New Green Travel Incentive for AEC events!

At the Academy of Music, University of Zagreb, we are preparing a strategy in which sustainability will become an integral part of our institutional vision and practice. [...] Participation in the AEC Congress through low-carbon transport is an extension of our current efforts to model environmentally responsible behaviour within our high music education community.

Choosing the train instead of flying reflects my personal values and my desire to contribute to a more sustainable and responsible way of participating in European events. Train travel is not only more ecological but also offers a calm and reflective rhythm. It offers me time to prepare for the congress and to think about how I can make the most of what I will gain, both for my personal development and by enriching my fellow students through sharing the knowledge and ideas from the congress. … I strongly believe that sustainability should be an integral part of both our artistic and academic life. Through this choice, I wish to support the AEC’s vision of raising awareness about sustainable travel within higher music education and to set a positive example for other students who wish to reduce their environmental footprint

For all my AEC-related travels [...] I have travelled and will continue to travel green. There’s not much to explain: it’s my way of reducing my ecological footprint. My family and I have also decided not to fly for holidays, opting instead for wonderful long-distance train journeys. The advantages are plenty and easily outweigh the downsides: it’s comfortable, there’s time to actually read, the locations and historical value of most railway stations are far more interesting than airport terminals, babies cry less, and most importantly: there’s no music, which is infinitely better than airport Muzak.

This decision is not just about one trip: it’s part of a broader commitment to environmental sustainability that I try to apply both in my personal life and in my professional practice. Travelling by train significantly reduces emissions per passenger compared to air travel, and I see this choice as a concrete step toward more climate-responsible behaviour. …This is also a response to the broader cultural shift that the AEC is helping to lead. I strongly believe that those of us working in education and culture have a duty to make more sustainable choices, even when they require more effort…