Sustainable Conferences and Meetings

Meetings can result in significant pollution, through induced travel, venue and hotel use, and meals and disposable service ware.^120,121 Some professional societies are committing to mitigating conference emissions.^120-129 Opportunities exist to measure and mitigate event-related emissions and should be incorporated into standard operating procedures for event planning and management. (See Sustainable Event Checklist.) Communicating sustainability efforts and impact can serve to raise attendee awareness and encourage further action.

The vast majority of medical conference emissions stem from travel, especially by air.¹²⁰ Transportation is responsible for about one-third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Travel to medical conferences can generate between 235-733 kg of CO₂e per person, more than the total per capita emissions in some countries.^120,130 Virtual meetings became popularized with the COVID-19 pandemic, and can minimize pollution and increase equitable access to professional development for those with physical impairments and resource restrictions.^123,131 In-person meetings provide vast opportunities for networking, forging personal and professional relationships that cannot be replaced by virtual attendance, however. Hybrid gatherings, whereby both in-person and virtual speaking and attending options exist, provides the most flexibility. If flying is essential, verified carbon offsets may be purchased and can be offered through the event registration platform.

Convention centers and hotels are also energy intensive to construct and operate, including through high requirements for HVAC systems. Facilities that are LEED certified in both their construction and operations can be prioritized by event planners.^14,131,132

Meals are another major source of emissions at conferences. Food for large scale operations tends to be highly processed (carbon intensive), and food waste is particularly common. One-third of all food intended for human consumption is wasted in the U.S. The EPA estimated that each year, U.S. food waste embodies 170 MTCO₂e GHG emissions (excluding landfill emissions), equal to the annual CO₂ emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants.¹³³ Single-use disposable packaging and food comprise about 45% of all landfill space in the U.S.¹³⁴ Single-use disposable containers and serviceware may be unavoidable at large in-person events, however reusable and biodegradable options can be negotiated into vendor contracts, as well as availability of compost bins. ^132,135

Meeting materials are now typically distributed electronically to minimize waste and costs. Free conference “swag” has similarly fallen out of favor, whereas making reusable bags, food and beverage containers, and utensils available for purchase can encourage conservation behaviors.

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