Procuring meetings and events the green way adds value to CSR

As defined by the Green Meeting Industry Council, “a green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all stages of the meeting in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment.”

“Greening” of an event is the process of integrating eco-friendly decision-making into the production of an event, starting from planning to execution. It incorporates sustainable development practices in all the stages of event management. It starts at the conceptualization stage and involves all the key stakeholders, such as buyers, organizers, venues, sub-contractors and suppliers. Energy saving, waste management, recycling, paperless virtual event management online systems and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions are various ways to produce a “green event”.

About a decade ago, only a handful of Fortune 500 companies used to issue sustainability reports. At present, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no longer an obligation to the corporates; it is an integral part in the functioning of the organization. Corporates consider CSR as a societal investment which helps in increasing profits, building reputation, and building healthier communities. They have started incorporating “green policies” in their daily operations. Changes are being made to the offices, factories, warehouses and society as a whole, to make it more eco-friendly.

 In this article, the following questions relating to “green events” will be answered:

• What are the environmental challenges faced by the world in the current scenario?
• How do events affect the environment?
• Why producing “green event” is important?
• What are the best practices in “greening of an event”?
• What are the steps involved in producing such an event?
• Which greening practices the stakeholders should consider while producing such an event?
• What are the areas impacted by “green events”?
• Who are the suppliers who organize “green events”?
• What is the role of Green Meeting Industry Council?