Practice what you preach? Evaluating academics’ attitudes towards conference travel habits
基于245名西班牙学者的调查，发现他们实际、偏好和最低限度的会议出行次数存在差距，并识别出三种不同态度的学者群体，为制定可持续会议政策提供参考。
• Survey of 245 Spanish academics shows gaps between actual, preferred, and minimum conference travel. • Ratio of academics wanting to attend more rather than fewer conferences is 26:1. • Three profiles identified: “Low-concerned”, “Performance-oriented”, and “Flight-shamed” academics. Today, there is growing concern over the climate impact of long-distance travel – academic conference travel included. While institutions worldwide develop sustainability policies, it remains unclear whether academics are willing to adopt such measures and change their behaviours for environmental reasons. Based on a survey of 245 Spanish academics, we identify a set of motivational factors underlying individuals’ intentions towards conference travel. Using Latent-Class-Cluster-Analysis, we detect three distinct profiles: “Low-concerned academics”, with limited regard for environmental concerns and social norms; “Performance-oriented academics”, driven by career advancement; and “Flight-shamed academics”, highly aware of environmental and social issues. Additionally, we examine perceptions of the actual, minimum, and expected number of conferences attended annually, recognising notable discrepancies. Our findings can inform targeted policies in four key areas: promoting greener choices, reshaping academic culture to normalise lower-carbon practices, raising awareness and strengthening institutional engagement, and supporting online participation.