Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Academic Conferences by Online Participation

The Case of the 2020 Virtual European Consortium for Political Research General Conference

Dados Bibliográficos

ID7943907
AutoresSebastian Jäckle (0000-0002-9258-4888, University of Freiburg, autor correspondente)
Ano2021
Volume54
Fascículo3
Páginas456-461
Data de publicação2021-07-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPS Political Science & Politics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1049-0965 • E-ISSN: 1537-5935
EditoraCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1049096521000020
OpenAlexW3132600814
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências citadas6

This article investigates the impact that the decision to switch an academic conference to an online event had on its carbon footprint. Using the example of the biggest European Political Science conference, the European Consortium for Political Research General Conference, it comprehensively estimates the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the virtual event and by the hypothetical case, if the event had taken place physically, including emissions from electricity usage, travel, heating, and catering. The carbon footprint of the virtual conference turned out to be between at least 97 and 200 times smaller than it would have been if the meeting had taken place in person. Hybrid conferences, particularly if those participants from far away join the event online, combined with the promotion of land-bound travel for those attending in person—even if this means longer travel times than flying—could be a feasible compromise to reduce emissions by almost 90

Carbon Footprint · Compromise · Economics · Electricity · Environmental economics · Footprint · Geography · Greenhouse gas · Operations research · Political science · Politics · Conferences and Exhibitions Management · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research · Engineering · Law · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts