Sustainability

While most of the work of the IETF takes place online, the IETF continually evaluates ways to make how it works more sustainable.

IETF Meetings

In-person meetings and events take a huge toll on the environment with travel, single use plastics, and food waste. The IETF, with the support of Sustainability sponsors, is becoming a more sustainable organization by sourcing and using eco-friendly materials in all of its meeting materials, such as signage, badges, and banners. We're reducing the amount of plastic and single-use items, and working with venues to encourage sustainable practices and reduce waste.

Online collaboration

Online collaboration tools provide an option for gathering IETF community members from around the world to work together without requiring international travel. Over the past few years, the IETF has invested in greatly improving remote participation technologies used for its meetings, and we've seen remote participation at meetings with an in-person component at higher levels than ever before. We are committed to improving the remote participation experience so participants who choose not to travel are able to contribute even more effectively to the work of the IETF.

Carbon offsetting

Even as we seek ways to make how we work more sustainable, it is not possible to eliminate entirely the impact a global community of thousands of individuals, like IETF participants. To understand and mitigate the remaining carbon footprint imposed by its work, the IETF has embarked on a project to measure and offset carbon emissions. As part of its efforts to move towards a net zero IETF, the IETF calculates annually the carbon footprint of its meetings and ongoing operations, and then seeks to acquire carbon credits that meet well-established recommendations and standards.

Sustainability sponsors

These efforts are supported by a number of organizations involved in the IETF, who have specifically committed to making the IETF and how it works more sustainable.

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