040 relative to 2023 levels.

Target 1; Actions

Target 1: Expand opportunities for walking, biking, and micro-mobility (e.g. electric scooters, skateboards).

  • Action: More fully pedestrianize the campus
  • Action: Expand bicycle and micro-mobility programming and infrastructure
  • Action: Move forward with bike sharing by updating past planning and gauging feasibility 
  • Action: Increase student parking permit fees and revise parking policies to discourage student driving to campus.
  • Action: Support Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) in its efforts to decarbonize its fleet and improve the efficiency and levels of local transit service.

Goal 3

Goal 3: Reduce emissions generated by faculty and staff commuting to and from campus by 20% by 2035 and by 90% by 2040 from 2023 levels.

Target 1 and Actions

Target 1: Implement parking policies to manage commuting demand and offset emissions.

  • Action: Incorporate distance disincentives, mode-based incentives and/or emissions offset fees in parking permits.
  • Action: Increase employee permit fees, scaled for income. 
  • Action: Expand incentives for low-emissions vehicles, carpooling.
  • Action: Incorporate commuting distance offset fee calculation in permitting process (exempt 100% electric).
  • Action: Explore funding models to improve transit from parking revenue.

Target 2 and Actions

Target 2: Increase use of BCRTA by supporting BCRTA route planning and financial support with parking fees. Support BCRTA alternative fuel study and infrastructure planning. The new Chestnut Street Station Multimodal Hub, currently under construction with expected completion in fall 2025, will support this goal (Meikle, 2024).

  • Action: Implement a single app clearinghouse for bus, parking, bike, car/rideshare information, and booking/payment. Develop Request For Proposal (RFP) to explore the market for services.
  • Action: Expand BCRTA transportation connections to/from Oxford (e.g. Park and Ride). Progress has begun on the Chestnut Street Station Multimodal Hub, currently under construction with expected completion in fall 2025.
  • Action: Implement car sharing and expand ride sharing.

Target 3 and Actions

Target 3: By 2026 develop an EV charging infrastructure plan.

  • Action: Incorporate Level 3 fast-charging stations at major visitor destinations. Use increased parking permit fees to support infrastructure development.
  • Action: Incorporate Level 2 charging stations in key employee and student daily parking lots (such as Cook Field) using increased parking permit fees to support infrastructure development.

Target 4

Target 4: Develop a robust remote-work policy that supports less driving to and from the Oxford campus.

Goal 4

Goal 4: By 2030, reduce to zero net carbon emissions associated with long-distance travel impacts and/or generate revenue for offsets.

Target 1 and Actions

Target 1: Expand alternatives to long-distance business travel.

  • Action: Support utilization of regional or remote travel alternatives.
  • Action: Review professional development and expense policies.

Target 2 and Actions

Target 2: Equitably offset emissions from long-distance employee travel.

  • Action: Incorporate an emissions offset fee (based on distance and mode).
  • Action: Incorporate an offset fee calculation module in purchasing systems and procedures.
  • Action: Ensure university/departmental funds are applicable to offset spending.

Target 3 and Actions

Target 3: Expand alternatives to long-distance study abroad travel.

  • Action: Ensure curriculum supports study away and virtual global learning.

Target 4 and Actions

Target 4: Equitably offset emissions from study abroad/away.

  • Action: Add a student air-travel offset fee: domestic and international.
  • Action: Integrate travel offset fee into study abroad/away workshop fees/administration.
Action: Ensure relevant scholarships are applicable to fee

Goal 5

Foster an equitable car-free campus culture.

Target 1 and Actions

Target 1: Develop policies and programming to encourage student recreation and access/mobility without reliance on a private automobile.

  • Action: Strengthen regional and long-distance transit connections.
  • Action: Expand weekend and other chartered trips (e.g. Cincinnati).