Sustainability
Sustainability at the EAN Congress 2024, Helsinki
We have a responsibility to current and future generations to conserve resources and improve quality of life. As a leading association in the field of Neurology we always aim to be pioneers in reinventing new approaches on how to meet and exchange scientific knowledge. Environmental Changes make it necessary to reduce our carbon footprint as good as possible.We believe in reducing, reusing and recycling resources is the best way to challenge ourselves to work for a better tomorrow.
Take Action
Help contributing to our sustainability efforts!
As organisers committed to sustainability, we invite you to join us in fostering environmentally friendly practices throughout our event. Your participation in sustainable actions is crucial in reducing our carbon footprint and promoting eco-conscious behaviours.
- Embrace Digital Solutions: Access congress materials, including programmes, schedules, and abstracts, through our digital platforms, to minimize paper waste and promote a paperless experience.
- Bring Your Own Reusables: Bring your reusable water bottle as Helsinki has great drinkable tab water and use your own headphones for the ePresentations.
- Mindful Transportation: If possible, come by train to the congress destination and opt for eco-friendly transportation options such as public transport or walking to the congress venue. Be aware that public transportation is free of charge with your Congress Badge!
- Choose Eco-Friendly Accommodations: Select accommodations that prioritise sustainability practices, such as energy-efficient lighting, recycling programmes, and water-saving measures.
- Minimize Food Waste: Practice mindful consumption during meals and breaks by taking only what you need leads to avoid food waste. The food that is still left over will be donated to an organisation that redistributes it.
- Educate and Advocate: Share your commitment to sustainability with fellow participants and encourage them to spark conversations and advocate for sustainable solutions within the medical community. Furthermore, the knowledge you have gained through the congress can be shared with other people in your environment.
- Provide Feedback: Help us improve our sustainability efforts! Your input is invaluable in shaping our environmental initiatives and advancing our sustainability goals.
Congress Materials
Following you can read some of the steps EAN takes, to create more climate friendly meetings:
Only a short overview of the actions EAN does, was given in the lines above. If you are interested to know more about sustainability actions of EAN click here or read our Sustainability Report.
We are doing our best and there is still much to learn. We are happy to hear your ideas; please do not hesitate to write to us at sustainability(at)ean.org.
- Care is taken to ensure that the congress items are produced sustainably and that they are made of sustainable materials.
- Congress Material like Giveaways, Congress Bags, Badges, etc. are no longer produced in excess, but the participants are asked about their demand (our Congress Bag producer is Wörkerei, an employment project of Caritas Wien, which supports people in their progressive entry into working life)
- Green print - The print materials of this congress have been printed on paper that is PEFC approved. PEFC is an organisation that certifies paper manufacturers who keep to sustainable forest management criteria.
- We would like to reuse as many fabrics and carpets as possible. Attention: as long as it makes sense - you always have to question if storage and logistics (i.e. transports) to other countries are really more sustainable than maybe recycling it differently!
- For our booths we use reusable materials like cardboard our partner Papplab is local and innovative
- We reduce the use of plastic or material in general, therefore we ask the participants to bring their own water bottles that can be refilled at our installed drinking fountains or dispense on printed material.
- Reducing print - The printed programme has been replaced with the Pocket Programme available for all onsite congress participants.
Only a short overview of the actions EAN does, was given in the lines above. If you are interested to know more about sustainability actions of EAN click here or read our Sustainability Report.
We are doing our best and there is still much to learn. We are happy to hear your ideas; please do not hesitate to write to us at sustainability(at)ean.org.
Congress Bags on demand
To reduce unnecessary waste, EAN asks Individual Congress participants and Registration Group Leaders if they want to receive the congress bag(s). If you order a congress bag during the registration process, please collect it from the congress bag pick-up point in the entrance hall. This year's congress bags are produced in Vienna by Wörkerei, reusing textiles from our last congress.
