How to Make Your Event Carbon Neutral
Events create positive momentum in industries and form personal relationships with
colleagues. By hosting a carbon neutral event, attendees, investors, and other event
stakeholders can feel better about attending and supporting an event that is operating in
a responsible way. A carbon neutral event means that efforts have been made to
measure, reduce, and offset emissions resulting from event activities.
Measure Your Event’s Carbon Footprint
Measuring the carbon footprint of an event can help event organizers identify
opportunities to reduce emissions and operating costs. The process involves identifying
emission sources related to event activities, establishing a clear boundary, and
gathering activity data from event venues, delegates, vendors, caterers, and waste
haulers. The carbon footprint of an event typically includes:
Energy consumption
Delegate travel
Accommodation
Food and beverage
Waste
Paper (marketing and publication materials)
Reduce Your Event’s Carbon Footprint
The second (and most important) step is to identify and implement solutions to reduce
emissions. Green Event Guides are one of the many tools event organizers can use to
create action plans and plan reductions from the beginning.
Set and communicate clear sustainability goals
Select energy-efficient venues
Develop a zero-waste plan
Create a low-carbon menu
Offer low-carbon transportation
Support local and Indigenous-owned businesses
Offset Emissions & Go Carbon Neutral
After emissions have been reduced as much as possible, offsets can be purchased
equal to the remaining unavoidable emissions to become carbon neutral. To certify an
event as carbon neutral, the carbon footprint should be reviewed by a third-party to
ensure that emissions were calculated correctly, and that the appropriate number of
offsets were purchased.
Offset purchases help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and fund
projects such as wind farms, waste heat recovery, and reforestation projects that would
not otherwise be financially possible. Support a carbon offset project that aligns with the
mission of the organizing committee and go through validated offset providers to ensure
that the offset project meets best practice standards.
Host A Carbon Neutral Event & Conference
Events have a significant opportunity to show leadership in decarbonization and
responsible business practices and while also leaving a positive impact on the
communities they visit.
Synergy’s Carbon Neutral Events certification offer a way to take responsibility for the
impact of your event by going carbon neutral and focusing on green event practices.
Contact us for more information about how to make your next meeting, conference, or
event carbon neutral.