Associations are, ultimately, responsible for the carbon emissions produced by their meetings.
Yet, when it comes to doing something about them, too many focus almost entirely on the supply chain - relying on host cities, venues, caterers etc. to provide evidence of how they are reducing their emissions.
Of course, we need clients to put pressure on suppliers if
the meetings sector is to make any headway towards a sustainable, net-zero
future. And if these demands can be written into an RFP (request for proposal) and made contractual then so
much the better.
But the results of a recent survey
by Northstar Meetings Group – sponsored by Copenhagen
Convention Bureau – suggest that, for some associations at least, this 'action by proxy' is the limit of
their push towards event sustainability.
The numbers are depressing for those of us who believe in the
message of ‘purpose over profit’ that associations espouse. And for those who can see how
associations improve society through cultural exchange and the spread of knowledge and best practice.
Of all the different 'organisation types' who plan meetings, the
survey showed that associations were least likely to have a sustainability
policy that covered events (38%) and least likely to employ a sustainability
officer (19%). This matters because, according to the survey, those with a policy and a sustainability officer were more likely to be taking sustainable action elsewhere.
In both these instances, associations compared unfavourably
to their corporate cousins. Shareholder pressure and brand
management are no doubt huge motivating factors for business, but that doesn’t let
associations off the hook. Take another statistic: 62 per cent of associations said
they had made no net-zero commitment, compared to a similar percentage
of corporates who had.
Elsewhere more than half (51%) of associations were prepared to implement additional sustainability measures only 'if cost-effective' while more than one-in-five (21%) were happy to 'go with whatever measures the venue has in place'.
Associations might argue that meetings and events are only
part of what they do – but for most it is a big part, and, for those with international
delegates, easily the most carbon-intensive activity they will pursue.
Some associations might argue that they don’t have the internal
resources or budgets to focus on sustainability, but these arguments become feebler
with every passing year.
Other associations might argue that their resources are better
spent encouraging their members to act more sustainably, and, for sure, this is
where most could make the biggest societal impact. But industries need their
representative bodies to practise what they preach. Associations should be a
beacon of best practice to which their members turn for inspiration.
So, what can associations do, beyond heaping pressure
on the supply chain?
The first thing they can do is take ownership of the
problem.
This means looking at where most (estimates range from 70-90%) of the carbon
related to an international meeting comes from – air travel.
When associations shrug their shoulders and say, ‘there’s
nothing we can do about delegates flying to our meetings’ what they mean is ‘there’s
nothing we can do without disrupting our business model’.
But is this true? Aren’t there simple steps associations can
take to drastically reduce their events-related emissions?
For example, those who hold their flagship international congress
every year could cut their emissions in half (roughly) by making every other
event a virtual experience – or by just making their annual congress biennial. If
that puts too much strain on finances, associations could replace every other
international meeting in the calendar with smaller, regional events which
require little, if any, air travel. More ambitious associations could experiment
with multi-hub conference models, which according to this article in Nature,
can lead to massive falls in event-related carbon emissions. Associations could
not only ‘encourage’ but incentivise
train travel to their meetings and events.
Some associations are already doing these things.
But, if
the results of our survey are any indication, there are still far too many who
think sustainability is ‘somebody else’s problem’ – something they can pass onto
their suppliers.
After the IPCC issued its grim final warning to humanity this week, it could
not be any clearer that finding a sustainable way to work, live, and play on
this planet is a challenge we must all face. It's everyone's problem.
*Is your association experimenting with meeting frequency, location, or format to reduce your carbon footprint? I'd love to hear about it. Contact me at jlancaster@ntmllc.com
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
