Anna Doyle, Mediator of the Global Mediation Panel at Office of the Ombudsman for UN Funds and Programmes, wrote this article for the Corporate Mediation Journal, which can also be found on the IMI website here.

As the world struggles to respond effectively to a series of never-ending global crises, it is understandable that some people may be feeling a sense of powerlessness in the face of what seem like irresolvable challenges. But hope springs eternal, and we must never underestimate the power of small actions to influence seismic shifts.

Catherine Brys, Mediator and Wim Vanderbauwhede, Professor in Computing Science, University of Glasgow: “You can wonder when it is more CO2 emission-friendly to mediate face-to-face than online, since online mediation also has a carbon footprint. The decision is really quite clear and simple. Let’s consider a mediation with one mediator and two parties, all at different locations.”

Catherine Brys, Mediator and Wim Vanderbauwhede, Professor in Computing Science, University of Glasgow: ” A little-known secret is that CO₂ emissions from the production of digital devices (laptops, desktops, phones, tablets, etc.) exceed the emissions from their electricity use over their entire lifetime. So even if newer devices are more energy efficient, upgrading to a newer model will increase your carbon footprint. For the same reason it is better to have your devices repaired than to replace them.”

Bruce Edwards, Edwards Mediation Academy: “What is often conspicuously absent from the conversation (about mediation) is any mention of the importance of environmental considerations in deciding what will be the new normal. For example, … environmental considerations might well be the single most important criteria in making decisions about how and when we return to the workplace.