EEF Event Sustainability Report

8/3/2019 EEF Event Sustainability Report

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Responding to the need for change.

Prepared by MCI Sustainability ServicesNovember 2011

2011 EuropeanEcological FederationCongress Sustainability Report


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F

OREWORD Within the board at European Ecological Federation

(EEF), we felt it was important to integrate sustainabilityinto the organisation of the 12th EEF Congress. Thisyear we started with some good practical actions.We have created this report together with MCISustainability Services to inform our stakeholders andto share our learnings with the organizers of futureconferences.

This is the first sustainability report for an EEFcongress. It provides an evaluation of the sustainabilityof the event management system and the logisticalprocesses followed. It presents a summary of the keymaterial actions implemented and the environmentalperformance of the event. The document closes witha list of practical recommendations that the next EEFcongress, or any other event, could follow to bring

improved results and returns.

We hope that our actions inspire others both in Spainand beyond to do more to walk the talk and showthat events can be aligned with our principles ofsustainable development and find a balance betweeneconomic, social and environmental considerations

Profesor Dr. Fernando ValladaresPresident of the SpanishAssociation for Terrestrial Ecology (AEET)


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Context 3

Sustainability approach 5

How sustainable was the event? 7

Event emissions footprint 10

Key successes 12

Key learnings 14

Ecological offsetting 15

Recommendations for increasing performance 16

Credits and acknowledgements 17

CONTENT

S


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The 12th EEF Congress was held at the Centrode Congresos y Exposiciones Lienzo Norte inAvila from the 25th to 29th September 2011. Itwas organised on behalf of EEF by the SpanishAssociation for Terrestrial Ecology (AEET) andthe Portuguese Ecological Society (SPECO)

The event united over 1000 leading scientificminds from over 57 countries to discuss andadvance the work of the scientific ecologicalcommunity. The motto of the Congresswas Responding to Rapid EnvironmentalChange, and over 36 sessions were dedicated

to how the ecological community is respondingto global change on ecosystems, and how theyare enabling solutions that help mitigate thesenegative impacts.

The event was organised in collaboration withMCI Madrid who served as the Professional

Congress Organiser (PCO) to organizeregistration, logistics, accommodation, venueand financial management for the event

CONTEX

TEvent background


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SUSTAINABILITY

APPROACHSustainability

SystemsThis was the first EEF Congressto incorporate sustainability intothe organisation of the event., Toprovide a structure (or system) forsustainable event organisationthe organizers adopted the MCISustainable Event Management(SEM) framework. Continued useof the system will more easily allowEEF to migrate to the ISO20121sustainable event managementstandards in the future.

SustainabilityVisionThe 12th EEF Congress willdemonstrate sustainability in action

in Avila. It will be a documentedindustry reference on how toorganise a sustainable Congress inSpain.

Sustainable

EventManagementActivities

Strategic Planning: The planningteam leaders met to identifya strategy for the sustainableperformance of the event andcreated customized targets andKey Performance Indicators to helpmeasure event success. The actionplan was presented and approvedby the EEF board.

Supplier Code of Conduct:Inspired by the United NationsGlobal Compact, a Supplier Code ofConduct was prepared for the event.

The EEF Code of Conduct outlinedclear expectations for suppliercompliance to ethical, responsibleand sustainable business practicesEvent suppliers were asked toagree to the principles outlined in

the EEF Code of Conduct with asignature of a senior manager in theorganization...

Supplier Engagement:Through a series of interviews,key suppliers were evaluatedregarding sustainable practicesand were offered coaching and

recommendations for improvedresults.

Sustainable Procurement:The EEF event management teammade a series of decisions in thepurchasing of material and servicesto reduce environmental impacts.Actions included procurement

of more responsible options formerchandising, printing, catering aswell as the selection of locally basedsuppliers and a logistics team.

On Site Audit:Independent verification of actionson the part of the hotel, venue,

catering, and transportationsuppliers followed by adocumentation of results.

KeySustainabilityIssuesCarbon Emissions resultingfrom delegate transport andlocal event operations

Waste produced by the venueduring the EEF 2011 congress

Sustainability of food andbeverage options

Quality and event experience

Lack of application ofsustainable practiceswithin localmeetings industry


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PerformancetoSustainabilityObjectivesThe following objectives wereidentified after reviewing eventissues, risks and opportunities.In the right hand column of thischart, performance to theseobjectives is noted.

Measure and reduce carbon emissionsthrough procurement policies andtransportation strategies (to includewalking & train usage)

Offset a minimum of 50% of total CO2

emissions generated by the event

Reduce waste to landfill or incinerator:Divert through recycling, composting,reusing or donating a minimum of 50% ofwaste produced by the venue during thecongress

Generate income for the local economy,by contracting a minimum of 60% ofsuppliers from the city and surroundingareas

Develop a gastronomic offering for theparticipants that highlights local cultureand sustainable growing solutions by

using a minimum of 50% from localproviders (


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HOW

SUSTAINABLEWAS THE

EVENT?EnvironmentalSustainabilityThe MeetGreen calculator was selected as thesystem to influence and evaluate the performanceof selected planner and supplier actions. It analyses,

measures and benchmarks over 160 facets of eventpolicy, practices and outcomes across ten categories:

Audio Visual

Destination Selection

Accommodations

Meeting Venue

Transportation

Food & Beverage

Exhibition Production

Communications and Marketing

Onsite Office

Offsets

The MeetGreen Calculator was developedby MeetGreen and was reviewed by afive member technical advisory committee(with backgrounds in the environmental andsustainability industries. Since its launch in2004. MeetGreen has been updated to

align with aspects of the British Standard(BS 8901) for Sustainable Events andAPEX/ASTM Green Meetings and EventsStandards.

MeetGreen

EvaluationUsing the MeetGreen system the 12th EEFCongress earned a total score of 54% (of apossible maximum of 100%) which correlatesto a rating of 3 stars on the MeetGreenperformance index. This score is above theaverage score of 44 but lower than the score forsimilar events. However this is a very good and

commendable score considering that this wasthe first EEF Congress to consider sustainabilityin its organisation, and it was held in a city andvenue new to the concept of sustainable events.

When initially measured, six months beforethe event EEF performance earned a rating of15. The increase to 54% is recognition of thepower of teamwork from MCI, EEF and the

Venue. It demonstrates the results of making acommon commitment to collaborate in supportof sustainability. At the same time it clearlyidentifies areas for improved performance (seeRecommendations for Improved Performance).


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During the onsite audit,MCI Sustainability Services

evaluated performanceof the the areas in theMeetGreenTM calculator. Therelative category scores canbe observed in the followinggraph.

Destinatio

n

Accomm

odatio

ns

Meetin

gVe

nue

Averag

escore

Averagescoreforsim

ilarpeer

eventsaboutsustainability

Highestscore

12thEEFCongress-score-

May2011 12

thEEFCon

gress

-Finalscore

Onsite

office

Communica

tions

&M

arke

ting

AudioVi

sual

O

ffsats

78%

41%

64%

26%

61%

78%79%

17%

100%

44%

61%

81%

15%

55%


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CARBON

EMISSIONSFOOTPRINT

The EEF event produced a measurable total of 480 metrictons of carbon dioxide (CO2), or an average of 0.5 tonsCO2 per participant. In practical terms, this is equal to thetotal annual emissions of 68 Spanish Inhabitants (Source:UNFCC).

As expected, the biggest CO2

emissions impact isfrom air transport with over 80% of total event-relatedemissions. This value is lower than average values forsimilar events. This is due to the selection of Avila as thedestination, and the relatively high number of peoplewho arrived by train. It is worth noting that long distancetrain transport produces just 10% (estimated) of theemissions of flying. For example the average emissions ofa flight from Barcelona to Madrid is 140kg CO2 while theemissions from the high speed Ave train it is only 14kgCO2 (Source. RENFE).


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KEY

SUCCESSESDestination andvenue selection

The selection of Avila and the LienzoNorte Congress Centre increasedthe overall sustainability of the event.Avila is a small city with excellentbus and train connections to Madrid.All major hotels are within walkingdistance of the congress center, andso reduced the need for delegatesto use taxis or public transportto reach the centre. This efficient

infrastructure reduced carbonemissions.

Opened in 2009, the Lienzo NorteCongress Centre has sophisticatedenergy management, cooling andlighting systems. Combined withan architecture that favour naturallighting and unassisted air flow

the building has very low carbonemissions, and ensures a pleasurablework atmosphere.

Reduce,Reuse, RecyclePrior to the event, the CongressCentre did not have a wastemanagement system designed todivert waste from the landfill. MCIworked with the venue management

to create and introduce a customisedwaste management plan.

Waste was reduced by using chinacups, glasses and water jugs as

opposed to disposable products.Where disposable cups were used, aproduct made from recyclable paperwas selected. Recycling bins werepurchased and installed at strategicpoints throughout the centre:Student volunteers were assigned toimprove recycling and the venue staffemptied and measured the amountof waste diverted from the landfill.

You can'tmanage whatyou dont

measureBy the end of the EEF event, theCongress Centre staff were able toprovide a full measurement of water,waste and energy consumption perday.

Over 940kg of waste was divertedfrom the landfill to give a

commendable recycling/diversionrate of 83%.

12225 Kilowatt hours (KWh) of

electricity and gas were consumedduring the six days of set up,event and break down at thevenue. According to the SpanishAssociation for the ElectricityIndustry (UNESA), the averageSpanish electricity consumptionper capita is 5721KWh.

PrintingAll EEF and MCI documentswere printed on recycled paper.Through the increased use of the

website and giving all participantsa USB flash card, paper usage fordelegate programs and handoutswas reduced to only 350kg ofpaper.

Metal and Plastic Recycled570 Kg, 50%

Waste Divertion

Glass Recycked 35 Kg, 3%

Organic/Landlill 190 Kg,17%

Paper Recycled 338 Kg, 30%


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REDUCEREUSE

RECYCLEREPORTBY MANAGING THE RECYCLING PROCESSESOVER 83% OF THE WASTE WAS DIVERTED

FROM THE LANDFILL


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F.L.O.S.S.:Strategy for cateringThe event organisers worked with

the chefs and catering managementto create menus aligned with theconcept of F.L.O.S.S.: Fresh, local,organic, seasonal and sustainable.Over 60% of all products weresourced locally (from a regionno farther than 250 km from thevenue),30% of which was organic.To raise delegate awareness oflocally grown products, dishes on thebuffet were labelled with informationindicating their origins. Thesesustainable initiatives represented noadditional cost to the organizer.

FOCUSONFLOSS

Fresh,local,

organic,

seasonal,

sustainable.

Over 60% of all products sourced locally

30% was organic

Food had an origin and personally

No additional cost


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KEY LEARNINGSAttentionto detailDuring the introductory plenaryspeech, organisers explainedtheir commitment to creating asustainable event. Following this,delegates were presented with the

first coffee break. Catering staff hadnot been informed that plastic waterbottles should be eliminated. Thesituation was immediately rectifiedby their replacement with water jugsand glass water bottles

ProactiveSourcingThe congress bags selected werenot made from sustainable materials.Earlier focus on sourcing could haveenabled a better choice of bags at aparity price point. Alternatively, theprovision of congress bags couldhave been eliminated.

EngagingSponsorsCare should be taken todiscourage sponsors who seekto include their material in thecongress bags or display their

marketing collateral. Oftenthis material is of little use todelegate, is not printed onrecycled paper and is simplythrown away by participants.This system offers little valueto delegates or sponsors. Newtechnological innovations, suchas smartphone apps, often

improve the delegate experience,reduce environmental impactsand delever better sponsorshipROI.

EngageDelegatesOver 466 posters were printed bydelegates and were positionedthroughout the congress centre.The majority of these posterswere printed on normal paperusing chemical inks. In the future,EEF could provide sustainableprinting recommendations to

poster contributors, to guidethem to print responsibly.

Train andCommunicateWith a waste diversion rate of

83% the EEF congress was agood example of the resultspossible from a well organisedwaste management plan.

However, in the pre-event phaseof the EEF event, the cateringteams had not been sufficientlytrained and waste separation was

imperfect. Care should be takento properly train teams in theweeks before an event. Trainingincreases performance in thebusy hours of the event. In aBy

Additionally, the venue couldincrease performance by workingwith the city authorities toimplement recycling of organicmaterial.


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ENGAGING

STAKEHOLDERSCOMPENSATING EMISSIONS

To raise awareness and encourage greater

engagement in sustainable practices, the organiserscommunicated the sustainability initiatives viaweb, newsletter, onsite posters and the program.Additionally Guy Bigwood, Past-President of theGreen Meeting Industry Council, was invited byEEF to present the sustainability initiatives and thecommunity project during the opening plenarypresentation. Guy encouraged delegates to supportthe event greening, offset their emissions and tohelp EEF to choose an event community project.

Delegates were asked to deposit a red card fromtheir congress pack into a voting box and thusexpress their preference for one of four communityinitiatives. The project with the most votes was theMadre de Dios initiative, which serves to protect vastareas of the Peruvian Amazon from illegal logging.The project has been validated according to theClimate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance, whichguaranteed that the project delivered measurable

carbon sequestration together with social andenvironmental value to the local community. Theproject was awarded the maximum status of goldwithin the CCB Standard and is managed to ForestStewardship Council (FSC) standards.

Post event 100% of the event carbon emissions or480 metric tonnes of carbon credits were investedinto the project via the ECODES Non-governmentalorganisation. Delegate donations accounted for 55%

of the offsetting investment with EEF covering theremaining 45%.

Certificado N. 1545

30 de Noviembre de 2011

12th European Ecological Federation Congress

ha compensado la emisin de 480,000 toneladas de CO2

La compensacin se ha realizado a travs del proyecto

Conservacin de la Amazona en Madre de Dios en Per


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RECOMMENDATIONS

FOR IMPROVEDPERFORMANCE

The following

recommendations areprovided to help the nextEEF congress, currentlyscheduled to be held atthe Excel - exhibitionand conference centre inLondon.

Consider using theISO20121 Sustainable EventManagement System in theplanning of the congress.External certification willincrease performance.

Include a requirement formeasurement in suppliercontracts. It is difficult to getenvironmental data fromsuppliers after an event. Makethis a condition of the contract.

Start early: Discussing

sustainability from the firstconversations with suppliersand partners will increaseresults.

Include a community service

event

Include sustainabilityexpectations when sourcingand contracting with suppliers

such as the PCO, Venue,Exhibition and Cateringcompanies

Include a sustainabilitydonation in the registrationfee. An opt in donation is

less effective than an optout option when offeringdelegates a chance to donate.

Create a virtual sustainabilityteam consisting of keysuppliers to the organisation offuture events

Educate exhibitors aboutsustainable practices andrecognise good performancewith the introduction of a

Sustainable Stand award.Pay particular attention to thenumber of posters.


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EN16Total direct and indirectgreenhouse gas emissions byweight in tons of CO

2

Train: 2,71 Car: 16,50 Flights: 382,36 Venue: 7,50 Hotel: 60

Paper: 0,63 Food: 10,61TOTAL: 480,41

Carbon Emissions per Participant-tons CO

2: 0,49 Page 10.

EN22Total weight of waste by type anddisposal method, and includinginitiatives to manage waste and their

results in kg.

Paper Recycled: 338 Glass Recycled: 35 Metal and Plastic Recycled: 570 Organic-Landfill: 190TOTAL: 1133

Page 11.

EO9Type and sustainabilityperformance of sourcinginitiatives.Page 6.

EO11Number, type and impact ofsustainability initiatives designedto raise awareness and impactbehavior change.Page 15.

EO12Nature and extent of knowledgetransfer of best practice andlessons learned.Page 14 and 16 .

EN28Monetary value of significant finesand total number of non-monetarysanctions for non-compliancewith environmental laws andregulations.No fines incurred

EC6Policy, practices, and proportionof spending on locally-basedsuppliers at significant locations ofoperation. Page 6.

EN7Initiatives to reduce indirectenergy consumption andreductions achieved.Page 11.

EN8Total water withdrawal by source,conservation and improvementinitiatives and results.90,8 m3.

EN18Initiatives to reduce greenhousegas emissions and reductionsachieved.Page 10.

PERFORMANCE

INDICATORSThis report was developed using the Global Reporting Initiatives G3.1 Framework. As a summary report it does notfully comply with the pre-determined GRI reporting levels, however the Guidelines improve the reporting processes,increase data integrity and enhance transparency. For more information on the GRI Event Organisers SectorSupplement visit:http://www.globalreporting.org/ReportingFramework/SectorSupplements/Events/


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CREDITS AND

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSAuthorsThis report was prepared by GuyBigwood and Michael Luehrs of MCI

Sustainability Services MCI is proud tobe seen as industry thought leaders insustainable event management andconsulting. MCI is actively engagedin efforts to change the way the worldmeets through the promotion ofsmart, sustainable business solutions.

MCI is the selected Professional

Congress Organizer andSustainability Guide for some of theworlds leading events on sustainabledevelopment and the renewableenergy sectors, including: The UnitedNations Climate Change Conference(COP15), The World Business Summiton Climate Change, the InternationalClimate Change Conference, the GRIGlobal Conference on Sustainability

and Transparency, and the UnitedNations Global Compact LeadersSummit.

ContributorsThes sustainability efforts presented in thisreport would not have been possible without

the valuable input, contribution and supportof Pilar Ramos and Andrea Gonzalez fromMCI, Fernando Valladares and Leyre Jimnez-Eguizbal from the organising committee atEEF and the commited team at the LienzoNorte Congress Centre including Felipe Garcia,Gonzalo Snico and the amazing head ofcatering Benjamin.

ContactIn the interest of constant improvement, allideas and comments about this report arewelcome. Please address comments to GuyBigwood, MCI Group Sustainability Director [email protected]

Photo CreditsPhotos were provided by Guy Bigwood (MCI),

Graphical DesignMCI Creative Services Barcelona

www.mci-group.com


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EEF Event Sustainability Report

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