EVENT GREENING FORUM

Sustainability as an event priority

Despite the pandemic this past year, climate change remains a serious challenge to mankind, and as we prepare our industry to restart and hopefully regain the lost ground of 2020, perhaps we should stop for a moment and consider how we will reduce our contribution to climate change – even under trying conditions.

By Greg MacManus, chairperson of the Event Greening Forum.

Recently, we have been reading of extraordinary climatic conditions in Canada, the United States and other parts of the northern hemisphere. Record temperatures, floods, fires and other natural anomalies have been grabbing the headlines. In a recent article published on EventMB titled The Heat Is On: How to Bake a Climate Strategy into Your Event, Shawna McKinley explored what is needed to maintain sustainability as an event priority and to step-up your event sustainability strategy as a business.

Firstly, perhaps it is important to understand that sustainability is no longer a sideshow and irrelevant corporate issue. As of June 2021, 733 cities, 31 regions, 3,067 businesses, 173 big investors, and 622 higher education institutions have committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through the Race to Zero Campaign. This is a major achievement by the global business base, and one that is going to have long-lasting impacts on how meetings, events and exhibitions are going to change in the next few years.

Ms McKinley said that climate change is a serious issue, but as the event industry comes out of the pandemic crisis, it is tempting to get back to planning familiar in-person events at all costs. However, with hybrid formats emerging and new business models being explored, now is the perfect time to bake sustainability into your larger event strategy. She suggests a four-step plan.

1. Start measuring

Whether we recognise it or not, every event impacts and affects the environment in several ways. From the selection of venue to the number of delegates; the menu selection; lighting and sound systems; staffing and transport, your event has an impact. To understand the severity of your impacts, you need to start recording and measuring each so that you have a better idea of how to manage them.

Consider that the average conference or congress delegate today creates a half tonne of carbon emissions just by being there. This includes emissions related to travel, accommodation, food preparation and service, waste and the transport of goods and services. The old adage of ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure’ is perhaps truer today than in past years. Start measuring each aspect of your events so that you are able to put in place measures and mitigations designed to reduce and minimise their environmental, social and financial impacts. Create a pie chart of total emissions showing the relative impact of different logistics. The largest portions of the event ‘carbon pie’ (typically transportation) should be addressed first.

2. Set a target (carbon reduction)

Now that you have a better idea of the extent of each impact, establish targets for reducing each of them in much the same way as you set targets to improve sales; increase turnover or grow your business in general.

Globally, governments and environmental think-tanks suggest that by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions should be half of what we have today and by 2050, the target is to have zero net emissions across the world. This obviously translates to everything we do individually and nationally and creates sizeable challenges for even the most developed countries. To achieve this in your own business, you will need to identify better ways of doing each of the activities associated with your events. This could be as simple as changing menus and reducing over-production of food by better understanding your client. It could involve a strict energy policy that ensures lighting is only used when needed and cooling systems are switched-off until just before your guests arrive. Or how about selecting a venue that reduced the need for extensive travel or transport. Every element in your recipe for an event may be fine-tuned to ensure that its impacts are minimised.

3. Maximize more sustainable formats

One thing that we have learned this past year is how effective virtual meetings have proven – almost to the detriment of the face-to-face events of the past. But, while we continue to meet virtually and encourage people to ‘socially distance’, there is going to be a time when we may get together again, and this is where maximising sustainable formats will play a role. Gone are the days of massive corporate jamborees where hundreds of delegates travel vast distances to attend a weekend ‘rah-rah’ session at some exotic resort. Primarily, this is because companies are more sensitive to the costs of these get-togethers, but the need to travel and gather has become redundant because of virtual platforms such as Zoom and others.

So, we believe hybrid events are going to become a large part of the future of meetings in general. From an environmental point of view, this will reduce travel and its myriad of impacts, but at the same time, help with elements such as food waste, accommodation and even sustainable and responsible procurement. It is estimated that a hybrid event may reduce emissions by 60-80%, so let that be a guide to your own choices.

Rather than holding single, large gatherings that will require extensive transport and logistics, future meetings will take place simultaneously in separate venues catering for local staff and guests. As an example, this year UNISA will be holding its annual Research and Innovation Awards virtually — saving on the cost of bringing people together in a single venue, while at the same time saving on food, energy, staffing and other costs. For the first time, their international speakers from across the globe will be delivering their address virtually. And this is just the start!

4. Tackle Transport

Transportation of delegates, material and staff remains one of the largest costs of any event. And it ranks up there with the highest emitters and causes of CO2 emissions as well. Unless you are able to ‘get a handle’ on this element of an event, you aren’t doing well. Perhaps the best thing to come out of the pandemic has been the virtual meeting, and more and more companies now understand that going virtual makes good sense. Hybrid events will remain — as will purely brown event practices, but over the next ten years, the old eye-to-eye meeting and event will take on a whole new meaning.

In the meantime, you may plan your events with transport impacts uppermost in your mind. While alternate travel and transport arrangements may be found – such as rail – by working towards the lowest possible impacts associated with transport, you ensure that you not only achieve a better and less environmentally impactful event, but that you start talking the language that is now being spoken around boardroom tables across the globe.

Who is Shawna McKinley?

Shawna McKinley is an accomplished sustainability consultant, event planner, author, and instructor who helps event professionals take practical, smart steps to improve their events through zero waste and carbon-conscious choices. She spoke at the Event Greening Forum’s Master Class in November 2020.

About the EGF

The Event Greening Forum (EGF) is a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability within the business events sector. It does this by hosting educational sessions for industry and lobbying government in an effort to implement sustainability principles into the daily operations of the events industry. The EGF was established through dedication and support of eight industry associations who are recognised as founding members. The founding members are key industry associations working together to promote South Africa as a destination for various types of events.

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Contact: Lynn Mcleod

T: 082 891 5883 E: lynn@eventgreening.co.za