Green Meetings and Events Launch

This week we were delighted to launch our Green Meetings Standard a new accreditation which will help event venues attract new business during their recovery from the pandemic.

Hotels, conference centres, and other venues for meetings and events can now apply for the accreditation to measure their performance against our three pillars of caring for people, places, and the planet. Independent assessors will examine criteria, which are aligned to the United Nations Sustainability Goals, ranging from energy, water, and waste through to catering, procurement, and travel, as well as awareness, communication, and community involvement.

We have created the Green Meetings Standard in response to growing requests from the meetings and event industry to help identify and source venues that prove they are taking their environmental responsibilities seriously, especially in the run-up to the United Nations’ COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November.

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The Green Meetings brand was launched on Monday 7 June during an online event chaired by Andrea Nicholas, Chief Executive of Green Tourism, and with speakers including: Scott Maclean, Managing Director of Green Tourism; Aaron McKeen, Sustainability Champion at the EICC; Rory Archibald, Head of Associations, Sectors & Marketing at VisitScotland Business Events; and Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions at the Glasgow Convention Bureau.

The new initiative builds on our existing meetings and event venues criteria, which was developed in 2001. Those criteria have been used to help more than 700 venues achieve accreditation, including Central Hall Westminster, the EICC, Manchester International Conference Centre, Olympia London, and the QE2 Centre.

Andrea Nicholas, Chief Executive of Green Tourism, said: “Our new Green Meetings standard gives meetings and event venues the tools they need for sustainable growth as they recover from the pandemic.

“These new standards have been created in response to demand from the industry, with more and more event organisers wanting reassurance that the venues they pick meet the highest international environmental standards.

“This new brand is built on the back of our 25 years of experience, and incorporates examples of best practice from businesses throughout the world.

“As well as assessment, the scheme also gives support to venues so that they can improve their performance continuously and demonstrate the ways in which they are meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Green Tourism worked with the EICC to develop its original criteria for conference centres back in 2001, and the venue became the first to achieve the organisation’s accreditation.

Aaron McKeen, Sustainability Champion at the EICC, said: “Caring for the environment and our people is one of our core values at the conference centre. 

“Event organisers are asking more and more questions about the environmental credentials of our facilities and our services and so it’s essential that we can demonstrate that we take sustainability very seriously, and support them in their ambitions to host more sustainable meetings. 

“The independent assessments that are carried out as part of the accreditation is one of the key attractions of Green Tourism’s work because it gives the EICC the external validation of the work we do day in, day out to be a responsible business working towards net zero in the years ahead. 

“Holding the Green Tourism Gold Award has always been a source of pride for the EICC and by becoming the first venue in the UK to meet the Green Meetings standard is testament to our commitments in this area.”