Sustainability

Going Green Together

At ESPID, we are dedicated to continuously improving our sustainability practices with each meeting. We recognize the importance of minimising our environmental impact and fostering a sustainable future.

We are committed to taking significant steps to enhance our sustainability efforts for the ESPID Meeting 2025 in Bucharest to make a positive difference and ensure that our Meeting contributes to a greener and more sustainable world.

Together, we can create a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible platform for advancing paediatric infectious diseases research, prevention and care.

Going Green Together

At ESPID, we are dedicated to continuously improving our sustainability practices with each Meeting. We recognize the importance of minimizing our environmental impact and fostering a sustainable future.

We are excited to announce that we are taking significant steps to enhance our sustainability efforts for ESPID Meeting 2024 in Copenhagen. We are currently finalizing our actions and initiatives, which will be published shortly. These measures will encompass various aspects, including waste reduction, energy efficiency, eco-friendly materials, and responsible resource management.

Stay tuned for updates on how ESPID 2024 Meeting is raising the bar in sustainability practices. We are committed to making a positive difference and ensuring that our Meeting contributes to a greener and more sustainable world.

Together, we can create a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible platform for advancing paediatric infectious diseases research, prevention and care.​

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 want to contribute to the achievement of these objectives in our value chain. We support and work toward the following SDGs:

As individuals and as a community, we can and should individually contribute to protecting the earth and its natural systems and resources and to sustaining the natural ecological balance of the ecosystem. Here is what we encourage you to do during the ESPID Meeting:

• Use the mobile app and the virtual platform (instead of printing) to inquire about the programme details
• Use more sustainable ways of traveling to and around Bucharest (take the train instead of a flight; ride a bike or walk instead of taxi)
• Reduce the waste you generate and separate disposal
• Do not print booking confirmations and boarding passes; instead, provide digital copies of these documents.
• Provide an alternative to business cards – QR codes to LinkedIn or e-card
• Opt for reusable mugs and bottles

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

We are introducing several dedicated initiatives aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle, while enjoying being together with the community during ESPID 2025.

What we are doing in 2025: 

• Meatless, healthy lunch and coffee breaks on Friday 30 May
• Walking will be encouraged with a step counter on the congress app
• Stretching sessions during breaks with a dedicated instructor
• Cycling as an option to travel around the city with bike rental

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 are doing in 2025:

• 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 provide 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 are preparing a true celebration of the community, with lots of learning and networking opportunities for everyone joining us in Bucharest, we are aware that not everyone can 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 are doing in 2025:

• Aim for and monitor gender equality and nondiscrimination among our delegates, presenters, and committee members.
• Make our meeting a welcoming, inclusive space for people of all ages, genders, and abilities.
• Promote more women in committee positions related to the event.
• Create a programme that features diverse topics and speakers from various backgrounds and experiences.

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

We recognise the importance of developing urban economic and cultural centres in a way that promotes the well-being of all inhabitants while minimising environmental impact, to ensure a high quality of life for present and future generations. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.

What we are doing in 2025:

• The ESPID 2025 Meeting will take place in Bucharest and we would like to support the greening of the city by a Tree planting initiative – more information to follow
• Reduced registration fees for low-resource countries
• Gender diverse and balanced faculty to ensure inclusivity and diverse perspectives
• Creating a welcoming and accepting environment for all participants, regardless of sex, gender, nationality, race, color, age, or physical disability

Official SDG website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopmentWaste Management at ESPID 2024Purchase Copenhagen’s official Travel Passes at a discounted rate for ESPID attendees, saving up to 80% on public transportation.Purchase Travel Passes

	2023	2024	Carbon emissions / footprint reduced	Reduction of tCO2 in %
Total Carbon Footprint	3488.59 tCO2	3096.27 tCO2	Yes	-12%
Average Carbon Footprint per Attendee	917.08 tCO2	1021.87 tCO2	No	+10%
Total Waste Footprint	6.70 tons	4.31 tons	Yes	-36%
Total Footprint	3395.83 tCO2	2897.07 tCO2	Yes	-15%
CO2 Equivalent to Cars	1744 cars	1548 cars	Yes	-12%
The Carbon Sequestered by Tree Seedling	17443 trees	15481 trees	Yes	-12%

Carbon Footprint

3488.59 tCO2e

Total Carbon Footprint

917.08 kgCO2e

Average Carbon Footprint Per AttendeeWaste Footprint

6.70 tonnes

Total Waste Footprint

1.76 kg

Average Waste Per AttendeeThis is the equivalent of:

• CO2 equivalent from 1744 cars on the road for one year.
• The carbon sequestered by 17443 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Scope 1:

0.7 tCO2eScope 2:

0.1 tCO2eScope 3:

3.5K tCO2e