Section 4 – Travel

We are asking for emissions in kgCO2e from each transport source that your organisation has used in the reporting period. You should enter the value for each source in the box provided. If you used a mode of transport not provided, please put the value in the ‘Other’ box. If you have no emissions from a source, please enter 0 in the textbox. The travel methods we ask about are:

• Train
• Plane
• Bus
• Taxi
• Ferry
• Hired coach
• Company vehicles
• Paid for mileage
• Other travel

Note that freight is covered in question 4.5.

We ask for emissions from travel to be reported directly in kgCO2e, which is the unit we use for carbon footprinting. This is because we know that many reporting organisations use the claim expenses tool to help understand their carbon footprint from travel and so have access to these data.

We’re confident of the accuracy of claim expenses and it’s our top recommendation for any reporting organisation to use. Annual subscription is heavily subsidised for those working in the Scottish Arts at £40 a year (plus VAT).

If you do not use claim expenses, we ask that you choose a calculation method or tool using the emission factors published by the UK Government for the year your travel took place. Examples of these include (links can be found in ‘Supporting resources’ below):

• Culture for Climate Scotland’s quick carbon management calculator
• Julie’s Bicycle’s creative climate tools
• Gallery Climate Coalition’s quick carbon calculator (particularly for visual arts)

If your organisation’s travel is very minimal, you might prefer to calculate the footprint yourself using the most up-to-date emissions factors.

If calculating your own emissions or using one of the tools linked above, take care to use the right units for the emission factor (eg passenger miles, kilometres, miles). If the unit is passenger miles, then the distance will need to be multiplied by however many passengers travelled to give the total distance in passenger miles.

For travel in vehicles owned, leased, or rented by the company, emissions should be calculated by litres of fuel used; emissions from travel in private cars or vans can be calculated from mileage; and emissions from travel in public transport can be calculated by mode of transport, and passenger miles (miles travelled x number of people travelling).

Reason for question

Measuring and monitoring all your sources of emissions is the first step to understanding and managing them. This question requires you to do just that so that you have the relevant data required to inform your carbon management plan. Emissions from business travel are classed as Scope 3 emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Understand more about emissions classification.

Supporting resources

Quick carbon management calculator
Carbon management planning tool
Claim Expenses guidance
Julie’s Bicycle’s creative climate tools
Gallery Climate Coalition’s quick carbon calculator
Understanding the sources of emissions

Please explain why you are unable to provide this data.

Give a brief explanation of why you are unable to provide travel data and what actions you are taking to ensure you are able to report this next year.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you have not entered any values in 4.1.

Reason for question

We encourage all organisations to report travel data, even if it is an estimate generated using one of our estimation tools. Therefore, if an organisation is unable to provide this information, we would like to understand what we can do to enable them to provide this data next year.

Options available (see links in ‘Supporting resources’ below):

• Claim expenses travel tool
• Quick carbon management calculator
• Carbon management planning tool
• I used another method

Please select the method you used to calculate these emissions. If you select ‘I used another method’, a box will appear for you to describe the method used.

Reason for question

Knowing the method that you used helps us to understand the accuracy of the figures provided. It also indicates what additional support we could be providing to further help you with these calculations.

Supporting resources

Quick carbon management calculator
Carbon management planning tool [LINK TO BE ADDED]
Claim Expenses guidance

Please break down the emissions provided in 4.1 into the following categories:

• Staff
• Artists, performers, participants
• Technical freelancers
• Consultants
• Delegates
• Volunteers
• Other

Note that the total emissions reported in this question should be the same as the total emissions reported in 4.1.

Reason for question

Understanding the split of emissions can help you understand which parts of your organisation contribute the most emissions, allowing you to target reduction actions towards the most emitting areas.

Please provide a value in kgCO2e for the total combined emissions reported in 4.1 that come from international travel. We are defining international as that which starts and/or ends outside the United Kingdom.

Reason for question

We are working with arts councils across the United Kingdom and Ireland to estimate the carbon impact of international working so breaking down your emissions in this way will help us contribute the Scottish perspective of this study. This will also allow you to understand the split of your emissions, helping you to understand which parts of your organisation contribute the most, allowing you to target reduction actions towards the most emitting areas.

Please select one of the following options based on whether you will be providing emissions from freight this year:
‘Yes.’
‘No – we have freight movements, but we can’t provide emission values.’
‘No – we have no freight movements.’

We define freight as the transportation of goods for your organisation’s activities including transportation of goods and materials arranged by the organisation (eg moving set as part of a tour) and the delivery of goods and materials to your organisation (eg an artist’s work for an installation or raw materials for set building).

Organisations are encouraged to calculate freight emissions from the transportation of any sets, lighting, costumes, instruments, art works, or other materials for productions. You should use the Gallery Climate Coalition’s quick carbon calculator (see link in ‘Supporting resources’) for which you will need the mass of goods transported, distance transported, and mode of transport.

You can also calculate this yourself using the emissions factors and the calculation:
[Mass (tonnes)] x [Distance (km)] x Emissions factor for mode of transport

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

If you select ‘Yes’ in this question, 4.5a will be shown.
If you select ‘No – we have freight movements, but we can’t provide emission values’ in this question, 4.5b will be shown.

Reason for question

Freight can be a considerable source of emissions for some organisations, so we are asking for this information to ensure the full picture of your footprint is captured. We would like to understand whether you are reporting this information or not, and if you are not, whether it is because you transported no freight this year or if you did but you are unable to report.

Supporting resources
Gallery Climate Coalition quick carbon calculator
This year’s emission factors

Please enter the total emissions from freight transportation in the reporting year.

Organisations are encouraged to calculate freight emissions from the transportation of any sets, lighting, costumes, instruments, art works or other materials for productions.

You should use the Gallery Climate Coalition’s quick carbon calculator (see link in ‘Supporting resources’) for which you will need the mass of goods transported, distance transported, and mode of transport.

You can also calculate this yourself using the emissions factors and the calculation:
[Mass (tonnes)] x [Distance (km)] x Emissions factor for mode of transport

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘Yes’ in 4.5.

Reason for question

Freight can be a considerable source of emissions for some organisations, so we are asking for this information to ensure the full picture of your footprint is captured. Emissions from freight are classed as Scope 3 emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Understand more about emissions classification.

Supporting resources

Gallery Climate Coalition’s quick carbon calculator
This year’s emission factors

Please explain why you can’t report on emissions from freight movements.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘No – we have freight movements, but we can’t provide emission values’ in 4.5 or if you select ‘Yes’ is selected in 4.5 and don’t give an answer in 4.5a.

Reason for question

We encourage all organisations to report freight emissions data if they have it, even if it is an estimate generated using one of our estimation tools. Therefore, if an organisation is unable to provide this information, we would like to understand what we can do to enable them to provide this data next year.

Please select one of the following options based on whether you will be providing emissions from commuting this year.
‘Yes.’
‘No – our staff commute, but we can’t provide emission values.’
‘No – we have no staff commuting.’

We don’t think it’s realistic to ask everybody to keep an accurate record of all commuting that takes place so instead we recommend using our commuter emissions calculator (see link in ‘Supporting resources’ below) to estimate a total based on typical weekly routines. We understand this may not fully represent the rhythm of your organisation’s whole year.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

If you select ‘Yes’ in this question, 4.6a will be shown.

If you select ‘No – our staff commute, but we can’t provide emission values.’ in this question, 4.6b will be shown.

Reason for question

Commuting is an emitting activity that is a direct result of your operations. Depending on the size of your workforce, staff location, and how often staff work on premises, this could represent a significant proportion of your emissions. We would like to understand whether you are reporting this information or not, and if you are not, whether it is because you had no commuting this year or if you did but you are unable to report.

Supporting resources
Culture for Climate Scotland’s commuting emissions calculator

Using our commuter survey and tool (see link in ‘Supporting resources’ below) or a similar tool, please calculate the emissions from commuting during the reporting year and write the total amount in the textbox.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘Yes’ in 4.6.

Reason for question

Commuting is an emitting activity this is a direct result of your operations. Depending on the size of your workforce, staff location, and how often staff work on premises, this could represent a significant proportion of your emissions.

Emissions from commuting are classed as Scope 3 emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Understand more about emissions classification.

Supporting resources

Culture for Climate Scotland’s commuting emissions calculator

Please explain why you can’t report on emissions from commuting.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘No – our staff commute, but we can’t provide emission values.’ in 4.6 or if you select ‘Yes’ is selected in 4.6 and don’t give an answer in 4.6a.

Reason for question

We encourage all organisations to report commuting emissions data. Therefore, if an organisation is unable to provide this information, we would like to understand what we can do to enable them to provide this data next year.

Please select one of the following options based on whether you will be providing emissions from audience travel this year:
‘Yes.’
‘No – our audiences travel but we can’t provide emission values.’
‘No – we have no audiences or no audience travel.’

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

If you select ‘Yes’ in this question, 4.7a will be shown.

If you select ‘No – we have audience travel, but we can’t provide emission values’ in this question, 4.7b will be shown.

Reason for question

Audience travel can account for a large proportion of an organisation’s wider footprint. We would like to understand whether you are reporting this information or not, and if you are not, what are the barriers preventing you from reporting.

Supporting resources

Guide to audience travel
This year’s emission factors

Through surveying your organisation’s audiences, we encourage you to estimate the emissions from audience travel. Please enter the estimate in kgCO2e in the textbox.

If you do not already collect travel data from your organisation’s audiences, you can find guidance for how to do this on our website.

We generally encourage using surveys to get a representative audience sample, then scaling this up to cover the whole audience.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘Yes’ in 4.7.

Reason for question

In 2008, a report from Julie’s Bicycle identified that annual audience travel to music events accounts for 43% of GHG emissions from the UK music industry. These findings can be extended to other parts of the arts and culture sector but have mostly gone under the radar in environmental reporting. Since it represents such a large proportion of emissions, all organisations should endeavour to record and report this information.

Supporting resources

Guide to measuring audience travel [LINK TO BE ADDED]
This year’s emission factors

Please explain why you are not able to report on emissions from audience travel.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘No – our audiences travel but we can’t provide emission values.’ in 4.7 or if you select ‘Yes’ in 4.7 and don’t give an answer in 4.7a.

Reason for question

We encourage all organisations to report audience travel emissions data. Therefore, if an organisation is unable to provide this information, we would like to understand the barriers preventing them from reporting and what we can do to enable them to provide this data next year.

If you have anything else you wish to mention, please write it in the text box.

Reason for question

This gives you space to explain any other figures provided above or to add any additional information you think is required.

Please select one of the following options based on whether you will be providing overnight stays information this year:
‘Yes.’
‘No – we had overnight stays, but we can’t provide the total amount.’
‘No – we have no overnight stays.’

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

If you select ‘Yes’ in this question, 4.9a will be shown.

If you select ‘No’ – we had overnight stays, but we can’t provide the total amount.’ in this question, 4.9b will be shown.

Reason for question

There are emissions associated with overnight stays. We would like to understand whether you are reporting this information or not, and if you are not, whether it is because you had no hotel stays this year or if you did but you are unable to report the total amount of stays.

Please break down this figure by country.

Please enter a whole number of overnight stays paid for by your organisation this reporting year. If multiple people are staying, please record one night per person, per night (ie two people staying one night would be two nights). You should break the figure down by country, adding a new row for each additional country.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘Yes’ in 4.9.

Reason for question

When paying for travel, organisations often pay for accommodation too and there are emissions associated with accommodation in hotels, Airbnbs etc. We are asking for this figure to ensure your footprint shows the whole picture. We ask for the country of these stays since the emissions differ depending on country.

Calculation methodology

Once we receive this value, we will multiply it by the UK government emissions factor for hotel stays in each country for 2023/24 to get the kgCO2e value. This is calculated automatically for you in the survey.

Please explain why you are not able to report hotel stay information.

This is a mandatory question for all organisations that it is shown to.

You will see this question if you select ‘No – we had overnight stays, but we can’t provide the total amount.’ in 4.9 or if you select ‘Yes’ is selected in 4.9 and don’t give an answer in 4.9a.

Reason for question

We encourage all organisations to report hotel stays information to gain a full picture of the carbon footprint. Therefore, if an organisation is unable to provide this information, we would like to understand the barriers preventing them from reporting and what we can do to enable them to provide this data next year.