The Organizer is fully committed to the principles of sustainability and, in this respect, has considered the following issues relevant to the 16th EWDA Conference:

• Hybrid concept: As conference hosts, we recognise and welcome colleagues from different disciplines and countries, who wish to meet and exchange in person. At the same time, we fully appreciate initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. Therefore, we are offering some parts of the conference in hybrid form to meet both requests.

  We are aware of the fact that travelling to the conference will have an impact on your ecological footprint. If you would like to determine and compare the impact of different means of transport, we recommend the following CO2-Calculator. The calculator allows you to directly contribute to local and/or global climate projects. Additional carbon offset projects are available on the United Nations Carbon Offset Platform. Please also inform yourself about the EDWA Responsible Travel (EDWART) Challenge.

• Conference material: All conference documentation and materials will comply with barrier-free standards and will be provided for downloading as electronic documents to avoid paper waste. In addition, we will use recyclable name badges, which will be recollected at the end of the conference.
• Catering: The catering during the Conference will include vegetarian meals as a default. However, it is totally fine to opt for the vegan or meat option as an alternative. The latter includes regional-raised farmed meat products. If you have more specific dietary requirements, please indicate your requests when registering. Throughout the conference, we will dispense disposable crockery and cutlery only in some occasions.
• Culture and gender balance: The conference hosts are fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. Therefore, special attention has been given to the selection of keynote speakers. In addition, all conference sessions will be moderated by an international team consisting of a female and male moderator. Please pay attention to the Conference’s Code of Conduct.

EDWA Responsible Travel (EDWART) Challenge 2026

EDWART (or EDWARD – spelling has never been his strongest hoof) is a free-spirited, earth-loving, yellow reindeer. Born in captivity in France in 2017, he soon began to long for his freedom in the wilds of Europe. Since then, EDWART has explored parts of Europe on behalf of EWDA as a mascot for sustainable travel, inspiring participants to choose environment-friendly, responsible ways of travelling to our events.

After visiting us all in Stralsund in 2024, EDWART spent few years with the Swedish Veterinary Agency, where he happily settled in for a while. He enthusiastically oversaw their activities, while still finding time for some fun; from ice-skating to celebrating the very important Swedish’s Kanelbullens dag or National Cinnamon Bun Day (of course with plenty of buns!)

But after two years in Sweden, EDWART’s hooves have grown restless once again. Ready to mingle with other wildlife across Europe, he is now keen to head south and visit Serbia for the 2026 conference. There, EDWART looks forward to meeting those of you who would like to showcase your sustainable way of travelling to Serbia — and he is especially excited for the winner of the challenge, whom he hopes will take him along to their own country next.

So, for the 2026 Conference in Serbia, EDWART warmly invites you to take part in the fourth EDWART Responsible Travel Challenge.

How do I take part?

1. Choose your journey wisely!

Pick the most sustainable mode of transport you can imagine to reach the conference. EDWART is very particular about your hoofprints per kilometre!

• Focus mainly on your mode of transport to the conference in Serbia
• You can use tools, such as https://greentripper.org/en, to help with your hoofprint (CO2) calculations

2. After sustainability comes creativity…

• You get bonus points if your journey involves creativity
• This can be related to your mode of transport, your food choices along the way, what your decided to wear or any wildlife or scenic routes you see along the way
• In other words, think about the details for extra credits!

3. Enjoy the ride! EDWART insists! 😉

4. Create a visual report on ONE PowerPoint slide

• Send it to: ewdaresponsibletravel@gmail.com.
• Include your name(s), country of origin, mode of transportation and distance travelled
• EDWART loves joy, so do not forget point 2!

5. EDWART, together with his trusted Sustainability Committee, will choose the winner(s) during the closing ceremony of the 2026 conference!

6. The winner will have the pleasure of welcoming EDWART to their country and hosting* him until the next Responsible Travel Challenge!

*He deflates for travel purposes, so he is guaranteed to fit any adventure!