Sustainability Results from ESPID 2023
We believe that we all have a part to play in preserving our future for generations to come, both locally and across the globe.
At ESPID, we think everyone has a role to play in maintaining a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. And even small actions matter! Therefore, we took steps to make the ESPID 2023 Meeting more environmentally friendly
and we want to share the results with you!
Do want to get involved in our sustainability activities?
We have added sustainable opportunities to our sales prospectus and created a document with tips & tricks for our exhibitors!
Know that you can also join us in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion by supporting the Meeting with travel grants and translation services.
Sustainability Objectives & Successes
- Educating and engaging ESPID delegates and exhibitors about new sustainable best practices in collaboration with ESPID sustainability committee.
- Introducing of various sustainability initiatives (environmental, economic and social) for ESPID 2023 delegates through mailshots (onsite and virtually).
- Implementation of sustainability and waste management strategy introduced specifically for this event.
- Focus on waste management and waste avoidance, ensure good waste sorting practices with the introduction of a special new session “Towards zero waste: active participation” attended by 72 delegates.
- Minimize food waste and support leftover food donations – We had 1,672 meals donated, which corresponds to 412 kg of food.
- Successful measurement of ESPID environmental Footprint with total and per categories emissions calculations.
- Overview of further actions and sustainability objectives for future ESPID meetings.
- Reduced cutlery use and Zero use of single use plastic for meals.
- 1 Meatless meal during the congress.
- Paperless meeting – use app and minimizing printing materials.
- Promotion and full support of gender equality with speakers split.
ESPID and the Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, also called the Global Goals) are 17 goals with 169 targets that all UN Member States have agreed to work toward achieving by 2030. They set out a plan for a world without poverty, hunger, and disease.
We at ESPID wanted to contribute to the achievement of these objectives in our value chain. We supported and worked toward the following SDGs:
ESPID and Waste Management
ESPID stepped up this year by implementing new sustainable practices during the Annual Meeting to reduce waste and promote a greener event.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
We are introducing several dedicated ESPID initiatives, aiming to promote healthy lifestyle, while enjoying being together with the community.
What we did in 2023:
- Health food served during lunch and coffee breaks
- Run for the Children in Ukraine
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Our top priority is to make high-quality education available to our community. Our goals include eliminating educational gaps between genders; providing more accessible conference options; and enhancing the quality of the scientific programme.
What we did in 2023:
- Workshops for early career professionals.
- Sessions On Demand – The recorded ESPID sessions are available to all participants for 3 months after the conference dates, allowing attendees to catch up on any learnings they missed during the Meeting, or re-watch important presentations and discussions.
- Awards Supporting Participation – We provided opportunities for waived Conference registration and additional financial support towards attendance.
- Interactive Meet-the-Expert Sessions with audience participation (voting, etc.) and presentation of a case series.
- Presentations of clinical and laboratory findings from applied research that encourage audience participation
- Special keynote presentations delivered by a large number of internationally renowned experts covering the full spectrum of paediatric infectious diseases.
- Virtual Conference Alternative – Although we prepared a true celebration of the community, with lots of learning and networking opportunities for everyone joining us in Lisbon, we were aware that not everyone could afford to travel and take full advantage of ESPID. Therefore, we introduced the more accessible virtual alternative, where everyone can be part of the conference – at lower rates, from wherever they are in the world.
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
We ensure nondiscrimination and equality for committee members, presenters, and invited speakers.
What we did in 2023:
- Aimed for and monitor gender equality and nondiscrimination among our delegates, presenters, and committee members.
- Made our meeting a welcoming, inclusive space for people of all ages, genders, and abilities.
- Promoted more women in committee positions related to the event.
- Created a programme that features diverse topics and speakers from various backgrounds and experiences.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
We recognise the environmental impact that large-scale events like ESPID can have, so sustainable production and consumption are one of our top priorities in organising the ESPID 2023 Meeting. We are working with our suppliers to ensure maximum positive change.
What we did in 2023:
- A mini-program was printed, and the Meeting Virtual Platform featured more and better content.
- E-Posters instead of printed Poster Boards: easy to use and available both at the venue and on your device.
- We limited printed promotional materials for ESPID in favour of digital alternatives.
- We encouraged all of our exhibitors to participate in this initiative by reducing single-use giveaways at their booths.
- Delegate badge collection and recycling at the end of the event
- To reduce food waste at the Meeting, we collected lunch requests from attendees in advance.
Official SDG website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment