The sustainable language professional: interactive idea-sharing session

Before attending this interactive session on workplace sustainability, I suspect that the environmental implications of everyday work practices were not top of mind for many language professionals, beyond perhaps shutting down our computers when not in use.

Following a brief introduction by four long-time MET members, there was a rich exchange of ideas in small groups using Framapad, an online text editor. We discussed how sustainability could be achieved in our profession, and the answers we came up with were practical, and sometimes surprising and eye-opening.

We began with the topic of office sustainability. Participants exchanged numerous practical tips for reducing environmental impact in the workplace. Suggestions included known practices such as lowering the thermostat, going paperless, reducing printer use, recycling ink cartridges, adding green plants to the workspace, and walking/biking for errands. But other, more creative ideas were put forward, such as printing in draft mode, preferring external hard drives over cloud storage, keeping computers and phones till they fail and then recycling them, choosing more responsible mobile providers and messaging apps, and limiting AI use.

Challenges to these goals were acknowledged: poor time management, the expense of sustainable investments, distrust of refurbished technology, and simple lack of knowledge or mental bandwidth. Many agreed that one of the easiest actions we could all take was deleting old emails (a perpetually unfinished task!). Computer defragmentation was also mentioned. Longer-term strategies included installing solar panels, completing a carbon literacy online training course, or joining an accountability group such as The Week.

The discussion then turned to ways of reducing our work-related carbon footprint, with a focus on technology and travel. We looked at how we use social media, with LinkedIn found to be the most common platform for professional visibility (others included Slack, Teams, MALT and Discord). Several people noted that written posts were more sustainable than images or memes.

Participants compared strategies for extending computer and phone life, including buying refurbished or modular models (such as Fairphone), renting devices, upgrading RAM or hard drives instead of replacing them, and charging devices only to 80%. Most participants did not schedule device replacement but simply waited for them to fail. Sustainable website practices also emerged, such as using eco-friendly hosting, minimising images and animations, and optimising files by using formats like WebP.

Travel habits were another focus, and many attendees said they already track their work-related journeys. Train travel was preferred over flights, and trips were carefully planned to reduce environmental impact.

The speakers and participants also shared ideas for collective action, such as joining the ITI Sustainability Network (SHEA), taking courses from the Carbon Literacy Project, and using travel simulator tools to calculate emissions.

All MET members are encouraged to continue using the session’s Framapad (link in the METM25 archive), which will remain active at least until METM26, provided it is used. It is a valuable resource, and new ideas continue to appear, along with questions on social responsibility and ethical considerations. It also serves as a space for sharing self-care practices to avoid overwhelm.

This original session aimed to be “non-divisive, fun and fast-paced”, and it succeeded. The interactive format was enjoyable, and we were reminded that sustainability in the language profession is both personal and collective. It starts with how we care for ourselves and our working environment, and extends to the choices we make in technology, our ethical decisions, and our collaborations. The discussion showed that even small, deliberate steps, from rethinking our devices to adopting more mindful daily habits, can make a meaningful difference.

Now, back to deleting those old emails…

This METM25 session was chronicled by Janet Klain Ratiu.

Featured photo by METM25 photographer Julian Mayers.