In 2024, the Astronomical Society of Australia Annual Science Meeting (ASM) was held online-first for the first time. The impetus for this came from a request by the ASA Council to the ASA Sustainability Working Group, who later took the lead in developing the plan in close collaboration with The Future of Meetings (TFOM) community of practice. A summary of the ASA2024 approach, alongside successes and lessons learned, has now been published as a Comment in Nature Astronomy. This comment outlines the programmatic and technical approach adopted for ASA2024, highlights the successful execution of the event and reflects on the sociological barriers that continue to impact online meetings and events.
The transition from in-person to online interaction is a crucial step in significantly reducing the carbon footprint of astronomy. This approach is vital due to the substantial emissions that can be saved and the control individuals and institutions have over these choices. For instance, the planning and execution of the ASA2024, including home power usage, was estimated to produce 1446 kg CO2e – comparable to the carbon footprint of a single round-trip flight from Sydney to Perth. Therefore, overcoming obstacles that prevent maximizing the benefits of online interaction will be essential in planning future online-first and hybrid meetings.

Link to working group: If you have further questions or want to collaborate, please, contact Vanessa Moss or join the The Future of Meetings #a4e-tfom slack channel