SUSTConf Framework

A Framework for Sustainability-Aware Conferences

The SUSTConf Framework is a collection of reusable materials that can support conference organizers in planning, implementing, and evaluating sustainability actions.

The framework is used through a simple pipeline that accompanies the conference from the initial planning stage to the post-conference reporting. The checklist is the starting point: Sustainability Chairs and General Chairs use it to identify the actions that are relevant to their conference and define what should be done in the following stages.

HOW TO USE THE FRAMEWORK

From planning to sustainability reporting

Start with the checklist, use the reusable materials provided by the framework to prepare the selected actions, execute them throughout the conference lifecycle, collect evidence and metrics, and share the results with the community.

1
BEFORE CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION STARTS

Start with the checklist

Sustainability Chairs and General Chairs fill the checklist together. They identify which sustainability actions are relevant, decide which actions will be adopted, and list the work that needs to be completed during organization, during the conference, and after the conference.

Starting point: the checklist below defines the sustainability actions and priorities for the conference.
2
DURING THE ORGANIZATION

Prepare the actions

Sustainability Chairs use the reusable materials provided by the framework to design and set up the actions selected in the checklist. The reusable materials provide practical support for turning the selected actions into concrete organizational activities.

3
DURING ORGANIZATION & DURING THE CONFERENCE

Execute and measure

The selected sustainability actions are executed during the relevant stages of the conference lifecycle. Sustainability Chairs collect the corresponding metrics and evidence so that the implementation and its results can be evaluated.

4
AFTER THE CONFERENCE

Report and share

Sustainability Chairs consolidate the collected information into a sustainability report describing the actions implemented, the results obtained, and the relevant metrics. The report should be shared with the community to support transparency, learning, and reuse in future conferences.

Checklist → Reusable Materials → Actions → Metrics → Report

The checklist establishes what the conference intends to do; the framework reusable materials support how it is done; the pipeline ensures that actions are implemented, measured, and reported.

Legend and Rubric

Priority Levels

Reflects the priority of items for the conference and should be defined by the organizers.

  • Mandatory (M): The Organizing Committee (OC) can only deviate with approval from the Steering Committee (SC).
  • Strongly Recommended (S): The OC may deviate but must provide justification to the SC.
  • Optional (O): The OC may deviate without needing to justify the decision.

Status Indicators

Reflects the current status of an item.

  • Done (D): Completed; no further action required.
  • TODO (TD): Requires consideration or additional work.
  • Rejected (R): Not included for this conference.

Instructions

Fill the checklist below by using the legend and rubric provided in this document.

It is recommended to set up a group discussion with the general chairs to identify the actions that are done, should be done (TODO), and are rejected (won't be done).

Sources and Methodology

Methodology

The SUSTConf Framework was developed by synthesizing sustainability practices and recommendations from previous conferences and from the opinions of conference participants. In addition, a survey was conducted during ICSA 2026 to gather the opinions and perspectives of participants regarding sustainability practices for conferences. The collected responses were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring sustainability themes and potential actions. Based on this analysis, sustainability actions were listed and consolidated. Duplicate or substantially overlapping actions were removed in order to produce a concise checklist of distinct actions.

References

The framework draws on sustainability information and recommendations published for the following events: