AMS strives to be at the forefront of environmental stewardship. As atmospheric scientists, we are particularly concerned about rapidly increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and associated climate change as well as air pollution. To do our part to address these environmental challenges, AMS is committed to conducting conferences that responsibly use our natural resources and minimize greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and pollutants. With the help of our venues and our attendees, we have made–and continue to make–important strides. 

 

 

Results

Our Impact

The AMS Green Meetings initiative has been making an impact since 2007. Since 2023, AMS Meetings have:

 
  • Helped avert an estimated 1.23 million+ kg CO2e in travel-related emissions since 2023 by offering virtual attendance options at all meetings
  • Offset 139 mT of carbon emissions from staff travel
  • Reduced carbon emissions by 35 mT by removing aisle carpet in the exhibit hall
  • Introduced one fully vegetarian reception at every meeting
  • Recycled 35 lbs (15.8 kg) of badge holders and lanyards
  • Partnered with nonprofits to donate unused food
  • Secured composting services at select venues
  • Repurposed leftover signage by donating to local school for art projects
  • Collected waste data from hotels and convention centers
 
 

AMS Green Meeting Standards

 

AMS meetings are committed to:

  • Increasing our vegetarian/pescetarian/vegan menu options
    • Offering one fully vegetarian reception during the conference: By removing meat options from the menu, we will save approximately 5,570kg of Co2 emission from entering the atmosphere (equivalent of driving around the earth once) per 250 people.
  • Prioritizing locally grown/sourced, plant-based meals with a low carbon footprint.
  • Collecting RSVPs for food events to prevent and reduce food waste.
  • Reducing usage of single-use items, eliminating use of aisle carpet in exhibit halls.
  • Donating all furniture, decor, and giveaway items after an event 
  • Requesting AMS waste and donation data from all AMS meeting venues.
    • Trash, recycling, composting, etc.
  • Offsetting all staff travel by purchasing carbon offsets.
    • Green Meetings in Action: We offset over 30 mT from all 2025 staff travel by purchasing offsets from Bonneville Environmental Foundation upon the completion of the 2025 Specialty Meeting season.
      • That's equivalent to driving a car around the earth nearly three times!
  • Encouraging staff and attendees to use public transportation around the city.
  • Providing badge holder and lanyard recycling boxes in the registration area.
    • Green Meetings in Action: We recycled over 13 pounds of badge holders and lanyards from our 2024 meetings.
  • Encouraging attendees to offset meeting travel by purchasing carbon offsets.
    • Offset your travel by purchasing carbon offsets.
  • Minimizing printed materials.
    • Starting in 2026, we will no longer supply printed schedules. A digital schedule will be available on the meeting webpage and the AMS Meeting app (exclusive to the Annual Meeting) and online program will provide the most up to date schedule to plan your meeting experience.
  • Using digital signage when possible
  • Printing on materials that are reusable, recyclable, eco-conscious, etc.
  • Continuing to offer a virtual attendance option for all meetings.
    • Green Meetings in Action: Our 450+ 105th Annual Meeting virtual attendees averted an estimated 280,000+ kg CO2e in travel-related emissions.
  • Using compostable or reusable tableware for meal events.
  • Conducting a site visit to explore sustainability in practice at each meeting venue.

How You Can Help

 

You can take many small actions while onsite with us to reduce your carbon footprint. We recommend starting small and choosing one or two of the items below to implement at your next conference. Then, try adding one or two more!

  • Offset carbon emissions from travel
  • Use public transit
  • Bring a reusable water bottle
  • Recycle your badge holder and lanyard at registration
  • Attend the vegetarian reception
  • Join sessions virtually via the online program
  • Access the full agenda online
  • Request housekeeping every other night
  • Enjoy one plant-based meal

Since 2007, AMS Meetings Department has worked with the Committee on Environmental Stewardship to reduce the carbon footprint of our meetings. The first set of guidelines included practices like donating leftover food, reducing printed materials, and encouraging public transit. These initiatives have guided our meetings for nearly two decades. Many of these early measures remain standard practice today.

New Era of Green Meetings 

The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges for sustainability, with increased single-use items and changes to how meetings were held. Recognizing the need to adapt, AMS applied for and received a grant from the American Institute of Physics to reimagine green meetings in a post-pandemic world. Partnering with MeetGreen, a sustainable event management agency, we audited the 103rd Annual Meeting in 2023 (view the report here), identifying successes, opportunities for improvement, and new best practices. These updated Internal guidelines and External guidelines were gradually implemented throughout the 2023 meeting season. 

With two full years of experience and data to back up our efforts, our team is now working on reducing our carbon footprint as well as helping others in 2025 and beyond. We are continually looking to improve our practices by engaging in meaningful conversations with industry professionals, attending education events and sharing our knowledge with venues, vendors and partners. Contact us