Green Check List

Tourism Australia has produced the following Green Check List for Business Events to assist Business Events operators to plan and deliver cleaner and greener events.

Planning and Policies

• Prepare a written environmental policy for your event which can be shared with suppliers, delegates and speakers.
• Estimate the total carbon footprint and plan to offset the carbon emissions produced at the event. Detail this in your costing so it is clear to the client.
• Look at past event energy use and wastage and find ways of reducing this. Track your results after the event.
• Plan your event precisely (looking at numbers, duration, size of venue and number of rooms required) then select the right venue to fit, so you use minimum energy and resources.
• Ensure your tender clearly states your commitment to the environment and request all respondents to outline their policies.
• Establish a policy that encourages all suppliers to submit proposals and quotes electronically.
• In all communications with exhibitors and contractors, request that waste and packaging be reduced.

Travel Selection

• Consider using airlines with offset programs.
• Travel with companies that are implementing green policies.
• Fly visitors by the shortest route possible, not just the most affordable.
• Choose a venue that is easily accessible by public transport or by foot.
• Accurately monitor the number of delegates needing transport at each stage of the event and match this to the transport vehicle size.
• Offer day or weekly traveller tickets to promote public transport use.
• Use delegate shuttles and where possible use hybrid vehicles.
• Consider bike use by providing bike racks and a bike concierge.
• Reduce site inspections and use local scouts to gather information.
• Offset carbon emissions for transport.

Venue Selection

• Give preference to venues with a sound environmental policy.
• Work with the venue to ensure lights and air conditioning are switched off when not in use.
• Consider venues that use as much natural light and natural ventilation as possible.
• Consider venues that use 100 per cent accredited GreenPower and that can be accessed by public transport.
• Choose venues that have environmental accreditation eg. Green Star ratings or Green Globe accreditation.

Accommodation

• Use or recommend hotels within walking distance of the venue and with proactive waste, water and energy management practices.

Power and Water Supply

• Ensure toilet suppliers are using grey water and correctly dispose of black water.
• Ensure all equipment, in particular in exhibitions, is turned off at night.
• Consider limiting air conditioning at venues during the set-up and pack-down phase.
• Investigate alternatives to air conditioning during the event.
• Hold the event during the day to utilise natural light and reduce power consumption.
• Ensure suppliers use modern, energy efficient technology.

Food and Beverages

• Ask to see the green policy of the hotel or caterer.
• Aim to reduce food miles by using local rather than imported food and beverage supplies.
• Plan menus using in-season, fresh, local, organic food.
• Request fair trade food suppliers.
• Include a larger number of vegetarian options and advise delegates of these options.
• Select fish from sustainable fish supplies.
• Avoid unnecessary packaging and plastic bags.
• Ask caterers to provide reusable table cloths, crockery and cutlery.
• Where appropriate, limit use of imported and bottled water.
• Use water glasses plus jugs with tap water.
• Where possible, use bulk dispensers for sugar, salt, condiments and sauces.
• Avoid individually wrapped sweets, salt and sugar sachets.
• Ask delegates to sign up for meals in advance to avoid food wastage.
• Allow attendees to pre-select a meal size, offering smaller meal options.

Printed Material and Information

• Use new media and electronic technology to reduce paper use.
• Offer electronic registration and market electronically via website and email.
• Use recycled paper (post consumer waste) and print on both sides using vegetable inks.
• Offer all relevant information, presentations, papers and web links via electronic media, such as on disc.
• Consider requesting delegates bring their own pens and note pads.
• Consider using SMS to give seating and registration details.
• Collect and reuse name badges.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

• Reduce waste by keeping track of attendance and tailoring supplies and food according to final numbers.
• Make informed purchasing decisions and support use of recycled and biodegradable materials.
• Encourage delegates to separate waste.
• Reduce use of gift bags or satchels.
• Ensure excess food is donated to charity or composted.
• Ensure non-toxic cleaning materials are used at the venue.
• Create incentives for suppliers to return excess or unused products.
• Educate delegates about how they can assist to reduce waste.

Activities

• Plan to include sessions on relevant environmental issues.
• Offer off-site activities that are nature-based with minimal environmental impact.
• Suggest a community activity for delegates that helps restore the environment.
• Give an eco-friendly award to the greenest exhibitor.

Sources

This check list was collated from the following sources:

• BlueGreen Meetings website, which has a wide range of tips on reducing the environmental impact of Business Events: www.BlueGreenMeetings.org.
• Green Event Ideas, Ecowise November 2007. Ecowise is a publication produced by the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre's environmental program. The centre is Green Globe benchmarked.
• Start a Green Event Policy: the check list to running an environmentally sustainable event on a sustainable budget from a presentation @RSVP, July 2007, by Clare Donovan of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Jeremy Garling of Great Southern Events and Larissa Moore of the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change.

For further information, contact:
Tourism Australia
bea@tourism.australia.com