EVENT GREENING FORUM

Five reasons you need to sign the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge

By Greg McManus, chairperson of Event Greening Forum.

The Net Zero Carbon Events pledge is a commitment that event stakeholders from around the world are making to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with an interim goal to reduce their emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. The initiative was developed through global event industry collaboration, driven by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC).

“With already more than 300 entities from 48 countries around the world supporting the initiative, the project has grown to be the biggest, most international, and most inclusive collaboration ever seen in the events industry around sustainability,” said Kai Hattendorf chief executive officer of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and Board Member of the JMIC.

He added: “After we presented the Zero Carbon Events Pledge to world and climate leaders at COP26, work is now underway on the roadmap for implementation, to be delivered at COP27 at the end of this year. Our collective work will continue over the coming years, with best practice sharing, roadmap updating and overall progress tracking, and we thank all our colleagues in the South African event industry who have registered to www.netzerocarbonevents.org.”

The Event Greening Forum (EGF) is proud to be a signatory of the pledge. Greg McManus, chairperson of EGF, said: “We welcome the scale and ambition of this initiative, both of which are necessary, given what we are up against. We also know that our industry is capable of achieving impressive feats within tight deadlines, so we feel optimistic that this is something we are able to do, and do well.”

Here are the EGF’s top five reasons why you should sign the pledge if you haven’t already:

#1 It’s the right thing to do

Greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change, and these effects are snowballing towards catastrophic impacts if we do not act now to stop them. Because we are all responsible for causing these emissions, it makes sense that we all collectively take responsibility to reduce them.

According to the US-based company MeetGreen, in 2017 a three-day event with 1,000 attendees would generate roughly 530 metric tons of CO2. South African events will likely have a different profile, but it would be wrong to say that we don’t contribute to the problem. For example, our coal-derived energy is one of the dirtiest in the world, and, as a long-haul destination, our international events create an outsized impact from air travel alone. But even small local events have an effect, and every little bit adds up.

#2 Change is inevitable

Because climate change is arguably the most pressing concern humanity is facing, most nations from around the world have signed the Paris Agreement. This treaty is a commitment to limit the global temperature increase to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

South Africa is a signatory, which means business requirements to limit carbon footprints are coming, it’s just a matter of time. So why not get ahead? Not only will this benefit your business, but it will appeal to many of your clients and the sectors you represent, who are trying to make a positive difference too.

#3 Collaborating is powerful

Collaborative efforts may be formidable at effecting large scale and innovative change. Rather than various event businesses around the world working in silos, sharing knowledge, ideas, support and more, are able to catapult us all into achieving the drastic results that are being called for.

#4 Cost is no longer an excuse

Yes, you may spend a lot of money on implementing sustainability measures. But no, it’s not inevitable or a requirement. The roadmap that is being developed for Net Zero Carbon Events will not be prescriptive and – instead – all signatories are encouraged to find their own pathway to achieving the ambitious goals set out in the pledge.

The EGF has many resources to help your business adapt to this new normal, so contact us if you’d like to find out how we are able help you.

#5 It’s for everyone

The pledge is open to all event industry stakeholders. This includes companies involved with creating events as well as industry associations, clients, suppliers, destinations, consultants, media, etc. There are also no requirements in terms of having sustainability programmes in place.

For more information and to sign the pledge, visit netzerocarbonevents.org.

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.

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about event greening, visit www.eventgreening.co.za where you can browse the free resources, sign up to the monthly newsletter, or contact them directly with any queries.

Contact: Lynn Mcleod

T: 082 891 5883

E: lynn@eventgreening.co.za