ABPCO releases sustainability roadmap for the events industry

The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) has released a report and roadmap for the creation of a more sustainable events industry. Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ABPCO identified a desire for the industry to do more in the areas of responsible production and consumption, quality education and partnerships, and reducing workplace inequalities. The report is timed to coincide with the opening of the COP24 climate talks in Katowice, Poland, and follows on from a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) workshop which ABPCO members attended in Paris. The UNEP workshop also highlighted opportunities for the events industry to collaborate with the hospitality sector in phasing out single-use plastic, procuring sustainable food and ensuring circularity in the supply chain. Heather Lishman, ABPCO’s association director, commented: “COP24 will ensure the world is focused on sustainability over the coming days so there was no better time to launch both our report and Sustainability Roadmap. “We have worked with members from both the supply and demand side of the industry to identify where we can have the greatest impact, whilst ensuring the whole sector continues to deliver maximum value for those looking to use events as a means of education, communication and business development.” The Sustainability Roadmap and Report are both available via https://www.abpco.org/news/