Climate scientist refuses to take plane from Papua, employer threatens dismissal

2023-10-04 17:26:11

Joris BelgersOctober 4, 202319:26

Gianluca Grimaldi was told by his employer on Friday that he finally had to show up at the office following the weekend. Otherwise he would be dismissed. Only there was one small problem. Grimaldi, a climate researcher by profession, was at the time doing field work in Bougainville, one of the Solomon Islands. As the crow flies, it is approximately 13,722 kilometers from his office in Kiel, Germany, where the Institute for the World Economy is located – the employer in question.

Now the flight between Bougainville and Kiel within one weekend is quite a challenge, but that was not even the biggest problem: Grimaldi refuses to fly on principle. The climate scientist had CO on his return journey, just like on the way there₂– neutrally planned as possible, with container ships, ferry services and over land. That would be regarding 400kg of CO₂ costs ten times as much by plane.

Grimaldi considers it secondary to his clear conscience that it would take him two months to do this. His employer just thinks a little differently regarding it. And that, says Grimaldiwhile there is no reason to physically sit behind his desk to do his job.

Grimaldi conducted research in Papua New Guinea into communities that are personally experiencing the consequences of the climate crisis. In order to do that work, it was quite a challenge to gain the trust of the population. He also talked regarding the causes of climate change, CO₂emissions, to which global air traffic makes an important contribution.

He finds it difficult to live with the hypocrisy of subsequently catching the plane back home, he describes an extensive open letter: ‘I know that my decision not to take the plane does virtually nothing to protect the environment. […] But all the evidence presented by science underlines that we are in a crisis. And in a crisis, extraordinary steps must be taken. If that means losing my job and giving up what I love most in life, then I’m willing to pay that price.”

The Kiel Institute declines to comment on personnel matters, but a spokesperson said otherwise The Guardian know that it offers its employees the opportunity to travel ‘in a climate-friendly way’.

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