The shift to online academic conferences significantly lowers carbon emissions. This article analyzes the European Consortium for Political Research's (ECPR) 2020 virtual event compared to its physical counterpart.

Methodology & Findings

Using a comprehensive approach, we estimated greenhouse gas emissions from electricity usage, travel, heating, and catering.

The results reveal:

• Virtual ECPR conference had a footprint at least 97 times smaller than the in-person version

• Potential reduction of over 200x if no international flights occurred

Hybrid conferences—especially those promoting land-based travel for attendees—are shown to be nearly as effective, cutting emissions by almost 90%.