Sustainability

EAC 2019 cares about sustainability!

As an organiser, EAC 2019 are working hard when planning the conference to reduce the impact on the environment and climate. However, a conference of this size always affects the environment due to the amount of people participating in the conference e.g.  the increased travel, food and waste et cetera.

Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the most sustainable meeting destination in the world according to the Global Destination Sustainability Index 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index compares cities to determine how well they meet a long list of sustainability criteria in four different categories: social, supplier, convention bureau and environmental. The GDS-index was created to help Destinations, Convention Bureaus, Event Planners and Suppliers drive the adoption and recognition of sustainable practices in their city and in the global events industry.

Read about Gothenburg and Sustainability here >>

The venue – Svenska Mässan

When choosing the venue Svenska Mässan we feel confident that EAC2019 will live up to our sustainability standards. For Svenska Mässan the work on sustainability goes back several years and is under constant development. The venue is certified according to ISO 20121. Read about Svenska Mässan and Sustainability here >>

EAC2019 efforts to reduce carbon footprint / Environmental policy

Green meetings are based on a sustainability framework which balances environmental, economic and social impacts in the context of an Association’s business needs.

The conference is working towards having a limited impact on the environment through careful consumption of energy and resources. This includes amongst other things to electronically circulating meeting materials, online file sharing, not produce unnecessary conference material and products and if so choose environmental friendly and socially friendly products as well as providing healthy food and hosting meetings and social events in central locations. Although hosting an entirely sustainable meeting does take work, it’s worth the effort, and implementing some environmentally friendly practices can make a positive impact and generates sustainable solutions.

These guidelines are provided for coordinators, committees and contractors to the Conference and aim to educate and inspire continued mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. These guidelines will be continually evaluated as technologies and mitigation options continue to change.

We hope and think that EAC 2019 will inspire to a sustainable focus on organizing this event in the future as well.

Some of the things we do:

  • The venue Svenska Mässan, the hotels and social events are all located in the city center and you can walk between them all
  • The Hotels are chosen that have effective and comprehensive environmentally-friendly policies and operations.
  • At the venue we will offer vegetarian alternatives for all lunches.
  • All coffee/tea served at the “fika” breaks (coffee breaks) will be organic and Fairtrade, the sandwiches and sweets served at the fikas has two main ingredients that are organic.
  • All social events venues have been chosen that are considering the environment, serving MSC certified fish and using locally produced products if possible.
  • Swedish tap water is of such a high quality and tap water stations will be available throughout the venue.
  • The venue is providing waste separation bins in the conference area and the waste from other bins will be sorted later at the waste station.
  • Printed materials are kept to a minimum and all printed paper provided by the conference such as the programme is made of certified paper (Svanen). Conference materials such as abstracts and proceedings are provided online.
  • Conference bags are chosen with a sustainable thought, they are made from recycled cotton and are corporate social responsibility approved (CRS), meaning we care about the people that provided us with the conference bags.
  • Conference delegate badges made of paper (FSC certified) and no plastic.

What you as a visitor can do:

  • There are excellent bus shuttles from Göteborg Landvetter Airport stopping just outside the venue. The bus stop is called “Korsvägen”, find more info here >>  
  • In Gothenburg we walk! The venue is located in the city center, all hotels and social venues are located by walking distance from each other – walk and explore the city, use the public transportations or the city bikes instead of taking taxis. Read more here >>
  • Please follow the waste separation instructions at the venue and at your accommodations when available.
  • Swedish tap water is of such a high quality, choose this instead of bottled water. Tap water stations will be available throughout the venue. Bring your own bottles and fill them up with tap water.
  • Choose vegetarian options for your lunches and other meals if possible, Gothenburg is a great city for vegetarian food. Read more here >>
  • If you are shopping, the city s providing a “Sustainable shopping guide”. Read more here >>

If you have any questions or suggestions to the sustainability work for the conference you are most welcome to contact us on: eac2019@meetx.se

Please participate in a climate friendly way!