Greening the Summit: Introduction
Over 9000 international meetings are held globally each year and about 20% of these are on a significant scale, which involves over 1000 participants. When large numbers of people gather for an event, the host city, country or area experiences a great increase in demand for natural resources (e.g. water and energy) and additional stress is placed on the local communities (e.g. waste and pollution). The impact of such events may be positive, usually translated into economic benefits; however these benefits are often accompanied by negative environmental and social impacts. Event greening has the potential to reduce the negative impacts that the event has on the host region by contributing to the maintenance of a healthy environment capable of meeting resource demands in the future.
Vision of a "green event"
The vision of a green event is to reduce the consumption of natural resources, avoid damage to the local and global environment, protect biodiversity and human health, reduce waste to a minimum, take ecological, social and economic aspects into account for future-oriented city development and offer sustainable development options to the local people, their environment and economy. Greening should have no negative impacts on local inhabitants. It is also important to realize that the greening of an event is an on-going and continuous process and not just an isolated once-off activity. It is crucial that event greening involves incorporating sustainable development principles into all levels of event organization and implementation.
Benefits of a "green event"
Event hosting can be used as a medium for a host city to initiate sustainable development programs, which will have long-term local economic, social and environmental benefits. Greening an event also has direct financial cost savings for the various role players. This is mostly achieved by reducing energy and water costs (through reduction in use and efficient technology), encouraging waste separation and recycling (which contributes to the development of local recyclers, and stimulates local economies) and through purchasing local products.
These gatherings also provide unique opportunities to raise awareness around sustainable development issues and thus encourage people to change their perceptions and behavior and make responsible decisions that can reduce the negative impact on the environment and society.
Basic principles of the greening process
- Environmental best practice
- Social and economic development
- Education and awareness
- Monitoring, evaluation and reporting
- Leaving a positive legacy
Municipal Leaders Summit greening objectives
The objective of greening the Municipal Leaders Summit is to ensure that the organization and management of the event is planned and undertaken in such a way that it demonstrates best environmental practices, and makes a significant contribution to enabling sustainable development and local community benefits in Montréal. It is envisaged that through the greening process, negative environmental and social impacts will be minimized, that there will be an increased awareness regarding the importance of sustainable development in Montréal and that a positive greening legacy will be left behind.
For more information on ICLEI's Greening Events initiative, please visit:
www.iclei.org/itc/greening-events
Municipal Leaders Summit Greening Practices
- Chantal Gagnon, Director of the Environment, Montréal, Canada (middle) with children from Kuyasa in Cape Town, South Africa (Photo credit: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town)
The Conveners of the Summit, in partnership with the host city, Montréal, put much effort into implementing the event with the environment in mind.
Every action counts!
We thank the City of Montréal for assuming the responsibility of reducing negative effects of the event in its communities and the Centre Mont-Royal for their openness in allowing us to implement the above strategies in the venue. We hope that the event will have lasting impacts and “greening events” will become state of the art.
- The ICLEI Climate Legacy is a carbon offset payment to compensate for the CO2 emissions caused as a result of air travel related to the Summit. Please note that a Climate Legacy fee was not included in the registration fee. We encourage all participants to visit www.atmosfair.info to make their payment. All trips of funded participants and speakers as well as of ICLEI staff was compensated through a payment to the Kuyasa project in Cape Town, South Africa. (Click here for the 2006 World Congress visit to Kuyasa [PDF, 93 KB)
- As a contribution from the host of the COP, 200 hectares of forest will be planted in Canada to compensate conference-related emissions.
- Summit participants who signed up for the Montréal City Tours and Technical visits were transported in buses fueled by biodiesel. Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. It contains no petroleum, is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.
- Montréal hosted over 10,000 delegates at the Montréal Climate Conference. In an effort to curb pollution and traffic congestion, all of the Summit’s registered participants were given access to a public transportation pass. Montréal’s public transportation system is safe and reliable. Public transportation helps to reduce emissions and consumption of oil.
- Coffee served during the Summit was Van Houtte’s fair trade and organic coffee. Fair trade certified coffees are purchased through direct trade from cooperatives (co-ops) or small coffee farmers at a price that reflects a living wage and under trading conditions that are sustainable for producers as well as buyers.
- Reduction of materials generated from kitchens and coffee breaks was attained by using products that come in large packages or containers. This includes large milk cartons instead of cups, sugar cubes instead of sugar packets, etc.
- When possible, reusable products were used instead of disposable materials such as plastic cups or paper plates. The goal was to use no one-way products.
- All recyclable materials generated from meal preparation and coffee breaks was be recycled, organized as a special service of the City of Montréal. Based on the efforts for the Municipal Leaders Summit the same service is now also in place for the COP/MOP.
- All compostable materials generated from meal preparation, including table scraps and paper towels in bathrooms, was composted.
- Three-way recycle bins were placed in strategic areas to recycle glass, plastic and metal, as well as paper and cardboard, in addition to the regular garbage container.
- Second-hand winter garments were offered to participants who come from warm climates. After the event, they will be donated.
- A portion of the wine being served at the Mayoral Gala Dinner was made from organically grown grapes.
- Water available throughout the Summit was local drinking water served in jugs.
- The Summit’s publications such as letterhead, final invitation and program booklet were printed on recycled paper.
Every action counts!
We thank the City of Montréal for assuming the responsibility of reducing negative effects of the event in its communities and the Centre Mont-Royal for their openness in allowing us to implement the above strategies in the venue. We hope that the event will have lasting impacts and “greening events” will become state of the art.
