A framework to estimate emissions from virtual conferences

Faber, Grant

doi:10.1080/00207233.2020.1864190

Cited by 31 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Telecommunications: a video call of adequate quality to hear and examine a patient requires a bandwidth of 5.5 megabits per second [ 15 , 16 ] and emits 2.95 kgCO 2 e per hour [ 13 ]. Landline transmission energy data were not available but the energy required for the handset emits 0.7 gCO 2 e per hour.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calculating the carbon footprint of a Geriatric Medicine clinic before and after COVID-19

Bartlett

Keir

2022

Age and Ageing

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Background climate change is a health emergency. Central to addressing this is understanding the carbon footprint of our daily life and work, in order to reduce it effectively. The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about rapid change to clinical practice, most notably in use of virtual clinics and personal protective equipment (PPE). Aim to estimate the carbon footprint of a Geriatric Medicine clinic, including the effect of virtual consultation and PPE, in order to inform design of a service that addresses both the health of our patients and our environment. Method data from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, NHS Carbon Footprint Plus and UK Government were used to estimate the carbon emissions per consultation. Values were calculated for virtual and face-to-face contact and applied to actual clinics both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results the carbon footprint of a face-to-face clinic consultation is 4.82 kgCO2e, most of which is patient travel, followed by staff travel and use of PPE. The footprint of a virtual consultation is 0.99 kgCO2e, most of which is staff travel, followed by data use. Using our hybrid model for a single session clinic reduced our annual carbon footprint by an estimated 200 kgCO2e, roughly equivalent to a surgical operation. Discussion the COVID-19 pandemic has made us deliver services differently. The environmental benefits seen of moving to a partially virtual clinic highlight the importance of thinking beyond reverting to ‘business as usual’—instead deliberately retaining changes, which benefit the current and future health of our community.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calculating the carbon footprint of a Geriatric Medicine clinic before and after COVID-19

Bartlett

Keir

2022

Age and Ageing

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“…It must be acknowledged that online conferencing is by no means carbon-neutral. Faber (2021) estimated emissions for a 200-person, 6-h Zoom conference at 1.3 metric tons of CO 2 e. The emissions of this entire conference are roughly equivalent to the emissions of a one-way flight from Los Angeles to Washington, DC for a single passenger. These emissions will vary based on participants, conference length, computer types and various other energy needs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

University air travel and greenhouse gas mitigation: an analysis of higher education climate policies

Schmidt

2022

IJSHE

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Purpose Numerous higher education institutions have created policies that aim to reduce their carbon footprints. Most policies focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to energy production and consumption. One area that has received less attention has been greenhouse gas emissions from university air travel. The purpose of this paper is to understand how US higher education institutions address university air travel emissions. Design/methodology/approach The present research used qualitative document analysis to examine the climate policies of 44 doctoral institutions. The analysis sought to establish themes across a range of climate policy documents from the sampled institutions. Intercoder consensus, peer review and member checking were used to increase the reliability and validity of the analysis. Findings Five major themes emerged from the documents: no consideration of air travel, lack of quality data for accurate consideration, recommendations to offset air travel emissions, support for videoconferencing and other suggestions for mitigation. These themes are discussed in detail, as are practical suggestions and implications stemming from this and related research. Research limitations/implications The research is based on a sample of US doctoral institutions and their public documents. It is therefore limited in its generalizability. Practical implications Institutions need to create a culture in which individual behavior changes toward lower travel are supported. Though problematic, institutions in the USA need to strive to implement suggested offset programs. Given the ubiquity of virtual presence, institutions need to further support videoconferencing. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is among the first to examine how higher education institutions in the USA address air travel emissions.

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“…This could be the case if it becomes the norm that certain attendees only participate online, while others are able to participate in person (eg, high-income countries(HICs) vs LMICs, or Member States vs Civil Society), significantly reducing the interaction between certain actors and limiting the influence of civil society groups on WHA processes. Moreover, even though online fora create less GHG emissions compared with in-person events, they still contribute a significant environmental impact resulting from energy use (eg, network data transfer, server, electricity) and computer life cycle emissions 25. A balance must be struck so that the fora can be held equitably but with a smaller ecological footprint.…”

Section: Virtual and Hybrid Models: Equity Friend Or Foe?mentioning

confidence: 99%