As the year ends, corporates, associations and families look forward to gathering and sharing the good and bad times, the profits and losses, reflecting and planning for the coming year. As business grows worldwide, the desire for networking opportunities, building new relationships and markets, expanding our knowledge, providing solutions to the daily challenges, pitching our ideas, becoming and positioning ourselves as experts, gaining the inspiration we want, having fun out of home and office, having a send-off for our beloved ones always lead us to an event.
Every event be it a workshop, business meeting, conference, training, awards ceremony, soccer match, birthday party, wedding or funeral has a footprint on the environment. This footprint needs to be considered given that we are in a millennium presented/faced by a series of global challenges regarding resource scarcity, climate change, water availability, waste management and pollution.
Events of all types have a lot of potential impacts on the environment we live in. With the growing number and size of the events, it is critical to ensure that events play a more positive role in terms of their environmental and social performance. This could prove to be a powerful tool for both the development of a green economy and a sustainable future.
Imagine a future where events shift from being perceived as just formal or social gatherings to becoming a strategic component in achieving solutions and eliminating the world’s challenges. Events that leave a legacy of furthering the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating a positive environmental and social impact.
An event should always aim at getting the ‘green’ reputation. A green event leads to sustainability and in doing so reducing the costs of hosting an event, helping improve on resource efficiency and enhancing corporate image
In order to green the event, certain considerations must be factored in. The venue, timeframe, nature of participant, numbers expected, food requirements, impact of every participant, possible transport options for participants, communication needs before, during and after the event. The location of the venue should be central or within walking distance of local points of interest. Use of public transport should be adopted compared to use of private vehicles. This reduces the carbon footprint and consumption of more fuel energy.
Green procurement also referred to as Eco-procurement is very critical in sustainability of events. Organisers should develop supply chains that deliver goods and services that are; in a way, minimise or eliminate negative impact on the environment. Venues that implement environmental good practices such as energy efficiency and waste reduction should be a prioritised in the selection criteria. Local, seasonal and organic meals should be encouraged.
Preference should be given to suppliers and sub-contractors that implement eco-friendly practices hence promoting sustainability. An example is choosing suppliers that provide renewable energy sources rather than non-renewable sources (generators vs solar for energy provisions).
Energy Efficient ways should be done throughout the event such as considering natural lightning and ventilation to reduce energy consumption. Event organisers can request the electricity meter readings before and after the event for monitoring electricity usage in order to manage consumption for future events. When going for a tea break, lunch and after the event itself, organisers and participants should endeavour to switch off all lights and air-conditioners.
Water consumption should be minimized by selecting venues that implement water conservation practices through policy and action. Such include use of towel/linen laundry; avoiding bottled water where possible and opting for bigger containers and reusable cups. This saves water whilst reducing the amount of waste from plastic bottles.
Use of paper should be minimized by replacing the copy registration forms with electronic registration or online ticketing. Most of fliers, presentation and printed paper are most relevant during the event and when it’s done, participants regard it as waste and most is left on chairs, tables or floor. Investing in use of disks, emails and webpages is encouraged and when printing is the only option, opt for minimum copies, sharing option, double sided printing, and summarising presentations.
Use of recyclable or re-usable name tags where possible that can be used for future events than personalising tags. If awards or gifts are being distributed, use of biodegradable, recyclable and ethically sourced goods is encouraged. An example is wrapping using biodegradable paper than plastic. Above all, it is important to ensure that organisers do communicate with participants about being environmentally friendly – giving reminders to all participants encouraging green acts before, during and after the event.
Rural or Urban, “Whenever and wherever” we meet – be it a business workshop, training, celebration, award giving or a funeral- whether it is a small group or a couple – we have an opportunity to make a difference for the betterment of our environment.
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