The unsustainability of conferences, whose carbon footprint is mostly made of air travel, has remained an academic taboo, even more so that virtual conferences, despite being carbon-efficient, have revealed their limitations. This concern bears an even greater significance for the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), considering its emphasis on climate change-related issues. This essay seeks to raise awareness and stimulate action within the ASLO community, building upon well-established scientific approaches. We perform an estimation of the travel-related CO2 emissions of the aquatic science meetings (2004–2023), further used as a benchmark to explore alternatives to significantly reduce emissions while retaining physical attendance. Taking the leap toward such alternatives would make ASLO a role model of a genuinely sustainable and committed scientific society.