How to make dermatology conferences more sustainable?

IF 8.4 2区 医学 Q1 DERMATOLOGY
Branka Marinovic
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

I read with great interest the Letter to the editor, submitted to the JEADV by Lim and co-authors, titled Exploring the Environmental Sustainability of Dermatology Conferences.1 They compared findings from exhibitions at two congresses of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) and one Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association of Dermatology (BAD). The authors assessed various aspects of samples collected and estimated the average carbon footprint associated with those samples, but they also gave some ideas about how we could collectively make improvements.

In recent years, sustainability has emerged as an important topic within the EADV, especially under the presidency of the immediate past president, Professor Martin Roecken. However, initiatives focused on sustainability at EADV Congresses began at an operational level prior to this period with the discontinuation of congress bag production and the shift to digital programme books, adjustments that elicited mixed responses from attendees. As stated in the Letter by Lim et al., the EADV Congress in Amsterdam offered reusable cups, made food donations and promoted public transport, as well as the use of bicycles. Furthermore, the formation of the EADV Climate Working Group 2 years ago has been instrumental in helping to address environmental concerns. The main goal is to promote awareness about the problem, highlight the effect of climate change on dermatological disease and show how dermatologists can help.

From the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned valuable lessons, notably the potential for conducting numerous activities online. In-person meetings remain essential for exchanging knowledge, experiences and ideas, as well as being part of human nature to meet and interact with colleagues. This necessity underscores the imperative to enhance the sustainability of conferences, which have a significant carbon footprint. Such events are usually attended by many attendees who often travel long distances by air, but also stay in hotels, generating substantial waste through single-use plastics, printed materials and food services.

Big dermatological societies, including EADV, are working on how to adopt sustainable practices further. Some strategies include the possibility of a hybrid meeting (if we do not think about the footprint produced by IT), choosing venues that prioritize sustainability, providing local sources of food and the provision of reusable water bottles. Some other options are to discuss sustainability with exhibitors to further align the exhibition with sustainability objectives. Lim et al. stated that an improvement is already visible, but there is still more intensive work to be done on the topic. Sustainability should not be perceived as a constraint but rather as an opportunity for innovation. Just as dermatology continuously adapts to emerging technologies and skincare research, it can also pioneer environmentally conscious event models that serve as exemplars for other medical disciplines.

Interesting is the fact that in the last few months, there has been an increasing number of different types of articles published in the JEADV, which confirms not only the importance of the problem but also the awareness of dermatovenereologists about the existence of the problem.2-5

By taking different actions in organizing but also in participating to different conferences, dermatovenereologists can be leaders in the commitment to health, not solely for the skin but also for the planet.

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

如何让皮肤科会议更具可持续性?
我怀着极大的兴趣阅读了Lim及其合著者提交给JEADV的题为《探索皮肤病会议的环境可持续性》的致编辑信。他们比较了欧洲皮肤病与性病学会(EADV)的两次大会和英国皮肤病学会(BAD)的一次年度科学会议的展览结果。作者评估了所收集样本的各个方面,并估计了与这些样本相关的平均碳足迹,但他们也就我们如何共同做出改进提出了一些想法。近年来,可持续发展已成为EADV的一个重要话题,特别是在刚刚卸任的主席Martin Roecken教授的主持下。然而,在此之前,EADV大会上关注可持续性的举措就在操作层面开始了,停止了大会袋的生产,转向了数字节目簿,这些调整引起了与会者的不同反应。正如Lim等人在信中所述,阿姆斯特丹的EADV大会提供可重复使用的杯子,捐赠食物,促进公共交通,以及自行车的使用。此外,两年前成立的EADV气候工作组在帮助解决环境问题方面发挥了重要作用。主要目标是提高人们对这一问题的认识,强调气候变化对皮肤病的影响,并展示皮肤科医生如何提供帮助。从2019冠状病毒病大流行中,我们吸取了宝贵的教训,特别是在网上开展大量活动的潜力。面对面的会议对于交流知识、经验和想法仍然是必不可少的,也是与同事见面和互动的人性的一部分。这种必要性强调了必须加强会议的可持续性,因为会议的碳足迹很大。这类活动通常有许多与会者,他们经常乘飞机长途旅行,但也住在酒店里,通过一次性塑料、印刷材料和食品服务产生了大量浪费。包括EADV在内的大型皮肤科学会正在研究如何进一步采用可持续的做法。一些策略包括混合会议的可能性(如果我们不考虑IT产生的足迹),选择优先考虑可持续性的场地,提供当地食物来源和提供可重复使用的水瓶。其他一些选择是与参展商讨论可持续性,以进一步使展览与可持续性目标保持一致。Lim等人指出,改进已经可见,但在这个主题上仍有更多的密集工作要做。可持续性不应被视为限制,而应被视为创新的机会。正如皮肤病学不断适应新兴技术和护肤研究一样,它也可以开创具有环保意识的事件模型,作为其他医学学科的典范。有趣的是,在过去的几个月里,JEADV上发表了越来越多的不同类型的文章,这不仅证实了这个问题的重要性,而且也证实了皮肤性病学家对这个问题存在的认识。通过采取不同的行动来组织和参加不同的会议,皮肤性病学家可以成为健康承诺的领导者,不仅是为了皮肤,也是为了地球。作者声明无利益冲突。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
10.70
自引率
8.70%
发文量
874
审稿时长
3-6 weeks
期刊介绍: The Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (JEADV) is a publication that focuses on dermatology and venereology. It covers various topics within these fields, including both clinical and basic science subjects. The journal publishes articles in different formats, such as editorials, review articles, practice articles, original papers, short reports, letters to the editor, features, and announcements from the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV). The journal covers a wide range of keywords, including allergy, cancer, clinical medicine, cytokines, dermatology, drug reactions, hair disease, laser therapy, nail disease, oncology, skin cancer, skin disease, therapeutics, tumors, virus infections, and venereology. The JEADV is indexed and abstracted by various databases and resources, including Abstracts on Hygiene & Communicable Diseases, Academic Search, AgBiotech News & Information, Botanical Pesticides, CAB Abstracts®, Embase, Global Health, InfoTrac, Ingenta Select, MEDLINE/PubMed, Science Citation Index Expanded, and others.
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