Environmental Advantages of Video Conferencing Systems – Results from a Simplified LCA

Abstract

Video conferences can substitute meetings where all participants are physically present by virtual meetings where the participants can take part without all of them being physically present at the same location. Our study showed that substitution of meetings by video conferences reduces the environmental impacts by a percentage of up to 90 percent. The range of achievable reduction depends on the general framework in each individual case (means of transportation, number of participants resp. travellers, distance, etc.). The longer the distance, the more participants that have to travel and the shorter a meeting is set, the more impact can be saved by substituting a video conference. Nevertheless, it has to be mentioned that they also hold some risks connected to third order effects: one cannot dismiss that an increase of video conferences could lead to an increase of especially long (air)travels.