Net Zero Carbon Events
(NZCE), the business event industry's collaborative effort to eradicate its carbon emissions by 2050, is integrating its methodology into the UN’s reference tool for the measurement of events emissions - the Green Events Tool (GET).
The announcement was made at this year’s COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The tool, developed by the United Nations and managed by
the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD), is already
instrumental in measuring the carbon footprint of UN conferences. Integrating the measurement
methodology developed by NZCE for the business events industry will enhance GET’s capabilities and
align them with the industry’s specific needs.
James Rees, president of the Joint Meetings Industry Council which hosts the Net
Zero Carbon Events initiative for the conference, events and exhibitions
industries worldwide said: “This is a very exciting development for Net Zero
Carbon Events and for the industry. It takes our co-operation and integration
with the United Nations’ standards on measurement a significant step forward. The joint
Launch Event at COP29 and the signing of an MoU between both institutions marks
a commitment to substantive discussions, paving a pathway to future
collaboration.
“Since its inception at COP26 in Glasgow, the Net Zero
Carbon Events initiative has made remarkable progress in advancing
sustainability practices within the business events industry. Thanks to the
collective efforts of our community, we have achieved significant clarity on
environmental aspects relevant to our sector, clearing the way towards a more
sustainable future.”
Joseph
Prakash, director,
Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD) said: “We look forward to
developing this partnership and the mutual benefits it will bring.”
Suriya
Mues, programme officer, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Secretariat commented “Partnerships like this are a good example of the steps
that we need to take. It is providing the events industry with a powerful
tool.”
Speakers at
the launch event at COP29 included: Suriya Mues – Programme Officer, United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, AsaElisabethTynell,
Project Manager, United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), James Rees – President, Joint Meetings
Industry Council (JMIC), Alexander Alles – Executive Director, Joint
Meetings Industry Council (JMIC). Joseph Prakash – Director, Gulf Organisation
for Research and Development (GORD), Kai Hattendorf – CEO, UFI, Dr Senthil Gopinath – CEO, ICCA, and moderator Hemant Nandanpawar – Senior Director, GORD.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
