Is your company looking for a tangible way to measure sustainability progress? Elizabeth Fretheim believes the first step is understanding where your impacts are, how big they are in each category and prioritizing action.
“The Net Zero Carbon Events Initiative published a roadmap that overviews the key environmental impacts of the event industry and is developing guidance on how to measure them and create positive change,” says Fretheim, vice president, sustainability for Freeman. “It’s important to measure your baseline, understand what it includes and what is out of scope and work with your internal teams and supplier partners to identify what data can be pulled.”
Fretheim is one of many meeting industry sustainability experts who shared their insights with us for the April issue of The Meeting Professional, which features a sustainability theme. She will also be presenting an MPI webinar called “Driving Change: Leveraging Sustainability in Meeting Design” on April 9.
MPI’s ongoing partner for sustainability coverage and education is Marriott International (check out our Sustainability Resources hub), a company that has long understood the importance of sustainability in the meeting and hospitality industries.
“I look at sustainability within Marriott as a ripple effect. Just one small action now can lead to a profound transformation in the future,” says Michael Clarke, senior director, B2B Events & Programs for Marriott International. “Looking back at how far we’ve come in such a short period of time is a testament to the sheer power of small actions leading to significant change. We are keeping an eye on the future and embracing the ripple effect to create events that not only leave a minimal environmental footprint but also make a positive social impact.”
Read on for key insights into where sustainability experts hope to see the meeting industry in five years (from seamlessly integrating sustainability practices to a regional focus that integrates hybrid technology) and the most effective methods for measuring event sustainability efforts.
