Environmental Stewardship

As part of its Environmental Commitment at the annual meeting, SfN leads the following initiatives as well as sharing ways for members and attendees to offset their carbon emissions. SfN is working with “credible climate action” organization CO2logic to ensure Neuroscience 2020 and all future meetings are environmentally responsible.

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

At the core of Neuroscience 2020 is the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This building serves as the hub for annual meeting activity, including most scientific lectures and presentations, the exhibit floor, and various social and networking events. With the convention center being one of the largest buildings in Washington, D.C., care has been taken to reduce the building’s carbon footprint and minimize its environmental impact. You can read more about these efforts before you arrive.

Neuroscience 2020 Travel

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the transportation sector accounts for 29% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by sector and 14% of carbon emissions worldwide. This includes burning fossil fuels for cars, trucks, ships, trains, and airplanes. With many of the Neuroscience 2020 participants fly in to Washington, D.C., from locations around the world, airplane transportation is one area that is a major factor when it comes to carbon emissions as a result of the scientific meeting.

Planning for Travel

Gathering in-person is an irreplaceable experience, and with thousands of neuroscientists planning to come together in Washington D.C. October 24-28, planning to minimize the impact of travel is increasingly important. There are a number of options and tools to minimize the impact of the carbon emissions produced by individuals when they travel.

Many airlines, including the major carriers fly into and out of Washington, D.C., airports, offer the opportunity to calculate the carbon impact of your flight and purchase verified offsets at the time of flight booking. This article is a useful list of carriers and information about each of their programs.

Additionally, apps like TripIt can track the carbon impact of your travel, meaning you can calculate the total and use verified sources such as Gold Standard to offset the emissions.

Recycled Paper/Sustainable Ink

SfN makes all efforts to use recycled paper and sustainable ink for printed materials distributed to Neuroscience 2020 attendees, in addition to providing recycling centers on-site. Where possible, SfN has transitioned resources to be digital, minimizing the need to use and distribute paper.

Annual Meeting Badge, Holder, Lanyard

Something all annual meeting attendees are required to have is an annual meeting badge, showing they’ve registered and are verified to be participating in Neuroscience 2020. With approximately 30,000 badges, holders, and lanyards used, the following steps have been taken to minimize the environmental impact:

• The SfN annual meeting badge paper is 100% eucalyptus, a recognized fast-growing and renewable resource.
• The annual meeting badge is an acid free and Green Seal-Certified product. As a Forest Stewardship Council product, the badge paper helps to eliminate habitat destruction, water pollution, and displacement of indigenous peoples and wildlife.
• After the meeting, recycle your badge on-site by placing it in the badge recycle bins.
• The lanyards for the 2020 SfN annual meeting are made from recycled plastics, including plastic beverage bottles, that are woven into a fiber.
• Have a lanyard laying around from a past annual meeting? Remember to bring it to Washington, D.C. to reuse.
• Your badge holder is made of vinyl. After the meeting, you can recycle your badge holder on-site by placing it in one of the badge recycling bins.