Doing academic conferences differently: Enhancing ecological and social sustainability

Abstract

Academic conferences are important for career progression, serving as valued occasions for attendees to network, learn and establish or maintain collaborations. However, it is becoming more widely acknowledged that traditional centralised in-person conferences are both ecologically and socially unsustainable – attendees’ travel often carries a significant ecological cost, and the barriers to participation that historically under-represented groups still face mean the benefits of conference attendance are not equitably distributed. Addressing these challenges requires conferences to be ‘done differently’ – while some innovative practices were developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a tendency to revert to the traditional model. Here, we present the findings of a mixed methods study that aimed to provide a nuanced understanding of the ecological and social sustainability benefits of a real-world decentralised multi-hub conference held in 2023. This conference comprised local hubs hosted in different places around the world, each with its own programme tailored to the interests and needs of the local attendees, and structured around a shared core programme broadcast globally. We calculated transport-related carbon emissions for the decentralised multi-hub conference and compared them with those for a simulated traditional in-person conference and a fully online conference. We also interviewed 14 local hub organisers and attendees to gain their perspectives about the sustainability benefits of this innovative conference format. In terms of ecological sustainability, the decentralised multi-hub conference had significantly lower emissions than a traditional in-person conference, but higher emissions than a fully online conference. Socially, the more accessible and inclusive format attracted a more diverse range of attendees: the benefits of conference attendance were thus accrued more equitably. Despite the enthusiasm of those who have attended conferences such as this, the traditional in-person conference format remains deeply embedded. We have identified a serious disconnect between academic associations and the expectations of their membership regarding conference design practices. We argue it is time for change, and call for academics across all disciplines to push for more ecological and socially sustainable conferences. Let’s do conferences differently, making decentralised multi-hub conferences the norm rather than the exception.