EVENTS and meetings industry operators are being urged to join a green crusade to help slash carbon emissions before 2030 as world leaders prepare to gather for the United Nations Climate Change Conference next month.
The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) is rolling out the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative to rally the events industry into tackling climate change with the target of net zero emissions by 2050.
The initiative has already come under criticism on social media for setting target dates years ahead while still expecting growth. Others have said initiatives to reduce carbon emissions in the meetings industry already exist through bodies such as the Events Industry Council and Positive Impact Events.
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is part of the JMIC task force that set up the initiative which came about after discussions with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Collaboration between suppliers and buyers will be encouraged under the initiative to “ensure alignment and common approaches” as awareness rises of the environmental threats climate change poses to the world.
“We are inviting all interested parties to join us on this journey. The aim is to grow this initiative that represents the events industry as a whole and provide a collaborative commitment we can all act on,” JMIC said in a statement.
The renewed effort comes as preparations are made for COP26 (October 31-November 12) in Glasgow, Scotland, where international leaders will gather to lay out plans on how countries can achieve the 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 under the Paris Agreement.
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“In advance of this meeting, for-profit and non-profit organisations from across all sectors are setting forth their own pathways towards this goal, and the ultimate goal of net zero by 2050,” JMIC announced.
“Through this initiative, we aim to link all stakeholders in the corporate, professional, academic and destination communities worldwide that have also committed to engagement in what is one of the biggest collective challenges we all face today, and to invite those that have not done so yet to join.”
Net Zero Carbon Events plans to:
- Jointly communicate industry commitment to tackling climate change and driving towards net zero by 2050;
- Develop common methods to measure the industry’s direct, indirect and supply chain greenhouse gas emissions;
- Construct an industry-wide roadmap towards net zero by 2050, and emissions reductions by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement, with support and guidance on key issues;
- Foster collaboration with suppliers and customers to ensure alignment and common approaches;
- Establish common mechanisms for reporting progress and sharing best practice.
Also on the taskforce with HKCEC are ICCA,, global exhibition industry association UFI, conference association AIPC, MCI, Emerald Expositions (US), Freeman (US), Informa (UK), Javits Center (US), Messe München (Germany), RX (UK) and Scottish Event Campus.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat is also supporting the initiative.
Dave Andrews says:
This is all a bit silly.
As long as “green” events are more expensive than non-green ones, buyers/clients will opt for the latter. The only way to push the industry toward being enviromentally friendly is thru government regulations. All other efforts will be marginal at best.