The awards were created to encourage scientists to travel by means and routes that produce less greenhouse gas emissions, such as travelling by land rather than air to EHPS conferences. This is important because for face-to-face conferences and scientific meetings, travel activities account for 80-96% of total meeting emissions. Delegates were eligible if they could demonstrate ways of reducing their carbon footprint for at least part of their journey to and from Cascais. The financial incentive of €100 for each of the three awards can be used freely, e.g. for additional accommodation costs along the way.

From a field of many applications, a committee (Angela Rodrigues, Olivier Luminet and Lisa Warner) selected those delegates who saved the most emissions on their journey to and from Cascais. The winners of this year’s Sustainable Travel Awards managed to avoid flying altogether by using trains exclusively (Team Switzerland) as well as combinations of trains and a carpool of 5 PhD students (Team Netherlands) for over 2000 kilometres each way!