By holding this week’s climate summit online, the US defeated the biggest paradox of such events: they generate vast volumes of greenhouse gas.
But what is the carbon impact of international conferences for the individual business traveller? And what reduction in emissions can they achieve by opting to attend virtually? Lex ran the numbers for the first in a series of weekend articles on personal carbon budgeting, a subject brought to the fore by growing concern over climate change.
For international conferences, air travel is by far the biggest contributor. That depends on distance travelled and type of flight: per passenger emissions of private jets can be at least six times higher than commercial aircraft. But even the average participant’s flights might generate a whopping 2.3 tonnes of carbon emissions, using a 2018 climate conference as a benchmark.