Moving beyond the buzzwords – Sustainability and the events industry

CMW international reporter Oliver Thomas reflects on the events industry’s sustainability progress eight months after COP26 ‘Build back better’, ‘the new normal’, ‘Net Zero’. Just over eight months ago, as COP26 grabbed global headlines, undoubtably most event industry stakeholders would have used at least one of these phrases. Strategies, programmes, and pledges set out changes to the basic principles that define our industry in favour of an environmentally sustainable future. Eight months later, the dust has settled, and the pistons of the international events industry has fired back up. In this time, has the industry become more focused on the pledges made? Or has it fallen into the trap of empty rhetoric, baseless buzzwords, and another lost opportunity for change?

The green consensus

Throughout the industry, a growing consensus is being built that sustainability is an unconditional factor in organising events.

Raquel Seiz, marketing and communications manager at the Spanish-based international events agency, 4foreverything, says: “Sustainability is no longer a long-term optional policy, but rather a must for all industries.” An understanding is being developed that there is no silver bullet solution. It’s not just about creating ‘a plastic free’ or ‘net zero’ event, but an assessment of how all processes within organisations and supply lines can become more sustainable. This logic extends beyond carbon emissions to looking at the wider meaning of sustainability and the legacy of events. “We should think about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a background to understanding what sustainability actually means,” comments Fiona Pelham, CEO of the non-for-profit event sustainability organisation, Positive Impact. “The SDGs include everything from gender equality to no food poverty.”

Hurdles to overcome

Despite COP26’s momentum, an overhaul of processes takes time, money, and will. A large proportion of the events industry is made up of SMEs, which are often limited in their capacity to effectively adapt to more sustainable processes. Pelham comments: “We know that SMEs are often time and budget poor. They’ve never had the chance to prioritise sustainability within this environment.” As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic and enter a global cost-of-living crisis, keeping businesses afloat and re-boating operations back to pre-pandemic levels are often seen as priorities in comparison to implementing sustainable processes. The events industry is also a mixing pot of sectors. While this creates a vibrant and dynamic exchange of ideas, it nonetheless creates its own challenges in building a coherent sustainability strategy. “The events industry serves such a heterogeneous market,” highlights Seiz. “With enterprises of so many kinds, it’s very challenging to make them all commit to the cause with the same strength and determination.”

Steps in the right direction

While these challenges have created barriers to progress since COP26, new tools and cross-institutional initiatives have improved the industry’s capacity to jump these hurdles. Accreditation Event organisers are increasingly using accreditation as a deciding factor for the selection of suppliers, incentivising the implementation of sustainable practices across supply chains. To achieve respected accreditations, thorough and long-term modifications are required to a range of company operations. One off, PR-inspired initiatives will no longer cut it. “Any accreditation worth its salt should include a robust audit and look at what impacts are measured and the whole lifecycle (of operations),” comments Warren Campbell, general manager of the London-based venue, 15Hatfields. One such accreditation, ISO 20121, provides organisations with guidance of how to fine comb their processes, find out where they’re falling short and implement change in these targeted areas. Pelham suggests the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Race to Zero programme as a useful tool to educate organisations on implementation: “It is free and provides over 12 hours of resources that can be used. This helps people make a net zero commitment and report on it.” Destinations Institutions that represent destinations are the glue that links international event organisers with their respective local supply chains, encouraging and verifying sustainable processes.

Virginie De Visscher, senior director of business development of economic sectors at Destination Canada Business Events, tells CMW: “If our industry is to meet net zero targets by no later than 2050, the entire MICE supply chain has to work together to find and implement powerful solutions.” In the backdrop of COP26, Destination Canada has launched the Business Events Sustainability Plan, which will assess the ways business events can benefit local communities, aiming to improve ‘economic, social, and environmental sustainability practices.’ In southeast Asia, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, president of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), says: “Our goal is to make Thailand a destination where events can produce not only tangible economic impacts but also measurable social and environmental legacies.” The Thailand Sustainable Event Management Standard, generated by TCEB, provides suppliers with a sustainable criteria for suppliers to meet. Once accredited with this standard, organisers can efficiently source sustainable goods and services, which in the past was difficult to verify when organising international managing events. Industry co-operation The Joint Meetings Industry Council’s Net Zero Carbon Event Initiative, launched shortly before COP26, aims to co-ordinate the industry towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals of a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, and net zero by 2050. Seiz comments: “The commitment road map document they are following is a huge advance for the industry, as it finally sets specific initiatives with deadlines which is something that was lacking in our industry.” The Initiative has more than 240 signatories, an increase of 140 since the COP26 took place. This growing co-ordination is a crucial step in countering the ‘heterogeneous’ nature of the events industry. Assessments of operations, industry collaboration and universal tools are assisting tentative steps towards the goals set out at COP26. The time for action is now, the events industry must keep responding.