Understanding the Carbon Footprint of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

Background: This study's aim was to quantify the carbon footprint of the 2023 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting and compare it to an alternative meeting structure.

Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of estimated greenhouse gas emissions from the AAOS 2023 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV. We also modeled theoretical meetings held in locations including Chicago, IL, New Orleans, LA, and New York City, NY, as well as a hybrid meeting occurring across four regional hubs. Emissions for air travel were determined by computing emissions of direct flights to Las Vegas and the closest major airport for each state, using an emissions calculator. Attendees were assumed to use ground travel if they lived within a 250-mile radius of the meeting location. Travel by international attendees was also calculated. We also determined the geographic density of surgeons by state using data from the Association of American Medical Colleges workforce report.

Results: The 2023 AAOS Annual Meeting was estimated to have generated 9,458 metric tons of travel-related CO₂ equivalents compared with 7,073 (Chicago), 7,678 (New York City), and 7,396 (New Orleans) metric tons. The hybrid regional hub model, which excluded intercontinental travel, was estimated to generate only 1,368 metric tons.

Conclusion: Total miles traveled had the most significant impact on carbon emissions. This may aid meeting planners in selection of future meeting locations that minimize air travel. In addition, adoption of a regional hub structure with interactive videoconferencing is a potential option for reducing the carbon footprint of the AAOS Annual Meeting.