As part of its strategic commitment to becoming carbon-neutral by 2030, Cedefop not only has limited business trips, but is taking action to offset carbon emissions for those trips that remain necessary.
The green transition of Europe's economies is at the heart of much of Cedefop's scientific research for evidence-based policy making. But, last November, the Agency announced that its own operation will be governed by the demands and objectives of this fundamental transformation – it declared its goal of cutting down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the lowest possible amount and compensate any remaining unavoidable emissions through carbon removal activities.
On its way to the climate neutrality target for 2030, Cedefop will start offsetting carbon emissions of business trips, flights and accommodation.
In a move to rationalize its operations towards a sustainable future, Cedefop has already radically cut down its business trips by 65% compared to 2019. Business trips are replaced by online meetings, cutting down travel across Europe to a significant extent.
Core business continuity guaranteed
These changes to operations are drastic, but every necessary step is taken to safeguard the Agency's core business objectives, and face-to-face meetings will be held whenever these objectives cannot be effectively served in an online or hybrid mode.
For those trips that still need to take place, carbon emissions for both flights and hotel accommodation will be offset with GoClimate, an organisation that calculates the money value of carbon emissions per trip, receives the corresponding sum from the interested parties and channels those funds to carbon removal and reduction projects around the world that are certified by the Golden Standard.
In its climate neutrality journey, Cedefop commits to pursuing offsetting emissions with certified and transparent carbon removal projects, whenever emissions cannot not be further cut down.
