Planning sustainable meetings and events is an effective way to reduce environmental impact while supporting your organisation's wider sustainability and ESG objectives. By making thoughtful decisions throughout the planning process, you can minimise waste, reduce carbon emissions and encourage more responsible business practices without compromising the attendee experience.
Sustainability can be considered at every stage of an event, from selecting the venue and organising delegate travel to choosing catering, materials and suppliers. Even small changes can make a meaningful difference when combined.
When planning a meeting or event, consider:
- Choosing venues with recognised sustainability certifications or strong environmental credentials.
- Selecting locations that minimise travel distances for attendees and are easily accessible by public transport.
- Offering hybrid or virtual attendance options where appropriate to reduce travel-related emissions.
- Using digital agendas, tickets and event materials instead of printed copies wherever possible.
- Reducing single-use plastics and encouraging the use of reusable alternatives.
- Choosing seasonal, locally sourced catering and considering plant-based menu options where appropriate.
- Planning accurately to help minimise food waste.
- Working with suppliers who demonstrate sustainable and responsible business practices.
- Measuring the environmental impact of your event and identifying opportunities for continual improvement.
Every sustainable choice contributes to reducing the environmental impact of meetings and events while supporting broader environmental goals. By embedding sustainability into the planning process, organisations can deliver successful events that align with both business objectives and ESG commitments.
For more ideas, download our Sustainable Meetings & Events Checklist. It provides simple, actionable recommendations to help you plan more sustainable meetings and events.