01 Feb 2021 | News Come offset with me: how new policies are encouraging researchers to limit the environmental impact of air travel Attending international scientific conferences is the lifeblood of research. Now, grant funding bodies are introducing offsets to cut the carbon footprint and encourage use of greener modes of transport They may be grounded by COVID-19 lockdowns at present, but since November 2020 academics in Germany have been able to get carbon offsets when travelling for research sponsored by the research agency Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The offsets donate money to climate protection projects in the global south, for example planting trees or building a wind turbine.