Reducing carbon emissions from student commuting in higher education

Abstract Student commuting, specifically single-occupant vehicles, is a significant contributing factor to the carbon footprint of universities. Many universities have action plans and programs to reduce emissions from student commuting; however, the issues of safety, time, and convenience typically outweigh students' motivation to use alternative modes of transportation. For this reason, it is crucial to understand the behavioral research on commuting and the environment and the use of nudging or incentives to change behavior. Effective programs must consider the students' reasons for their mode of transportation and include them in the conversation for solutions. This work provides a literature review of commuting and nudging behavior, a study on commuting and sustainability plans at several universities, and solutions from focus groups with University of Southern California (USC) graduate students aimed to encourage alternative forms of transportation.