Aviation is a fast-growing sector, releasing more carbon dioxide per passenger kilometre than other transport modes. For climate change researchers, work-related travel – including for conferences and fieldwork – is a major carbon-emitting activity. At the same time, many argue that climate scientists have an important role in curbing their own aviation emissions to align their practices with their assertions in relation to emissions reduction. We examine the tensions between competing professional demands in relation to flying; measure levels of flying by climate and non-climate researchers; assess influences on choices and attitudes; and consider how information provision and structural changes might enable changes in practice. Study 1 entails a large, international survey of flying undertaken by climate change (including sustainability and environmental science) researchers and those from other disciplines (N = 1408). Study 2 tests effects of varying information provision on researchers’ behavioural intentions and policy support to reduce flying (N = 362). Unexpectedly, we find climate change researchers – particularly professors – fly more than other researchers, but are also more likely to have taken steps to reduce or offset their flying. Providing information about the impacts of aviation increases behavioural intentions and support for institutional policies to reduce flying, particularly amongst more pro-environmental respondents. However, while attitudinal factors (e.g., personal norm) predict willingness to reduce flying, structural/social factors (e.g., family commitments, location) are more important in predicting actual flying behaviour. Recent initiatives to develop a low-carbon and more inclusive research culture within climate science and the broader research community thus need to be supported by broader policies and technologies to encourage and enable low-carbon and avoided travel.

航空业是一个快速发展的行业，与其他运输方式相比，每乘客公里释放的二氧化碳更多。对于气候变化研究人员而言，与工作相关的旅行-包括会议和实地考察-是一项主要的碳排放活动。同时，许多人争辩说，气候科学家在遏制自己的航空排放中起着重要作用，使他们的做法与关于减排的主张保持一致。我们研究与飞行有关的竞争专业需求之间的紧张关系；测量气候和非气候研究人员的飞行水平；评估对选择和态度的影响；并考虑信息的提供和结构的变化如何使实践发生变化。研究1需要大笔费用，由气候变化（包括可持续性和环境科学）研究人员以及其他学科的研究人员进行的国际飞行调查（N = 1408）。研究2测试了各种信息提供对研究人员的行为意图和减少飞行的政策支持的影响（N = 362）。出乎意料的是，我们发现气候变化研究人员（尤其是教授）比其他研究人员飞行得更多，但也更有可能采取措施减少或抵消他们的飞行。提供有关航空影响的信息会增加行为意图，并为减少飞行的机构政策提供支持，特别是在较亲环境的受访者中。但是，尽管态度因素（例如个人规范）预测了减少飞行的意愿，但结构/社会因素（例如家庭承诺，位置）在预测实际飞行行为方面更为重要。因此，需要在气候科学和更广泛的研究界内部发展低碳和更具包容性的研究文化的最新举措，得到更广泛的政策和技术的支持，以鼓励和实现低碳和避免旅行。