As the world moves towards sustainability, there’s growing interest in how events can reduce their environmental impact. Hosting sustainable events means planning gatherings that minimise waste, conserve energy, and reduce emissions. To support this shift, Australia’s Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Events provides a framework that helps organisers understand, calculate, and reduce their events' carbon emissions. While certification under Climate Active is beneficial, this standard is an invaluable tool for event organisers to follow whether or not they pursue formal certification.
In this blog, we’ll break down what it means to host a sustainable event, how to achieve carbon neutrality, and how the Climate Active framework can be a game-changer for event organisers committed to reducing their environmental impact.
What Are Sustainable Events?
Sustainable events are gatherings designed to minimise their environmental footprint. These events focus on reducing resource consumption, limiting waste, and cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable events not only promote environmental responsibility but also encourage attendees to adopt eco-friendly practices. Whether it’s choosing local vendors, reducing plastic usage, or offsetting carbon emissions, every action counts.
The Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Events provides a structured approach for organisers to assess and manage the environmental impact of their events. This framework allows organisers to set clear sustainability goals, track progress, and make meaningful contributions to a greener future.
What is Carbon Neutrality?
When we say an event is carbon neutral, it means that all emissions generated by the event have been balanced out by an equivalent amount of carbon offsets. Achieving this requires three main steps:
- Measure the carbon emissions.
- Reduce emissions as much as possible.
- Offset remaining emissions through certified carbon offset projects.
By adopting carbon-neutral practices, event organisers take responsibility for their environmental impact. Carbon-neutral practices also align well with a sustainable events approach, which encompasses reducing waste and maximising resource efficiency.
The Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Events
The Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Events is an initiative developed by Australia’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources. This voluntary standard provides a structured process for event organisers to measure, reduce, and offset their carbon emissions, ensuring carbon-neutral events are verifiable and credible.
While formal certification under Climate Active is beneficial, the standard itself provides a methodology that is accessible and applicable even without certification. The framework is rigorous and tailored to the Australian context, covering emissions from all aspects of the event—from setup to attendee travel. Using the Climate Active standard as a framework helps event organisers understand and manage emissions, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable practices.
Core Principles of the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard
The Climate Active standard is grounded in five key principles:
- Relevance: Only emissions directly related to the event are considered.
- Completeness: All emissions within the event's boundary must be accounted for.
- Consistency: Emission calculations should be consistent over time, allowing for meaningful comparisons.
- Transparency: Emissions and offset actions must be openly reported.
- Accuracy: Emission calculations must be as precise as possible, with a low margin of error.
These principles ensure that certified sustainable events meet rigorous environmental standards, establishing trust with attendees, clients, and stakeholders.
Key Steps to Climate Active Certification
Here’s a closer look at the steps involved in applying the Climate Active framework to your events:
- Measure: Calculate the total greenhouse gas emissions produced by the event. This includes both direct emissions (like power used on-site) and indirect emissions (like attendee travel and accommodation).
- Reduce: Implement strategies to minimise emissions. This can include using renewable energy sources, choosing sustainable catering, reducing waste, and opting for digital materials over printed ones.
- Offset: Compensate for any remaining emissions by purchasing carbon credits from certified offset projects, such as renewable energy or reforestation initiatives.
- Report: Document all steps taken, including emissions, reduction actions, and offset purchases, in a transparent public report.
- Validate: For larger events, Climate Active requires third-party validation to ensure all reported data and carbon neutrality claims are accurate and credible.
How to Make Events Sustainable
Although highly beneficial, incorporating sustainability into events doesn’t require certification; but these practical steps will help any event align with sustainable practices:
- Use Renewable Energy: Source renewable energy for powering event equipment and facilities.
- Reduce Waste: Provide recycling stations and opt for reusable or compostable materials.
- Encourage Sustainable Transport: Promote carpooling, public transport, or cycling options for attendees.
- Choose Eco-Friendly Vendors: Work with vendors who follow sustainable practices.
- Minimise Printed Materials: Opt for digital tickets, schedules, and promotional materials.
These actions contribute to carbon-neutral events by reducing the overall environmental impact and aligning with the Climate Active framework.
Sustainable Events Certification: Why It Matters
For organisers looking to formalise their sustainability efforts, certification under the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard can offer added credibility. While certification is not essential for using the Climate Active framework, it does provide several benefits:
- Credibility: It offers third-party validation, providing assurance to clients, stakeholders, and attendees.
- Market Differentiation: Certified events stand out, appealing to environmentally conscious audiences.
- Environmental Impact: Certification encourages organisers to make significant carbon reductions, directly benefiting the planet.
While certification provides an added layer of trust, the Climate Active framework alone is a valuable tool for organisations aiming to embrace sustainability in events.
Benefits of Climate Active Certification
Events certified under the Climate Active standard gain a competitive edge. Certification not only showcases a commitment to sustainability but also enhances brand reputation. For event organisers, this means:
- Increased Market Appeal: Attract eco-conscious attendees and clients.
- Operational Efficiency: Implementing sustainable practices often leads to long-term cost savings.
- Positive Brand Image: Certification communicates your dedication to environmental responsibility.
These benefits make Climate Active certification a smart choice for any organisation looking to boost its sustainability profile through green events.
What to Expect When Hosting a Climate Active-Certified Event
Using the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard framework for events equips organisers with a clear understanding of their event's environmental impact. By following this methodology, organisers can refine their processes, manage costs effectively, and build a sustainable event framework that aligns with growing public expectations for eco-friendly gatherings. This approach is both an operational benefit and a brand advantage, meeting the needs of today's sustainability-focused audience.
Conclusion
The Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Events provides a comprehensive framework for hosting carbon-neutral events, helping organisers reduce and offset emissions. Whether or not formal certification is pursued, this standard offers a roadmap for environmentally responsible event management. For event organisers looking to make a positive impact, embracing the Climate Active framework is a meaningful step toward more sustainable, responsible, and memorable gatherings.
If you’re an organisation looking to embrace sustainability and take meaningful steps towards green events, consider joining the Climate Active program. With Climate Active certification, you’re not only creating a memorable event but also contributing to a healthier planet.
Take Action
Want to learn more about managing sustainable events and strategies to pursue event sustainability? Join our Masterclass, co-hosted with ConCater, on November 6th at 12:30 PM AEDT. Dive deeper into best practices and actionable insights for planning and executing eco-friendly events.
Take a step further and download our Climate Active Whitepaper to discover our analysis on Australia’s carbon-neutral certification program and benchmark industry emissions.
Ready to take the next step in decarbonising your events and making them truly sustainable? Book a free call with us today and start your journey toward impactful, environmentally responsible events.
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