Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has urged event holders to shift conferences online. This study reports comparative life cycle assessment results of in-person, virtual, and hybrid conferences, considering factors like food, accommodation, transportation, and ICT. Transitioning from in-person to virtual conferencing substantially reduces the carbon footprint (by 94%) and energy use (by 90%). Hybrid conferences, with carefully selected hubs and maintaining over 50% in-person participation, can slash carbon footprint and energy use by two-thirds. Further reductions are possible through plant-based diets and improved ICT energy efficiency.

Yanqiu Tao, Debbie Steckel, Jiří Jaromír Klemeš, Fengqi You