Through the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, the industry aims to link events communities worldwide to tackle what is one of the biggest collective challenges we face today.
Sustainable development has long been a focus for the events industry. Connected to programmes like the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Guidelines, sector specific initiatives have addressed everything from waste management and energy conservation to local sourcing and hiring practices. The principles of sustainability are now firmly embedded within industry practices and client expectations.
Now that focus is intensifying even further with the realisation that we need to accelerate our actions in response to the threat of climate change, not only to secure our own future but to support the many other sectors we rely on for our existence. Engaging now means being a part of a global collaboration for action – and failing to act risks being left behind.
The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) has recently launched a new initiative, Net Zero Carbon Events, to connect the events industry globally to the rapidly growing movement towards net zero by 2050. This November, world leaders will meet in Glasgow at COP26 to present how their countries will achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 in order to deliver on the Paris Agreement. 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.
The Net Zero Carbon Events initiative aims to bring together a wide range of industry stakeholders to jointly communicate a commitment to tackling climate change and develop common methodologies for measuring the industry’s direct, indirect and supply chain greenhouse gas emissions.
It seeks to 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. On a collaborative level, it seeks to build relationships between suppliers and customers to ensure alignment and common approaches to establish common mechanisms for reporting progress and sharing best practice.
Born from a discussion with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat, the project arises from the work of an organising task force initiated by JMIC members including The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, the International Association of Convention Centres (IACC) and the International Congress and Convention Association. Industry leaders who have already pledged their support hail from the US to Europe and even China, including UK representatives ExCel, Reed Exhibitions and Scottish Event Campus.
The group is inviting all interested parties to join the journey towards a collaborative commitment we can all act on: “The events industry has a special role to play in tackling climate change,” said JMIC President James Rees. “We provide the meeting places and marketplaces to work on solutions to the climate crisis. At the same time, we have a responsibility to minimise our impact. We are inviting organizations from across the events industry – venues, organizers, exhibitors and suppliers – to join this collaborative effort to drive the events sector towards net zero.”
Netzerocarbonevents.org
