Entries Tagged 'Events:all things green' ↓

The much debated BS 8901 - Sustainable Event Management went live at the end of last year, and is available through BSI . 

The new Standard provides requirements for planning and managing sustainable events of all sizes and types, supplemented by advice on how to meet and surpass, these requirements.

It encompasses the entire range of events ranging from large scale conferences and unique events such as the 2012 Olympics to music festivals and air shows.

The standard is applicable throughout the sector supply chain encompassing venues, organizing companies and industry contracting firms and is aimed at the following groups:

• Event organizers
• Venues
• Organizations and/or individuals in the supply chain.

BS 8901 provides guidance in the form of easy to understand practical information designed to assist the user to implement the requirements and those in event management to manage their environmental, financial and social risks and impacts spanning all aspects of event management.

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When carbon offsets began, tree planting was the main way that people offset emissions. These days, best practise in carbon offsetting is generally considered to be investing in sustainable energy projects that cut emissions in the first place –such as renewable energy and energy efficiency.                                                     

By paying for the carbon saved by technologies like efficient lightbulbs and wind energy etc, carbon offsetting helps to green the global economy.

The money from carbon offsets is starting to drive the promotion of clean technology around the world, with especially exciting work being done to promote ‘appropriate technologies’ such as efficient cooking stoves, long recognised as crucial for improving quality of life and now finally, through the carbon market, starting to access the significant capital needed to make them available to millions.

Newly launched standards such as the Gold Standard (VERs) are ensuring that funding goes to real, verified carbon savings.

Climate Care was the first carbon offset organisation in the UK to focus on sustainable energy projects rather than forestry. Currently 80% of our carbon reductions in our online portfolio are made in sustainable energy projects. We still make 20% of our CO2 reductions through a forest restoration project. This is because globally, around 20% of greenhouse gas emissions are through deforestation or forest fires.

It is crucial to find a way to fund the protection of the worlds forests, but there is still a lot of debate around the right mechanisms to do this.

Thanks to Bettina Koller of Climate Care for the above.
Visit: www.climatecare.org

Paragon recommend carbon offsetting for events as part of a sustainable event management process and work closely with Climate Care.

If you’re taking the first steps in planning a more environmentally responsible event you could be forgiven for being confused as to whether you should go sustainable, green or carbon neutral.  Or are we simply talking semantics? 

Last year saw many high profile ’carbon neutral’ events where the carbon footprint, ie the C02 emissions were calculated and offset through specialist companies; the G8 Summit, Live Earth..many companies, cities and even the Vatican, pop bands and celebrities are going carbon neutral.  

The true value to the environment of going carbon neutral depends on the amount of emissions that have been reduced and the way in which the offset companies are spending the funds.  (Did you know it takes 15 trees, 40 to 50 years to absorb 5 tonnes of carbon whereas 1 energy efficient lightbulb saves 1/2 tonne c02 in it’s lifetime?). 

But is going carbon neutral the best way forward?

By staging a sustainable event, you not only reduce carbon emissions and look to replacing the use of natural resources by investing in effective projects (ie renewable energy sources) but you also include considerations to minimise the negative ecological, cultural and social impact of your event on the environment.  Ie, how is your event going to make the world a better place - and make you money.

Later this year the new BS8901 Sustainable Event Management  will be launched.  It provides a much welcome starting point that enables us to look inward and take stock of the systems, processes and work practices we currently use and how we can begin to revise our approach and set the systems in place in order to work, quite simply, in a more environmentally responsible way.

If you’d like to see a copy of the draft of BS8901 just email us at info@paragoneurope.com.  (NB:the closing date for public comment has passed).

What are your views on Carbon Offsetting.  Is it possible for a ‘Carbon Neutral’ event to truly neutralise the effect of it’s carbon emissions?

Paragon’s view is that offsetting should only be undertaken as a last resort when all possible measures have been exhausted to negate or reduce the potential for C02 emissions.  Only when this has been done do we look to replacing, ie to fund or support a sustainable project that is working globally to reduce carbon emissions.

And that doesn’t mean planting trees. Although it’s a nice gesture to plant the odd tree as a gift or memorial, it would take 4 planets-worth of newly planted trees to make a worthwhile impact on C02 emissions, and you’d have to wait about 100 or so years. And if they die or burn, they release tons of carbon back into the atmosphere.

We also need to choose our offsetting companies carefully. Paragon use Climate Care.

We’ve come across one interesting view on the subject - a report published by the Carbon Trade Watch. “The Carbon Offset Myth”.

Have a read and tell us your views. Download .pdf

We came across Green Tomato Cars earlier this year.  The Hammersmith based company’s fleet comprise Toyota Prius saloons that have an engine that runs partly on electric battery and partly on fuel.  This means their carbon emission is only half that of a traditional black cab and the company offsets the unavoidable emissions.

The company operates 24/7 across London.  You can either call and book or set up an account and book online.  Give them a call!  020 8568 0022

1.Our first tip is - call us!  But if you are going it alone, here are a few other tips:

2. Use LEDs
Lighting is one of the most obvious ways an event consumes energy and a growing number of technologies offer more earth-friendly solutions.

LED lights win raves for their convenience and low energy usage. An LED fixture of comparable brightness uses up to 80 percent less energy than its conventional counterpart. Another perk of LED lights is that the lights themselves come in all colours, so there’s no need to set up huge labour-intensive rigs for colour films.

Hassle Factor: None. Using them for an event is a simple request for most lighting companies.

Cost: LEDs are more expensive to produce, so hiring costs more. On the other hand, setup is much quicker and easier, so you could recoup most or all of the hire cost.

2. Rethink Your Cars
While hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius are the best-known, there are a variety of alternative-fuel vehicles on the road, and a few forward-thinking car services are offering these vehicles. Green Tomato has a fleet of Priuses for customers traveling around London and beyond. Other companies such as Chauffeur-First offer their fleet of executive Lexus hybrid vehicles. London’s 20,000 black taxi fleet will also be expected to meet strict emissions standards by mid 2008, under the Mayor’s Taxi Emissions Strategy.

Hassle Factor: Outside of major cities, finding a green/er car service is tough. For smaller events, you might be better off renting a hybrid and hiring a driver, or be creative with local and appropriate options where earth-friendly transportation is a priority. But for guests or execs who have their hearts set on a stretch Hummer or a similarly gas-guzzling ride, there might not be much you can do.

Cost: These services are generally within the same price range as other services that provide more typical town cars.
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Our mission is very clear:  To produce Worldclass events with a positive impact on the environment.

Some people spend a lifetime campaigning for a better world.  In comparison, our 18 intensive months of research in preparation for our transition to a more environmentally responsible way of working, launched in November 06, seems pretty small.

Read eventsreview.com

However, we had to start somewhere and we’re proud to have been one of the first agencies to address CSR and change our approach.  We were, in fact, one of the stakeholder agencies invited to comment on the drafts of BS8901 - Sustainable Event Management (recently published).  Now many more agencies and suppliers are addressing the need to take CSR seriously and are taking positive steps to put systems and initiatives in place to meet legislative and client demand.

We say client demand, but that’s not actually the case just yet.  Clients are not yet banging down our doors, or anyone else’s we believe, to stage sustainable events.  At the moment all we hear a light rapping, but it’s only a question of time as a rapidly increasing number of companies are reviewing their green procurement strategies and more brand managers recognise the commercial advantages in staging environmentally responsible live event campaigns.

We’re ready - bring it on!  Let’s get some big events in the press for POSITIVE IMPACT creatively, commercially and environmentally.