18 June, 2025
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is championing greener travel for participants of this year’s ERS Congress by offering discounts and incentives to encourage attendees to choose more sustainable travel options for this year’s event.
ERS has secured a discount with the Eurostar rail travel provider, which ERS delegates can benefit from if they indicate their interest as part of the registration form. The Society strongly encourages people traveling to Congress to opt for rail travel versus air travel wherever possible.
To complement this, ERS has announced a greener travel incentive, which states that the first 100 delegates to visit the ERS sustainability stand onsite in the World Village, with evidence of their train travel to Congress (of more than 150km), will receive a greener travel gift – allowing them to choose either a 5-day local travel pass or a free bike rental voucher, plus receive a reusable ERS branded water bottle and a commitment from the Society to plant a tree in their name.
ERS Treasurer and Sustainability Working Group lead, Prof. Peter Wijkstra, noted: “The difference between carbon footprint when traveling by air versus train/rail is enormous, with rail travel being a vastly more sustainable choice. Everyone traveling this year and for future events, including ERS staff, officers and delegates are asked to choose greener travel options wherever they can.
“We hope that securing discounts and offering other incentives will act as encouragement – especially if the more sustainable option is not necessarily the more convenient. We hope that our delegates are keen to contribute to a more sustainable future, alongside ERS.”
The greener travel discounts and incentives are one of several sustainability activities taking place under the umbrella of the Congress; as well as presenting the latest in scientific research on the relationship between air pollution and lung disease, the Congress is allowing ERS, with help from congress delegates, to support climate protection projects, and there are a range of awareness raising activities taking place onsite.
Find out more about sustainability initiatives at the ERS Congress 2025.