Transportation

Transportation covers the largest output of CO2 of an event (around 50% of the carbon footprint). To enable car-pooling or ride-sharing from Delhi to Agra, we will share the list of participants and their travel plans shortly. Depending on the time of your arrival and departure, may contact fellow participants by email to coordinate possible joint transport options.

Venue and accommodation

Scientific meetings held at hotels come with substantial energy and resource utilisation. In general, YIM 2025 strictly minimises the use of single-use plastic at the venue. To reduce the environmental footprint of the meeting, YIM 2025 offers accommodation to YI and PDF participants on a shared basis. Further, the additional sustainability practices adopted by the Marriott group of hotels and Courtyard by Marriott, Agra can be found here and here.

Food and water at the meeting

YIM 2025 uses reusable cutlery and crockery, and not single-use plastic, for meal and refreshment services. The meeting arrangements include refillable water stations outside all meeting rooms. Also, complimentary meeting materials for the participants include a water bottle for use during the meeting.

Meeting merchandise and materials 

The meeting merchandise at YIM 2025 include a reusable cloth bag and water bottle, and are free of single-use plastic materials. Further, IndiaBioscience aims to keep the distribution of pamphlets and brochures to a minimum, and instead showcases its supporters and partners via digital platforms during the meeting.

Printing of meeting materials for the venue are also kept to a minimum. The meeting does not print the abstract book or Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) database, and instead showcases them via digital platforms on the YIM 2025 website. At the meeting, each table has a common programme schedule for all participants seated at that table, displayed via a table-top tent. IndiaBioscience materials such as posters and other printables are reused across multiple meetings. The participant badges are made of recyclable paper only and do not use plastic covers.

Starting this year, YIM 2025 is offering all YI and PDF participants the option to upload their posters on a digital platform. The posters will be shared with the YIM 2025 community prior to the meeting.

Suggestions for YIM 2025 participants, speakers, mentors, attendees

IndiaBioscience shares the following suggestions with the YIM 2025 community to help them make their contributions to the sustainability of the meeting.

• Do use the shared transportation list to identify colleagues you can car-pool or ride-share with to and fro from the nearest airport.

• For poster printing, try to avoid plastic (especially single use ones) in general and as much as possible. Try to find recyclable and biodegradable alternatives instead.

• You may want to be mindful of food wastage, switching off lights in the rooms, and using the correct bins for disposal during the meeting.

After the meeting 

We would be happy to hear from you on your feedback on the arrangements at the meeting and in particular, how the meeting could be made more sustainable in the future.

These guidelines were put together by Karishma S Kaushik with inputs from The Company of Biologists. IndiaBioscience thanks Teodora Andreaa Rinciog, Sustainable Conferencing and Communications Officer at The Company of Biologists for her inputs.