Mission Zero - ESCRS's Sustainable Event Strategy
Inspire Action
We aim to advance our eye sustain.org initiative by partnering with ASCRS and APACRS, and incorporating a sustainability track into the congress program. Additionally, we plan to expand our impact by recruiting at least two new organizations into our Sustainability Partnership program.
Zero Emission
Our commitment to sustainability includes ensuring that at least 25% of delegates will arrive using climate-friendly transportation methods, serving a minimum of 50% vegetarian food, and sourcing at least 70% of our food from local suppliers within 160km. Additionally, we will offset non-avoidable carbon emissions by investing in a carefully curated portfolio of sustainability projects.
Zero Waste
As part of our sustainability goals, we are dedicated to eliminating 90% of single-use plastic, polystyrene, and PVC from our operations. We also aim to decrease the amount of waste sent to landfill to less than 20%, while increasing our recycling rate to over 50%. In addition, we plan to prioritize sustainability by ensuring that over 70% of our signage and branding materials are made from more sustainable materials.
Role Model
To foster a more inclusive and diverse event, we are committed to increasing the balance of female speakers to 35% and ensuring that at least one community or charity partnership is integrated into our congress. In addition, we recognize the importance of attendee wellness and plan to prioritize it by integrating various wellness activities throughout the event.
3 drivers to the sustainability related innovation
Sustainability cannot wait
- We must not wait 1 second for applying sustainable measures at our events
- While the joint ESCRS/MCI approach in proactively implementing sustainable measures was targeting 2022 as a year to measure and observe and 2023 as the year to start making it happen, we jointly accelerated the project and already implemented key goals for the 2022 edition (Zero Waste & Emissions, Inspire Action and be Socially Responsible)
- This allowed to communicate around sustainable measures and start a virtuous circle for 2023 onwards already actively
- This also created a baseline for future editions and a solid starting point for future improvements
Scale
- The ESCRS 2022 Annual Congress welcomed 200 exhibitor and 14’000 participants
- Such a large-scale event involved a huge number of stakeholders (participants, exhibitors, suppliers, organizers, society, CVB, hotels, etc.)
- Solutions implemented were adapted to the scale of the event
- The implemented solutions had an enormous impact on many different levels
360° approach
- Inspiring action
- Be a role model for Social Responsibility
- Short term strategy
- Long term strategy
- Acceleration and permanent adjustment of objectives
- Measurement
- Educate all stakeholders
- Involve all stakeholders
- Reduce emissions
- Reduce waste
- Implement an offsetting strategy
- Marketing
- Budget management
- Revenue generation
Process
In 2022 ESCRS made a commitment and plan to integrate social and environmental sustainability into their community, meetings, events and activities.
With the help of the GDS-Movement and the contribution of key members and partners a two-year sustainability strategy was developed.
How are we sharing our innovation story with the meetings industry
- IPresentations to MCI internal audiences
- MICE advisory board
- Sustainable events IHG Barcelona (pre-IBTM)
- Inclusion in MCI newsletters
- Singatory of the UN Global Compact (for the last 15 years)
- Founding member and signatory of the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative
- Presentation at the IPCAA Annual Members Meeting
- SCIB 2023 event
