Some 454 cities , 23 regions , 1,397 businesses , 74 of the biggest investors , and 569 universities are already signed up .
Miguel Naranjo , programme officer at UNFCCC , referenced the UK ’ s hosting of COP26 , as an incentive to “ do it now ”, with Fiona Pelham , CEO at Positive Impact Events , describing a future where the prime minister could announce to the world plans to make the UK events industry carbon neutral by 2050 .
Naranjo said that an ‘ ambitious timeline ’ could see the framework set up in advance of COP26 and that businesses within the industry could contribute to shaping how it could serve the wide diversity of organisations within the events industry . He said : “ It is voluntary and collaborative , but it needs to be ambitious : net-zero by 2050 is the basis . And it needs to be transparent , so everyone outside the sector can see what we are
doing .”
The Paris Agreement aims to limit a global increase in temperature to 2 ° Celsius . Naranjo said : “ Potentially we are 10 years away or less from reaching 1.5 ° Celsius . Beyond 1.5 °, facing the consequences of climate change becomes difficult and expensive . So , it ’ s really important we do everything we can right now to avoid getting there . That means reducing emissions by half of what we have today by 2030 .
“ If our society fails , of course business stops too .”
Above : Theresa Villiers MP , chair of the APPG for Events
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Sustainability
Westminster gets involved Theresa Villiers MP , chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events underlined that , while the main priority of the group was to help the industry on it its feet again , it was “ striking ” that public interest in environmental matters had been undimmed by the pandemic .
“ The events sector can play its part on tackling the environmental challenges we face as a society ,” Villiers told the roundtable . “ That is of course a twofold challenge : there ’ s not only increasing pressure on our climate but also on nature and wildlife habitats and the events sector of course has a central role because international action on climate change or environmental issues has been pushed forward by a series of major conferences .”
Villiers suggested that the events industry should be leading on matters relating to environmental sustainability , as good practice is often carried over to the other sectors it serves .
“ Without the big goal gatherings there would be no chance of driving the change needed by governments , businesses and individuals around the world ,” she said . “ The Paris conference , for example , was a massive step forward and many hopes are pinned on both the G7 in Cornwall this Summer and COP26 in Glasgow . So , the climate debate provides an illustration of the central part of the events industry plays in spreading knowledge , ideas , skills and best practices across borders .”
Villiers added that the the current priority is to find a means to get events happening again as the world emerges from Covid-19 . She said : “ There is still real merit in the sector considering the kinds of ideas that we ’ ve heard about already this afternoon with the goal of building back better . And further reducing the carbon impact of the sector .”
Positive Impact Events says it will now work in partnership with the industry ’ s key associations to bridge for the £ 30,000 funding gap and take on the responsibility of working with the UNFCCC to create a globally credible , sector specific , framework for the events industry .
The question remains , however , is whether or not event organisers from across the sector get behind it . www . conference-news . co . uk