IEEE LCN 2025: Promoting Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality

Implementing sustainable practices at a conference can be challenging, especially without sacrificing attendees' comfort and experience. People yearn for genuine, rewarding interactions with others, the opportunity to participate

IEEE Local Computer Networks (LCN) took the sustainability challenge head-on with its 2025 conference in Sydney, Australia. The IEEE LCN conference leads the way in theoretical and practical applications of computer networking. The LCN conference is known as a hub for impactful exchanges of ideas between researchers and product developers.

Organizers had to learn how to provide fulfilling experiences for attendees without sacrificing sustainability principles.

LCN 2025’s Approach to Building Sustainable Experiences: Impact and Visibility

IEEE LCN Presentation

The LCN 2025 team leaned into sustainability by focusing on a simple, high-level goal: Create a sustainable experience that was both impactful and visible.

The team built its initiative using the IEEE Computer Society sustainability checklist. Organizers also coordinated their efforts with the Media Chair, Local Chairs, and the to pinpoint the most impactful, yet feasible, strategies.

The team implemented two measures: a sustainable lunch and remote participation.

Sustainable Lunch

To reduce the food-related emissions, the conference provided all participants with high-quality vegetarian lunches. In addition to shrinking the conference’s carbon footprint, the meals accommodated the diverse dietary requirements of attendees.

The team also negotiated with the venue’s team to ensure participants could use reusable tableware, reducing waste and preventing a variety of single-use plastics from heading to local landfills.

Remote Participation

To reduce the significant carbon footprint from participants traveling to and from the conference, IEEE LCN offered virtual presentation and attendance options. This met the needs of both authors and attendees because they could engage with others without having to travel to Sydney.

Providing remote participation opportunities also made the conference more inclusive. Even those who could not afford a pricey ticket to Sydney could connect from the comfort of their homes. Also, presenters did not have to spend hundreds — or more — on travel to get to the conference and head back home.

Getting Attendees and Staff Involved

Sustainability was woven into the conference’s fabric from the outset, with it being a key feature of the welcome presentation. Organizers shone a light on the IEEE CS Sustainability Initiative and encouraged staff and participants to:

Choose sustainable choices for their meals and refreshments
Minimize their travel between venues
Participate remotely, whenever possible

Organizers also tapped the local student community for volunteers to avoid the fuel and rental costs associated with shuttle transport between buildings.

A Rewarding Experience

The feedback from the event — from staff and attendees — was overwhelmingly positive. Some even had feedback about how the event could be improved. The benefits of the sustainable initiatives on the environment and logistics were evident to the attendees.

Sustainability and Successful Conferences Intersect

LCN 2025 proved that sustainability and effective conferences are not mutually exclusive. Instead, they can go hand in hand. With vegetarian catering, remote participation, and the general support of attendees and staff, the conference raised awareness around sustainability while giving those involved a chance to champion it themselves.

Download the IEEE Computer Society sustainability checklist now to start planning a successful, sustainable experience for conference attendees.