Since 2021, we’ve all been on our own paths to a greener more responsible future following the emphasis on climate change as a whole and in particularly the impact from the event industry and it’s historically ‘throwaway’ nature.
Whether you consider yourself starting out on your sustainability journey or quite far ahead, (in which case you’d refer to it as your ESG journey) there is always more to learn, as the landscape is ever-changing and evolving.
Our in house ESG expert and award-winning Sustainability Champion Ellie Cashmore, gives a breakdown of items she has added to her toolbox in her four years of experience in a ESG in events role.
The world stops for no one so let’s get into it:
Number 1 on the list of sustainable event planning tools is the ISLA Proceed Framework. It’s a free, yes FREE, in-depth framework that clearly and simply shows event organisers best practice on making event management more sustainable. It breaks down your event into key areas where emissions and waste are generated such as travel, energy, production, waste and food and water. Within these sections it shows gives prompts as to what to consider when you approach each them if you want to reduce the events environmental impact.
Ellie said:
“It’s that good you feel bad for not paying for it! However,if anyone has been to an ISLA talk or has completed their training they will know that they are huge advocates for education and knowledge sharing in the events and hospitality industry. They have gifted us, in my opinion, the Bible to sustainable event management.”
Before tackling anything, you need to know where you are now as a business, and what to measure to get a baseline in which you can build a ESG roadmap from. This would include some quick wins and longer-term sustainability and societal goals.
To do this you need experts to always hand, preferably a certification partner who specialises in your industry specifically. These experts will audit your organisation so you are able to create a situation analysis then they make recommendations for you to make changes in your organisation and beyond and in turn receive certification that will win you future business.
We know that choosing a certification partner has become a bit of minefield over recent years with increasingly more entering the market.
Here are some tips for choosing the right one for your business…
Tips for Choosing the Right Sustainability Certification Partner
1. Choose a sustainability partner that fits your core product or service and has experience of your industry
2. Look at the added value benefits it brings to your organisation commercially as we are here to make profit whilst supporting people and planet. For example, do they have access to a network of people of interest to your organisation or do they offer collaborate marketing opportunities.
3. Think about what your customers need from you in terms of you helping them make better decisions about sustainable event planning. Check that the partner you choose has the right tools available to support this demand and in a way that reduces the toll on your internal resources.
4. Ensure the certification you choose is recognisable among your stakeholders and target audiences, this will help you gain credibility faster.
Blackberry Events are certified by Greengage Solutions as are many event agencies and venues, although there are others such as Green Tourism that are targeted at venues and are worth considering.
Without data it’s difficult to make informed decisions and it’s even harder to create your Net Zero Plan which is a goal we should all have in sight even if it is a little further down the line. Government targets are for the country to reach Net Zero by 2050, the event industry is committing to this, therefore we have to start thinking about how to pledge the same and how we get there.
It sounds scary, but you don’t need to know the answers right now, you just need to be thinking about them and the best way to start is to consider the data required from you for Scopes 1, 2 and 3 and to figure out how you implement processes now, that can help you form a baseline year of data for those scopes.
Doing some work on this now will make it far less of a job later down the line and it’s something you should be proud of as an organisation so don’t forget to tell your clients.
We are all expected to take on these huge changes as a business and we are told to share knowledge, ignore impostor syndrome and shout our efforts from the rooftops as opposed to ‘Green Hushing’ but hardly anyone helps us understand how to avoid Green washing. This is common gap in knowledge for many of us no matter the sector we work in, which is why some of us shy away from talking about our initiatives loud and proud.
Did you know...
Here are some quick tricks for using the right terminology in your sustainability and CSR related communications:
1. Avoid broad terms such as ‘eco-friendly’ or‘sustainable’ and use softer more purposeful terms such as responsible unless you have data to back up more hard hitting claims
2. Stay clear of calling your business or it’s services or products ‘sustainable’ as nothing truly is ever sustainable
3. Remember sustainability is no longer just about considering our planet, but it is about environmental, social and governance as a holistic approach
4. Avoid Jargon as what good is this information if no one understands it
5. Be factual and back your claims up with evidence where possible
6. Include statistics, numbers or research to give credibility to your story
7. Don’t be boring! Keep messaging simple, clear and colourful
As an event organiser within an agency or a corporate organisation you may have come across something called a Carbon Calculator but you may have no idea what it is unless you are part of an organisation with a turnover above £36 million who to report their carbon emissions by law. A carbon calculator tool helps you measure and minimise the footprint of an event helping organisers making better informed decisions going forward.
It’s always good to have your chosen carbon calculator tool in your back pocket waiting for the moment you are asked by your colleague or client to ‘Measure the carbon footprint of an event’ you are responsible for. Alternatively you could just panic at the thought like most of us do to begin with. Explore options, take demos and speak to your certification partner about possible tools you could use and think carefully about ROI when comparing tools.
Ellie says:
“Be sure to avoid just looking at cost, yes this needs to be reasonable and in line with what you think you can charge your client however you also need to consider the end result, how it is formatted, what resource it takes from your team and how helpful it is in terms of future event planning recommendations.”
If you found that interesting here are some suggestions from us to find out a bit more about Blackberry Events and our events management services.
We are all expected to take on these huge changes as a business and we are told to share knowledge, ignore impostor syndrome and shout our efforts from the rooftops as opposed to ‘Green Hushing’ but hardly anyone helps us understand how to avoid Green washing. This is common gap in knowledge for many of us no matter the sector we work in, which is why some of us shy away from talking about our initiatives loud and proud.
Did you know...
Here are some quick tricks for using the right terminology in your sustainability and CSR related communications:
1. Avoid broad terms such as ‘eco-friendly’ or‘sustainable’ and use softer more purposeful terms such as responsible unless you have data to back up more hard hitting claims
2. Stay clear of calling your business or it’s services or products ‘sustainable’ as nothing truly is ever sustainable
3. Remember sustainability is no longer just about considering our planet, but it is about environmental, social and governance as a holistic approach
4. Avoid Jargon as what good is this information if no one understands it
5. Be factual and back your claims up with evidence where possible
6. Include statistics, numbers or research to give credibility to your story
7. Don’t be boring! Keep messaging simple, clear and colourful
As an event organiser within an agency or a corporate organisation you may have come across something called a Carbon Calculator but you may have no idea what it is unless you are part of an organisation with a turnover above £36 million who to report their carbon emissions by law. A carbon calculator tool helps you measure and minimise the footprint of an event helping organisers making better informed decisions going forward.
It’s always good to have your chosen carbon calculator tool in your back pocket waiting for the moment you are asked by your colleague or client to ‘Measure the carbon footprint of an event’ you are responsible for. Alternatively you could just panic at the thought like most of us do to begin with. Explore options, take demos and speak to your certification partner about possible tools you could use and think carefully about ROI when comparing tools.
Ellie says:
“Be sure to avoid just looking at cost, yes this needs to be reasonable and in line with what you think you can charge your client however you also need to consider the end result, how it is formatted, what resource it takes from your team and how helpful it is in terms of future event planning recommendations.”
If you found that interesting here are some suggestions from us to find out a bit more about Blackberry Events and our events management services.
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