Study Reveals Virtual Conferencing Helps Reduce CO2 Emissions Written by AZoCleantechFeb 2 2021 A new study at the University of Michigan (UM) reveals that replacement of huge, in-person gatherings by virtual conferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant decrease in carbon emissions, but such online meetings still pose some environmental costs. Image credit: Fizkes/shutterstock.com The study provides a framework for examining and tallying the carbon emissions of an online conference depending on factors including everything from energy utilized by monitors and servers to the resources utilized to manufacture and distribute the computers used. It comprises a case study demonstrating that a May 2020 virtual conference conducted by the AirMiners carbon removal networking community generated 66 times less greenhouse gas emissions compared to what an in-person gathering in San Francisco would have otherwise produced.