You may have seen the alarming news about the earth’s deterioration as time passes. A recent article by The Guardian suggests that “the world’s leading climate scientists have warned there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.”
Major and critical steps have been taken by different countries to combat the greenhouse emissions. World Bank states that 2.01 billion tons of solid waste were accumulated throughout the world’s cities in 2016. The garbage that heads to landfills release methane gas, one of the greenhouse gases that affect climate change. Amidst this news, the European Parliament recently announced the remarkable initiative to completely ban “a range of single-use plastics across the union in a bid to stop pollution,” as shared by BBC. Vienna is definitely aboard the save-the-environment train, setting an example to follow.
When you plan a meeting, particularly with one of the convention centers in Vienna, rest assured there are programs in place to host a sustainable meeting. The Austria Center Vienna (ACV), the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, and the Hofburg Vienna all work closely with their employees, vendors, and partners to ensure specific standards are met.
The Vienna Convention Bureau (VCB), as well as the ACV, the Messe, and the Hofburg, have upped their sustainability efforts and encouraged having a Green Meeting. But what does it mean to have a Green Meeting? VCB describes it as one that is “characterized by greater energy efficiency, waste avoidance and an environmentally friendly arrival and departure of the guests.” In short, the efforts promote savings and cost reductions for meeting planners.
Working hand-in-hand with their clients, the ACV fosters Green Meeting initiatives officially through agreements with suppliers. Some examples include avoiding disposable cutlery, and giving more emphasis on using recycled materials.
The Messe Wien highlights the use of electricity from renewable energies, as well as energy efficient event technology and environmentally friendly methods of cleaning.
The Hofburg details their different initiatives including the use of glass bottles versus paper/plastic. Management has come up with presentable and elegantly-designed paper bags rather than the use of plastic bags. Also, something as simple as consciously collecting delegate badges post-event is an effort that they implement.
With these steps in place and the rise of awareness in sustainability, there’s hope that most, if not all, future meetings work towards being green. When sourcing for a destination, consider Vienna! It is definitely a city to look at as a model in making your meeting green.
