Tips for Reducing Your Company’s Events Carbon Footprint

Events can be a major source of carbon emissions, but with thoughtful planning, they can align with your company’s sustainability goals.

Today, Aclymate highlights some actionable strategies to minimize the environmental impact of your next event.

• Rethink food choices
• Select strategic event locations
• Reduce and reuse event materials
• Educate and equip employees

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Rethink food choices

The food served at events significantly contributes to the overall carbon footprint. Simple adjustments can make a big difference:

• Go low-carbon on the menu: Replacing beef with chicken or offering more vegetarian options can greatly reduce emissions. Each step down the carbon ladder – from red meat to plant-based foods – represents measurable environmental savings.

• Choose sustainable dining ware: Opt for reusable plates or, if necessary, select disposable options that are compostable or recyclable.

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For comprehensive event planning support, consider sustainability-focused partners like Honeycomb Strategies. They specialize in full-spectrum solutions, from food waste management to recycling and event design.

Want to learn more? Keep an eye out for our upcoming episode in the Climate Dad podcast. Corey Clark from Honeycomb Strategies will discuss surprising ways to cut event emissions (do you know that the carpet color has an impact on venue carbon emissions?) that you might have not thought about.

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Select strategic event locations

The location of your event has ripple effects on emissions, from attendee travel to venue facilities:

• Minimize travel footprints: If your event is expecting people to come from all over the place, choose cities with hub airports to reduce emissions from connecting flights. For instance, Los Angeles is a better city to host an event than San Diego in this aspect.
• Streamline ground transportation: Consider arranging shuttle services to minimize individual car rides. Shuttles not only reduce emissions by grouping all individuals’ commutes to one place, but also offer informal networking opportunities for event attendees.
• Optimize transit access: Select venues near mass transit options, ensuring attendees can easily commute via trains or buses.
• Think proximity: If you’re hosting a multiple-day event, consider choosing hotels that are close to the venue, giving attendees low-impact options for travel. Keep in mind that 3-star hotels are usually more sustainable than 4-star counterparts, and also more friendly for the budget.

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Reduce and reuse event materials

Facilities like booths, banners, and decor often create unnecessary waste:

• Rent, don’t buy: Whenever possible, rent items like booths and signage instead of purchasing new ones.
• Get creative: Explore innovative ways to minimize material use altogether. For example, digital displays can replace traditional printed banners.

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Educate and equip attendees

Incorporate climate education into your event to inspire sustainable practices:

• Host a climate speaker: It is a good idea to incorporate climate awareness in larger-scale events through having a guest speaker talk about relevant topics. Aclymate offers such educational services at no cost to educate attendees about reducing emissions!
• Use event emissions calculators: Tools like Aclymate’s event emissions calculator can help quantify and manage the carbon footprint of your event. This feature is included in our custom software, providing actionable insights to organizers.

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By implementing these strategies, your company can lead the way in hosting events that are both impactful and environmentally responsible.

Want to learn more about evaluating and offsetting your business’s carbon emissions? Book a free 30-minute consultation call with our sustainability expert now.