A new industry initiative to address climate change

Sustainable development has long been a focus for the events industry. Connected to programmes like the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), industry initiatives have addressed everything from waste management and energy conservation to local sourcing and hiring practices. The principles of sustainability are now firmly imbedded within industry practices and client expectations.

Now, the focus is intensifying even further as we need to accelerate our actions in response to the threat of climate change.

The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) hosts a new initiative – Net Zero Carbon Events – to connect the events industry globally to the rapidly growing movement towards net zero by 2050.

In November 2021, world leaders meet in Glasgow, Scotland, at COP26 to present how their countries will achieve the 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.

Through this initiative, JMIC aims to link all stakeholders in the corporate, professional, academic and destination communities world-wide 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.

The Net Zero Carbon Events initiative aims to bring together a wide range of industry stakeholders to:

-          Jointly communicate our industry’s commitment to tackling climate change and driving towards net zero by 2050

-          Develop common methodologies for measuring 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

The new initiative arises from the work of an organising task force initiated by JMIC members and it was born from a discussion with the UNFCCC secretariat — United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat — which is also supporting the initiative. EEIA officially supports the pledge for net zero carbon events and will actively contribute to the advancement of the initiative among its membership and towards the European Institutions’ policy shaping in collaboration with other stakeholders.

Find more information at: www.netzerocarbonevents.org