Pennsylvania Convention Center sustainability report highlights big cuts in energy usage

In commemoration of Earth week, the Pennsylvania Convention Center released its 2023 sustainability report. The report provided a summary of the center’s environmental sustainability and social responsibility initiatives for the past year as well as its accomplishments over the past ten years since the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA) selected ASM Global as the Center’s venue management partner. Sustainability accomplishments over the past decade at the centre include a 55% increase in single-stream recycling tonnage, a 54% increase in the waste diversion rate, a 13% decrease in electricity usage, a 30% decrease in natural gas usage, and obtaining the Events Industry Council (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards gold certification for venues in 2023. David A. Nasatir, chair of the board at the PCCA, said: “The authority is unwavering in our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, and we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with organisations such as ASM Global that share this commitment.” The PCCA/ASM global partnership started in 2013 and the first annual sustainability report was issued for 2015, highlighting the centre’s waste diversion and energy conservation efforts. Since then, the facility’s sustainability and social responsibility programmes have expanded and include the launch of the centre’s ‘Green Team’ and the purchase of renewable energy certificates (REC) in 2016, the launch of its construction and demolition (C&D) recycling programme in 2017, and the launch of the ASM Global Acts programme in 2021. Tony Hodgins, general manager, ASM Global said: “The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority has always shared our vision for what a meaningful sustainability and social responsibility programme should look like, and because of their support, our team at the Pennsylvania Convention Center has implemented initiatives that have moved the needle and raised the bar in the industry.”