Conferences are carbon-intensive events. Participants usually must travel long distances, and the ammenties they require also contribute to conference footprints. There are desicions made by conference-planners and participants, however, that can minimize the footprint of a conference. Complete the Conference Calculator to find the footprint of your conference.

This calculator allows conference planners who've collected detailed conference participant information to provide more precise information and, in return, recieve a more "unique" footprint.

Please download the Conference Calculator Guidance Document to learn more about how this calculator calculates CO₂ emissions.

Step 1: Conference Location

The location of a conference affects the carbon footprint of a conference. Depending on its weather extremes it may require more building energy. The conference location can also be chosen to determine the shortest total distance travelled by all attendees. Providing the conference location in full address format (e.g. "123 Main St. Winnipeg, MB") will allow the calculator to determine their contribution to the conference carbon footprint.

[check address]

No address entered.

Step 2: Number of Attendees

The carbon footprint of a conference naturally increases with the increase of attendees. Each attendee will have contribute to the footprint as their accommodations, food, transportation, and conference materials are accounted for. Please provide the number of attendees to the conference to calculate their contribution.

Step 3: Length of Conference

A longer conference requires more ammentities and accommodations. Please, enter the number of days of the conference.

days

Step 4: Delegate Packages

Conferences often include some sort of delegate package which might weigh in the order of ten kilograms. Whether or not these are provided to delegates, and whether this material is produced from recycled material, should be accounted for and the emission effects communicated to conference organizers.

Delegate package provided.
Delegate package made primarily from post-consumer recycled materials provided.
No delegate package provided.

Step 5: Food Composting

The availability of composting can greatly reduce the impact resulting from delegate's meals upon the conference carbon footprint.

Composting

Step 6: Attendee Spreadsheet

Attendee information should be a csv file (a simple spreadsheet file) consisting of exactly three (3) columns.

You can create a csv file with any spreadsheet package, such as Microsoft® Excel©. Simply create your spreadsheet, and select 'Save As...' from the 'File' menu. Select 'CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)' from the 'Save as type:' menu, and select the location you wish to save your newly-created csv file.

The first column must be the originating postal code of all conference attendees.

The second column must be the corresponding mode of travel to the conference for each attendee (the words 'car', 'bus', 'train', or 'airplane', without the quotes).

The third column must be the number of occupants in each car, if attendees are carpooling. If a particular attendee is not travelling by car, or is not carpooling, enter a 1 (one) in this column.

An example csv is shown. Please ensure that your csv has exactly three columns, and that it contains no special characters (such as commas or quotation marks).