Conference News Autumn 2023 | Page 31

31 Feature
Kate Kieran and Rebecca Lardeur
concept , making it difficult to establish a one-size-fits-all standard for a sustainable event ”.
We must also consider the fact that everyone is on “ a different sustainability journey ” and “ at different stages ,” as Beck points out . “ We need to be open and flexible with people ’ s current measuring capabilities ,” Kieran says . This makes the possibility of creating a standard , a “ slow and difficult process ,” adds Beck .
For example , Londonbased venue 15Hatfields is in close proximity to a range of
sustainable suppliers and facilities . “ To prevent any of our non-recyclable rubbish from ending up in landfill , we use a local carbon capture energy recovery plant , which helps to lower our emissions ,” Campbell reveals . But he is quick to add , not everyone will have this luxury , or access to such facilities . Moreover , the range of stakeholders we have within the industry poses its own barrier . Lardeur explains :
“ What we find here at isla , is that what an events producer can do in order be more sustainable , isn ’ t necessarily the same as what a fabricator of a certain size can do , due to factors including time , budget and resources .”
Small steps The good news is , there are small steps we can take , right now , to get the ball rolling and standardise sustainability – regardless of the difficulties and differences outlined above . “ When it comes to standardisation , it should very much be about how we use language and terms , or as we call it ‘ climate literacy ’. We need to work off the same hymn sheet essentially ,” says Kieran .
For example , Jandt says the industry could start by questioning and defining : “ What is sustainability ? What counts ? What is the waste hierarchy , and how does that work ?” This would help provide clarity and avoid confusion – making green goals more attainable .
We can also collaborate further , by creating cross industry working groups . “ It would be great to have suppliers , venues , agencies and corporates sitting round a table to discuss how they can sway behaviour change , share resources , or consider circularity in deliveries – all of those things !” says Beck .
Government support You ’ re probably reading this thinking , but wait , we already have industry standards ? Whilst we do already have certifications , standards and initiatives and like B Corp , ISO 20121 , Net Zero Carbon Events – the eventprofs pointed out they ’ re not government led , or compulsory – they ’ re often down to the discretion of each www . conference-news . co . uk