The Carbon Footprint of Academic Conferences: Evidence from the 14^th<scp>EAAE</scp> Congress in Slovenia

Abstract

Summary Agricultural economists recognise that climate change is one of the key challenges of our time. Yet, the carbon footprint of research activities has received little attention to date. Air travel from and to academic conferences is a major contributor to the carbon footprint of researchers. This article calculates the carbon emissions due to air travel of the 14 th Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists ( EAAE ) in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2014 and proposes strategies to reduce them. Total CO 2 emissions are estimated at around 300 tonnes or 0.5 tonne per participant. There are, however, large differences between participants, with 10 per cent of the participants accounting for 50 per cent of the emissions. Strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of the Congress are considered. Reducing the number of participants from non‐European countries that attend the conference could significantly reduce emissions. Organising the Congress at a more central location in Europe in combination with promoting travelling by train could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by another 20 per cent. It is argued that researchers, including agricultural economists, should lead by example and undertake actions to reduce the carbon footprint of their profession.