Academic conferences urgently need environmental policies

Abstract

We conducted the first global analysis of environmental impact policies of reputable, international, academic conferences. Only five of the 116 conferences sampled provided carbon offset programs for participants, and only 11 advertised any type of sustainability practices at all.

COVID-19, Climate Change, and the American Thoracic Society. A Shared Responsibility

“…However, the scientific community has been slow to engage in such efforts. A 2017 review of the sustainability efforts of 116 international scientific and academic conferences discovered that only 9% advertised any effort that aimed to reduce the conference’s carbon footprint, and only 4% offered carbon offsets ( 16 ). Recognizing that air travel accounts for the majority of CO 2 emissions generated by the ATS annual conference, the ATS had offered attendees the option to purchase carbon offsets to mitigate their carbon footprint during travel to the 2020 conference ( 17 ).…”

The pandemic push: can COVID-19 reinvent conferences to models rooted in sustainability, equitability and inclusion?

“…Additionally, travelling internationally to a conference is not sustainable. Some conferences offset their participants’ travel emissions (Holden et al 2017 , p. 1211). However, the compensation of carbon emissions is controversial and, according to the carbon management hierarchy, should only be used as a last resort after exhausting all other options for mitigation (Hyams and Fawcett 2013 , p. 93).…”

From call to action: a roadmap to sustainable conferences

“…Unfortunately, those events also represent a major part of a researcher's carbon footprint (Bossdorf et al, 2010, Rosen, 2017, Achten et al, 2013. Despite this known impact on climate change and the broader natural environment, and the overlooked impact on local socio-economic development, most conferences have little to no sustainability strategy (Holden et al, 2017). This conundrum is particularly present for events organized by institutions linked to environmental conservation or natural resource management whose attendees are most commonly focused on protecting the very environment the event may well damage.…”

“…Without a champion to push this added agenda, it oftentimes remains an after-thought if at all considered. This is reinforced by the fact that many organizing institutions, such as professional societies, rely on rotating volunteer committees for the planning of those events which limits the opportunity to learn from experience and standardize the planning process over time (Holden et al, 2017).…”

“…Despite those challenges, there is an increasing number of sustainable conferences being organized (Ahmad et al, 2013), and international standards, guidelines and lessons learned are readily available (Holden et al, 2017). It is time for the research community to "walk the talk" and renew their commitment to mitigating environmental and social impacts.…”