IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i2p321-d1565777.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Examining the Carbon Footprint of Conferences with an Emphasis on Energy Consumption and Catering

Author

Listed:
  • Viktoria Mannheim

    (Department of Engineering Management and Enterprise, Faculty of Engineering, University of Debrecen, H-4028 Debrecen, Hungary)

  • Judit Lovasné Avató

    (Department of Methodology for Business Analysis, Institute of Quantitative Methodology, Budapest Business University, Alkotmány Str. 9-11, 1054 Budapest, Hungary)

Abstract

This research study presents a comparison of an in-person and an online conference in terms of environmental impact and energy efficiency. The main goal of our research was to prepare a complete life cycle assessment of a two-day (15-h), 200-participant in-person and online conference based on different impact assessment methods. Life cycle assessments focus on the numerical determination of the decarbonization of conference consumption (lunch, dinner, food and beverage consumption during breaks), conference organization (discussions, correspondence, abstract booklet, registration package), travel, and infrastructure. The meals were examined by connecting the stages of preparation, cooking, consumption and end-of-life cycle as a cradle-to-grave analysis. We paid particular attention to the calculation of energy consumption. After carbon footprint comparisons, the areas with the highest impacts with pie diagrams were identified. Lastly, a SWOT chart and an SAP-LAP analysis diagram summarize the achievable objectives and challenges. In conclusion, there is no outstanding difference between the impact assessment methods for the carbon footprint investigation. Travel contributes 57% of the overall carbon footprint at in-person conferences, while the environmental impact of meals holds the second largest share, at 8.41 kg CO 2 equivalent/person/hour. Excluding meals and travel, the calculated carbon footprint is 0.362 kg CO 2 equivalent/person/hour (only considering the effect of preparation, organization, administration and registration package). Our initial hypothesis was that an online conference reduces decarbonization, which the results confirm.

Suggested Citation

  • Viktoria Mannheim & Judit Lovasné Avató, 2025. "Examining the Carbon Footprint of Conferences with an Emphasis on Energy Consumption and Catering," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-20, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:2:p:321-:d:1565777
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/2/321/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/2/321/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abdurrahman Yavuzdeğer & Burak Esenboğa & Kübra Tümay Ateş & Özge Demirdelen & Mehmet Yüksel, 2024. "Assessing the Carbon Footprint of Plastic Bottle Blow Mold Based on Product Life Cycle for Managing the Mold Industry’s Carbon Emission," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    3. Spudys, Paulius & Osadcha, Iryna & Morkunaite, Lina & Manhanga, Fallon Clare & Georgali, Phoebe Zoe & Klumbyte, Egle & Jurelionis, Andrius & Papadopoulos, Agis & Fokaides, Paris, 2024. "A comparative life cycle assessment of building sustainability across typical European building geometries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    4. Robert Istrate & Victor Tulus & Robert N. Grass & Laurent Vanbever & Wendelin J. Stark & Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez, 2024. "The environmental sustainability of digital content consumption," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Judit Lovasné Avató & Viktoria Mannheim, 2022. "Life Cycle Assessment Model of a Catering Product: Comparing Environmental Impacts for Different End-of-Life Scenarios," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
    6. Jinge Yao & Lu Wang & Qiwei Pang & Mingjie Fang, 2024. "Coupling coordination and spatial analyses of the MICE and tourism industries: do they fit well?," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(17), pages 2783-2796, September.
    7. Zsolt Buri & Csanád Sipos & Edit Szűcs & Domicián Máté, 2024. "Smart and Sustainable Energy Consumption: A Bibliometric Review and Visualization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-14, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Viktoria Mannheim & Zsuzsa Szalay & Renáta Bodnárné Sándor & Anita Terjék & Judit Lovasné Avató & Péter Sasvári & Zsolt István & Artúr Szilágyi & Orsolya Szalainé Kaczkó & Klára Tóthné Szita, 2025. "Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Resulting from the Transition to Virtual Space," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-22, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Viktoria Mannheim & Zsuzsa Szalay & Renáta Bodnárné Sándor & Anita Terjék & Judit Lovasné Avató & Péter Sasvári & Zsolt István & Artúr Szilágyi & Orsolya Szalainé Kaczkó & Klára Tóthné Szita, 2025. "Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Resulting from the Transition to Virtual Space," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-22, February.
    2. Xiaoqing Lin & Chunyan Lu & Kaishan Song & Ying Su & Yifan Lei & Lianxiu Zhong & Yibin Gao, 2020. "Analysis of Coupling Coordination Variance between Urbanization Quality and Eco-Environment Pressure: A Case Study of the West Taiwan Strait Urban Agglomeration, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, March.
    3. Michael Greenstone & Rema Hanna, 2014. "Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(10), pages 3038-3072, October.
    4. Dongqing Han & Dayong Zhang & Peng Yue & Zhengxu Cao, 2024. "Toward Sustainable Development: Can Digital Transformation of Industrial Enterprise Drive Carbon Reduction?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-18, November.
    5. Fujii, Hidemichi & Managi, Shunsuke, 2013. "Which industry is greener? An empirical study of nine industries in OECD countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 381-388.
    6. Pantelis Kalaitzidakis & Theofanis P. Mamuneas & Thanasis Stengos, 2008. "The Contribution of Pollution to Productivity Growth," Working Paper series 06_08, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
    7. Muhammad Shahbaz & Vassilios G. Papavassiliou & Amine Lahiani & David Roubaud, 2023. "Are we moving towards decarbonisation of the global economy? Lessons from the distant past to the present," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 2620-2634, July.
    8. Song, Tao & Zheng, Tingguo & Tong, Lianjun, 2008. "An empirical test of the environmental Kuznets curve in China: A panel cointegration approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 381-392, September.
    9. Giedrė Lapinskienė & Kęstutis Peleckis & Neringa Slavinskaitė, 2017. "Energy consumption, economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union countries," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(6), pages 1082-1097, November.
    10. Emrah Kocak & Hayriye Hilal Baglitas, 2022. "The path to sustainable municipal solid waste management: Do human development, energy efficiency, and income inequality matter?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 1947-1962, December.
    11. Paul Welfens & Jens Perret & Deniz Erdem, 2010. "Global economic sustainability indicator: analysis and policy options for the Copenhagen process," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 153-185, August.
    12. Nicole Grunewald & Inmaculada Martínez-Zarzoso, 2009. "Driving Factors of Carbon Dioxide Emissions and the Impact from Kyoto Protocol," Ibero America Institute for Econ. Research (IAI) Discussion Papers 190, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research.
    13. Lei Gao & Taowu Pei & Jingran Zhang & Yu Tian, 2022. "The “Pollution Halo” Effect of FDI: Evidence from the Chinese Sichuan–Chongqing Urban Agglomeration," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-17, September.
    14. Bradford David F. & Fender Rebecca A & Shore Stephen H. & Wagner Martin, 2005. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve: Exploring a Fresh Specification," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-28, June.
    15. Ghimire, Narishwar & Woodward, Richard T., 2013. "Under- and over-use of pesticides: An international analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 73-81.
    16. Yan, Bingqian & Xia, Yan & Jiang, Xuemei, 2023. "Carbon productivity and value-added generations: Regional heterogeneity along global value chain," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 111-125.
    17. Elbert Dijkgraaf & Herman Vollebergh, 2005. "A Test for Parameter Homogeneity in CO 2 Panel EKC Estimations," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 32(2), pages 229-239, October.
    18. Yan, Sen & Sun, Xinyu & Zhang, Yurong, 2024. "High-speed railway ripples on the greenness: Insight from urban green vegetation cover," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    19. Esposito, Piero & Patriarca, Fabrizio & Salvati, Luca, 2018. "Tertiarization and land use change: The case of Italy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 80-86.
    20. Rahman, Tauhidur & Mittelhammer, Ron C. & Wandschneider, Philip R., 2011. "Measuring quality of life across countries: A multiple indicators and multiple causes approach," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 43-52, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:2:p:321-:d:1565777. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.