Introduction: Global warming has emerged as one of the greatest threats to habitats and human health in the coming years. Exacerbations of urological conditions, such as urolithiasis and infertility, have been linked to this manmade problem. The significance of the challenge is forcing governments, organizations, and individuals to re-examine policies and habits that address this issue. Pre-pandemic, Canadian Urological Association (CUA) conferences were held annually, alternating between an eastern, central, or western location across Canada. The goal of this study is to examine the carbon footprint of travel to the CUA conference, and whether this is impacted by location.

Methods: Anonymized registrant information was obtained for the attendees of the 2016 (Vancouver), 2018 (Halifax), and 2019 (Quebec City) CUA conferences. Registrant institution was used to estimate the distance that attendees traveled. Industry attendees and registrants without institutional city of origin information were excluded from the analysis. It was assumed that attendees from institutions <3 hours from the conference traveled by car (midrange vehicle, fuel efficiency: 8.42 L/100 km). All other registrants were assumed to have flown (round-trip, economy class, no layovers). Carbon footprint was calculated using an online calculator in tons of CO₂ (tCO₂). Total attendees, number of attendees driving, number of attendees flying, mean distance traveled per attendee (km, round-trip), total carbon footprint, and average carbon footprint were calculated for each conference. Mean carbon footprint, and mean distance traveled were compared using one-way ANOVA, with a Tukey's multiple comparisons test (α=0.05).

Results: Vancouver had the largest number of attendees (n=473; 407 flying, 66 driving), followed by Halifax (n=382; 331 flying, 51 driving), and Quebec City (n=362; 265 flying, 97 driving). The mean distance traveled by attendees was greatest for the Vancouver CUA (6041 km/roundtrip) compared to Quebec City (3096 km/roundtrip, p<0.0001) and Halifax (2985 km/roundtrip, p<0.0001). There was no difference in mean distance traveled between Halifax and Quebec City (p=0.95). The highest total carbon footprint was seen in Vancouver (tCO₂=447.76), followed by Quebec City (tCO₂=217.04), and Halifax (tCO₂=182.22). The average footprint per attendee was significantly higher in Vancouver (mean tCO₂=1.08) compared to both Quebec City (mean tCO₂=0.62, p<0.0001) and Halifax (mean tCO₂=0.52, p<0.0001). There was no difference in the average footprint between Halifax and Quebec City (p=0.63).

Conclusions: The location of a CUA conference has a significant impact on its carbon footprint. While engagement of the entire membership in a large country is a worthy goal when considering the site of CUA conferences, we submit that the environmental impact of such meetings should also be a consideration.