SUSTAINABILITY – CASE STUDY
ACHIEVING A CARBON-NEUTRAL CONFERENCE IAPCO Member: Arinex Pty, Sydney, Australia
Event: Environment Institute
CHALLENGE:
messaging of the event’s carbon neutral
of Australia and New Zealand
Achieving carbon neutral certification
objectives to delegates and suppliers
(EIANZ) Conference 2018
would not be straightforward for EIANZ
was an important part of the strategy.
Date: 1–2 November 2018
and partners. Conference attendees
Location: Sydney
were expected to attend from across
Potential venues were carefully vetted.
Venue: Hilton Sydney
Australia and New Zealand, and the
The Hilton Sydney was chosen as host
Delegates: 260
travel carbon footprint alone was not
venue for a range of reasons, not least for
insignificant. Organisers also wished
its sustainability policies and proximity
to achieve carbon neutral status at no
to public transport. Accommodation
BACKGROUND:
cost to delegates – a challenge given the
blocks were organised with Hilton
As the representative body for environ-
financial investment required for carbon
Sydney and other hotels in the
mental practitioners on both sides of
credit offsetting.
immediate vicinity, minimising transport
the Tasman, the Environment Institute
emissions to and from the conference.
of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ)
As well as achieving carbon-neutral
Single use plastics were banned from
wanted to set a leading example for its
status, EIANZ also wanted to ensure that
inclusion at the conference while food
2018 Annual Conference, by ensuring
its carbon offsetting strategy reflected
waste and energy consumption were
that the conference was both environ-
its wider corporate social responsibility
limited wherever possible.
mentally sound and certified as a carbon
objectives, including paying a fair price
neutral event.
for the carbon offsets and sourcing those
Delegates were encouraged to make
offsets through environmentally
positive changes, including bringing
Arinex, the appointed PCO, worked with
responsible programmes that, where
their own writing materials and opting
the Organising Committee to achieve the
possible, supported indigenous land
out of a printed programme, through
ambitious targets it had set to minimise
management in Australia.
convincing and emotive messaging. To
its carbon footprint, and to have the
minimise travel emissions, delegates
Conference certified by the Australian
SOLUTIONS:
were urged to carpool or use public
Government as a carbon neutral event.
Minimising the conference’s carbon
transport.
These outcomes were priorities for
footprint was the first important step
EIANZ as they aligned with the values
within EIANZ’s strategy. The
Averting the costs of carbon neutral
of its members and would, if achieved,
Organising Committee, supported
certification from delegates was
establish a new environmental standard
by Arinex, scrutinised all aspects of
achieved thanks to the support of
for business events.
conference organising from venue
two key partners. An independent
sourcing and menu selections to the
third-party, Pangolin Associations,
sourcing of event materials. Effective
undertook work on a pro bono basis to
34
| September 2019