Climate scientists eliminate half of the carbon dioxide budget – in one week

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Climate scientists say carbon dioxide emissions must be reduced.

But some burn up half their carbon dioxide budget in a week, according to a new study from Lund University.

Participants of the annual International Water Conference in the years 2004-2023 were reviewed. The conference is organized by the Limonology and Oceanography Society, and is attended by an average of 1,500 people.

In recent years, the conference has been held in places such as Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Mallorca.

The average emissions from each participant and conference was 1.3 tons of carbon dioxide.

The level of emissions per person per year that we need to reach according to the Paris Agreement is 2.3 tons in 2030 and 1.4 tons in 2040, Lund University wrote in a press release.

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Among the researchers who participate in these conferences, there is deep knowledge and commitment to climate change and how it affects aquatic systems. In fact, 50% of all presentations last year touched on climate change. There has also been a huge focus on the fact that this knowledge needs to be “translated” and “lead to change”, and not just communicated within the framework of science, as Emma Kritzberg says.

In addition to Lund University, the University of Lausanne, Ewag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, and Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg also participated in the study.

Limonology Publications and Oceanographic Letters: “The Elephant in the Boardroom: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Aquatic Sciences Meetings”

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