Cost Saving Ÿ Customer Mo va on Ÿ Company Loyalty & Engagement Ÿ Supplier Benefits Ÿ Regulatory Requirements Ÿ Risk Management

Transcription

1

2 A eco smart conference or event incorporates environmental considera ons to minimize its nega ve impact of the environment. Such examples on minimizing environmental considera ons include: Reduc on of waste Water and energy, Use of fair trade or organic food Using local suppliers and locally sources products Providing educa on about environmental impacts and more. What is the Impact of an Eco Smart conference on the environment? There are many impacts on conferences. Economically, conferences can bring thousands of people who will contribute to the local economy but socially and environmentally, events and conferences create thousands of tons of waste, use exorbitant amounts of electricity, damage lands due to overuse and increase Co2 emissions. According to the United Na ons World Tourism Organiza on, 2008, currently tourism's contribu on to climate change equals approximately 8% of all Co2 emissions. As conferences and events can be considered part of the tourism industry we need to do our part to reduce our contribu on to Co2. What are the benefits of eco smart conferences? Over 80% think noise, waste and traffic have a nega ve impact Growing awareness of Co2 contribu on of events 48% would pay more for eco events Eco Smart Conference Can Save Resources: Using recycled materials, reusing items and reducing materials used can significantly lessen the environmental impact of an event. For example, at a 2200-persons event, using biodegradable cups and plates instead of Styrofoam or plas c can prevent nearly one tonne from going into a landfill. It also provides other benefits such as: Cost Saving Customer Mo va on Company Loyalty & Engagement Supplier Benefits Regulatory Requirements Risk Management Pre-Planning: Once you have decided you will be holding a conference or event, a series of decisions will need to be made regarding the number of par cipants, the loca on of the conference and the venue, in order to green this event, certain considera ons must be factored in. The following provides a quick checklist that must be undertaken prior to planning the event. Par cipants: How many people will be par cipa ng? What is the impact of each person? What are the food requirements for each person? What are consumer expecta ons? What is the size of the event/conference? Loca on and Modes of Transport: Where will the needed par cipants come from? Is the selec on of the venue the most convenient loca on for all? Is public transporta on to the venue accessible? Can public transporta on replace private transporta on such as cars? Are the any incen ves offered to par cipants to use public transporta on? Are there various choices for transporta on modes available?

3 Sourcing of Materials: Is it necessary to have paper flyers/informa on? Do all rides or transport must idle; can solar or other alterna ve power be used? Where are suppliers from? Could they be locally sourced? Where is food sourced from locally? Organic? Are healthy choices available? Is educa onal informa on on the impact of the environment available and readily displayed? What recycling is available? What supplies are being reduced where possible? Can biodegradable or reusable items be considered instead of plas c or other non-renewable sources. Accommoda on and Venue: Is accommoda on for the par cipants in a convenient loca on in rela on to the mode of transport (airport, train sta on, etc.)? Does the accommoda on need to include a music or event centre and/or other recrea onal facili es? Can the event be done in another loca on which has less impact on the environment? What recycling and renewable energy sources are available to the loca on? Does the local council help reduce waste or collect garbage regularly? Transporta on : Transporta on has the highest carbon footprint and careful considera on should be giving to how par cipants will travel to the venue. Air travel has the highest carbon footprint and if possible, an alterna ve should be considered. Rail and coach travel are less intensive and as the terminals are centrally located, it further reduces the need for taxi transfers. Try to reduce the use of on-site vehicles and use electric or bio-diesel powered vehicles. Consider using shu le buses powered by green energy to get par cipants to the venue. Carpooling should be encouraged for local par cipants. Minimize the need to commute by choosing a venue convenient to most local par cipants. Provide informa on about how event goers can use public transit by showcasing maps, bus and subway routes for par cipants. Encourage alternate human-powered transporta on, such as walking or cycling. Make it fun by giving a prize to the most eco- friendly par cipant. If your event is large, consider contac ng your local public transporta on provider and see if you can nego ate a transit pass for the event or at least ensure regular service. Try to incorporate these guidelines when promo ng your event. Venues: The accommoda on sector has been making great strides in greening their facili es and the event organizer should research the property's environmental prac ces in advance of booking. This can be done through asking for their environmental policy and finding informa on on their green strategy. Hold the fes val or event at the same loca on where most par cipants can access from where they will be staying (for tourists and locals). Hold the event at a central loca on, within walking distance of local points of interest. Choose a venue that has an explicit environmental policy and green strategy. Meet with a senior manager and discuss your needs before you make the selec on. If the services you are asking for are not available, encourage them to adopt. If your event is outside, ask the city or community hos ng it what are their waste and energy reduc on

4 policies. Look in to the amount of noise you will create. Work with the local community to ensure they are aware of the impacts and how you can reduce them. Food, Beverage and Catering Services: Meet with the venue's catering manager to ensure that all the food services meet your requirements for eco conference. Ensure all beverage trucks use full food containers where possible (e.g. bo les rather than individual serving sizes). Use ceramic or other packaging instead of Styrofoam or individual packages. Ensure recycling as well as li er containers are available close to food trucks. Avoid bo led water where possible. In some ci es, local water trucks are available and will come to your event to promote local tap water. Ensure suppliers use only eco-friendly cleaning products. Offer sugges ons on how to reduce water consump on. Ask suppliers to use renewable energy sources rather than diesel generators where possible. Use cloth rather than disposable cloths if applicable. Use biodegradable cups. These are preferred over recyclable plas c. Purchase products and services that meet environmental specifica ons wherever these are available such as fair-trade coffee, organic and locally grown foods. Offer foods according to seasonal fruit and vegetables available locally. Use domes c liquor brands if possible. Consider what type of food service would have the least waste buffet, sit-down, a-la-carte. Provide informa on on the source of all food and beverages, especially if fair trade or local. Donate le over food to a charity. Compost all used food. Ensure that compost bins are visible to all par cipants. Registra on: Print all documents on both sides of the page if not possible, provide environmental educa on on back sides of paper. Minimize the registra on form or use electronic registra on. Use recyclable or re-usable name tags for volunteers and staff where possible. Work with sponsors to promote eco-friendly awareness. Venue Equipment and Furniture There are numerous ways to reduce your environmental footprint in your head office or event facility headquarters. Photocopiers should have the double-sided func on and the use of this func on should be encouraged. Provide wireless for par cipants to use on-site and presenta ons or informa on in advance if applicable. Use recycled paper wherever possible. Only offer fair trade, organic and locally sourced food stuff for your venue. Use renewable energy generators rather than electric generators.

5 Have recycling as well as compos ng bins available for all staff and volunteers. Ensure your environmental policy is clearly available for all to see. Work with local environmental and wildlife chari es and organiza ons to ensure minimal land and wildlife disrup on. Post informa on about being environmentally friendly giving reminders to your par cipants is a good way to encourage recycling and waste reduc on. Exhibits, Presenta ons and Event Materials: Provide venue summaries or other materials electronically wherever possible, on a disc or through a web page. Print all documents double-sided on non-bleached, non-de-inked paper. Use reusable tokens rather than disposable paper ckets for rides or other selling of services if possible. Make available electronic presenta on formats rather than paper informa on flyers. Remind par cipants, as part of fes val introduc ons or wrap-ups, that recycling and waste reduc on opportuni es are available for them. Reuse envelopes and paper wherever possible. Encourage sponsors to provide promo onal material through environmentally sound ways. If bags or other gi s are being distributed, use biodegradable, recyclable and ethically sourced goods. Energy and Water: Promote energy and water efficiency to par cipants while a ending and staying at the venue. Buy green power for the event if available in the area Waste Reuse Recycle and Reduc on: Include venue par cipants in the waste reduc on process by promo ng environmental awareness and informing them of the waste reduc on and recycling programs available. Minimize paper use and maximize reuse of any paper handouts. Ensure that any waste is separated at the source for future recycling. Provide visible bins. Use appropriate recycling bins in all areas, located in central loca ons, readily available and clearly marked. Format any distribu on handouts so to minimize the amount of paper used. Give purchasing priority to recyclable and post-consumer recycled products. Determine the number of par cipants of the venue prior to prin ng documents. Measure/ Reduce: This process entails the gathering of informa on regarding the venue's use of energy, the par cipant's mode of transport and the number of nights in a venue. Direct Emissions from the venue. Transporta on of a endees, organizers, presenters to and from the accommoda on. Emissions associated with disposal of waste products. Offset: The emissions which are unavoidable can be offset against projects around the world and may include forestry, renewable resources and fuel switching. It is vital that the process of becoming carbon neutral as well as iden fy how the offset projects are verified, are clearly explained in your environmental statement. This will provide a high level of transparency and avoid the dreaded green wash labelling.