Environmental sustainability at our events
Towards a sustainable future, together
With the scale of our events
Every choice counts
We understand that hosting our various events throughout the year is both an honour and an environmental responsibility.
We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our congresses and are taking meaningful steps to reduce our emissions and minimise waste. As part of this commitment, we encourage all delegates to join us in making ESC events more sustainable by following our simple, practical sustainability tips.
Together, through small but significant actions, we can help build a healthier, more sustainable future.
Water, water everywhere
Bring your own reusable water bottle to refill at the water stations located throughout the congress centre.
Go digital and limit paper usage
The ESC has drastically reduced the number of documents it prints. To help reduce paper usage, we encourage you to access congress materials and schedules through the online congress platform and the congress mobile app.
Avoid traffic while you take the cleaner option
Save time and reduce your impact on the environment by getting to the congress venue by public transport, the fastest, most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly option.
If public transport is not a viable option for you, we encourage you to use low-emission vehicles.
Leave a smaller footprint when you travel
If possible, prioritise travelling by train. If air travel is necessary, choose direct flights whenever possible to reduce carbon emissions.
Watts happening
Save energy by turning off computers, laptops and other electronic devices when not in use. Recharge them only when needed. Turn off the AC and switch off the lights when leaving your hotel room.
Eat with the planet in mind
Reduce your impact on the environment by choosing locally sourced and/or vegetarian food provided by our caterers. You are also encouraged to avoid single-use plastic cutlery, dishes and cups.
Recycling made easy
Use the designated recycling bins throughout the congress centre to help us get your waste where it needs to go.
Your badge holder and lanyard will live again
Racks will be installed at the exit where you can deposit your badge holder and lanyard when you leave so they can be recycled. Whenever possible reuse your old lanyard.
Reduce, reuse, recycle, review?
We want to hear from you! Please share your thoughts and suggestions about how we did and how we can improve our sustainability efforts for future events. Please contact us at sustainability@escardio.org
A transparent look at our impact
At the European Society of Cardiology, we are committed to transparency in all aspects of our work, including the environmental impact of our events. When we gather for our events, the largest share of our carbon footprint comes from travel: flights, trains, and cars that bring our global community together.
While there is no simple solution to this challenge, we recognise that meeting in person is essential for scientific progress. We do not suggest that local actions, such as using a reusable bottle, can offset the emissions from a transatlantic flight.
Focusing on what we can change
What we can influence, fully, deliberately, and with immediate effect, is what happens locally and inside the congress venue, during the event. This is where we focus our efforts. We do so not because it solves everything, but because these actions are within our power, they are measurable, and at the scale of our events, they matter.
Minimising our local impact is not an afterthought to the Scientific Programme. It is an extension of the same principle that guides clinical practice: individual actions, taken consistently and at scale, change outcomes. We see this in prevention in cardiology, and we apply it here as well.
A long-term commitment to sustainability
Since 2022, the European Society of Cardiology has been working towards greater sustainability. We have audited congress operations, introduced sustainability criteria for host cities and venues, encouraged congress centres to raise their standards, and published scientific guidance on the links between environment and cardiovascular health. The choices you experience during our events are the result of this ongoing work.