CHICAGO — Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) released its workstream guidance documents amid the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), outlining the initial standard metrics, reporting systems and methodologies developed by the initiative to help achieve its goal of reaching net zero by 2050.
NZCE’s workstreams released seven guidance documents for the various areas of its focus, including Smart Production & Waste Management, Venue Energy, Logistics, Food & Waste and Measurement among others. Included in the guidance documents are best practices, strategies and recommendations to help the events industry reach net zero. The guidance documents are meant to serve as follow-ups to the NZCE Roadmap and are free to access.
“The seven guidance documents that we published in December are the result of the hard work of over 100 industry volunteers and, having worked closely with the workstreams behind them, there was strong debate but also unity of purpose. That is what our industry and the world need to achieve net zero,” said Alex Alles, Executive Director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), which hosts the NZCE initiative.
The first edition of the NZCE’s Measurement Methodology includes the “initial methodology for measuring the event’s direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions at event-level, regardless of the event type.” It provides illustrative examples of emission calculations for the nine categories of source emission activities, which have been identified as production and materials; freight and logistics; food and beverage; travel to and from the destination; local transportation; accommodation; energy; waste; and digital content and communication.
The NZCE pledge, which launched at COP26 in 2021, has more than 400 signatories and 150 other supporters. The pledge supports the goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which is aligned with the Paris Agreement, and to cut emissions by 50% by 2030.
Progress Made at COP28
COP28 saw representatives from nearly 200 countries come to an agreement to begin reducing global fossil fuel consumption. The COP28 agreement was the first time the term “fossil fuels” appeared in the conference’s formal outcome in 30 years, according to the World Resources Institute. It also marks the first time an international agreement was made to transition away from fossil fuels.
According to an article from the UN, “The stocktake calls on Parties to take actions towards achieving, at a global scale, a tripling of renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The list also includes accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power, phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and other measures that drive the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, with developed countries continuing to take the lead.”
The deal came after two weeks of negotiating in Dubai, where the conference that attracted approximately 85,000 participants was held.
“What struck me the most about COP28 from our perspective is the contrast in the relationship and debate among the participants,” Alles said. “While the political leaders at COP28 struggled to find a unity of view and direction, NZCE was last week described by James Rees, President of JMIC, as ‘the most inclusive collaboration across the events industry ever achieved.’”
Reach Alex Alles at alex@themeetingsindustry.org
