WASHINGTON, D.C. — WEFTEC, the Water Environment Federation’s (WEF) annual Technical Exhibition and Conference, has earned Platinum-level certification under the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards. This recognition builds on WEFTEC’s 2023 event Gold-level certification and underscores its commitment to driving sustainability in the events industry.
Held Oct. 5-9, 2024, at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, WEFTEC welcomed over 21,000 water sector professionals. Attendees connected, learned and explored cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of water, while also advancing industry-wide sustainability efforts.
Key Sustainability Initiatives
Carbon Offsets: Through a combination of attendee donations and a matching contribution from WEF, 55% of participant travel emissions were offset by purchasing Certified Emission Reduction units (CERs) from the United Nations carbon offset platform. WEF also offset 100% of its employees’ travel-related emissions.
Water Usage Offsets: WEF offset 100% of the water used during the event through Water Restoration Credits purchased from Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
Plastic Waste Reduction: Partnering with Sodexo Live!, WEFTEC eliminated over 95% of plastic water bottles at convention center concessions, replacing them with refillable and recyclable aluminum bottles.
Reusable Bottle Initiative: In partnership with Xylem, the event promoted bringing reusable water bottles to the event. Stickers with QR codes from Fill it Forward were scanned during refills, generating $1 donations per scan for School WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Programs supported by Wine to Water. This effort resulted in a record-breaking 27,000 refills at the convention center’s 87 refill stations.
Waste Audit: In collaboration with the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, a waste audit analyzed 3,674 pounds of event waste, ensuring optimal material diversion from landfills. The audit provided insights into recycling and composting improvements at the venue.
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“WEF is committed to sustainability because it fosters long-term success while addressing critical environmental and social responsibilities. Our mission is to inspire the water community in pursuit of human and environmental well-being and achieving the highest level of certification to the EIC’s Sustainable Event Standards is a testament to our dedication to sustainability and commitment to advancing practices that benefit the communities we serve,” Stephanie Jones, CAE, CMP Fellow, WEF’s Managing Director of Event Strategy, said.
Looking ahead, Jones reaffirmed WEF’s dedication to its sustainability efforts. “We will continue our commitment to sustainability and to minimize the environmental impact of our events, using the EIC’s Sustainable Event Standards to elevate our efforts,” Jones said.
The EIC Sustainable Event Standards were developed through a global collaborative process involving experts from diverse sectors. These standards offer a framework for event professionals to implement and measure sustainable practices.
“WEFTEC’s achievement exemplifies what is possible when event organizers commit to integrating sustainability into every facet of their operations,” Amy Calvert, CEO of the Events Industry Council, said in a statement. “This certification not only reflects WEF’s leadership but also demonstrates their dedication to setting a high standard for environmental and social responsibility in the events industry.”
The Alliance for Audited Media, an independent third-party organization, audited and certified WEFTEC’s compliance with the EIC standards.
“Certifying WEFTEC at the PLATINUM level highlights their extraordinary commitment to sustainability and transparency. We applaud WEF’s team on this achievement,” Richard Murphy, CEO, President and Managing Director, Alliance for Audited Media, said in a statement.
Reach Stephanie Jones at sjones@wef.org
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