Carbon footprint of a business event: why and how to reduce its environmental impact?

Why carry out a carbon assessment for a professional event?

 

Organizing a business event implies a growing responsibility towards environmental issues. In France, these initiatives generate thousands of tonnes of CO₂e every year, mainly linked to mobility, electricity consumption and the associated environmental impacts.

Measuring the carbon footprint of these events is not just a gesture for the climate, it's also a strategic move for companies and organizations.

♻️ An eco-responsible commitment that enhances the company's image

 

Carrying out a carbon footprint demonstrates the concrete commitment of a company or structure in the events sector to a more sustainable future. At a time when the ecological transition has become a priority on a European scale, this approach responds to the growing demand from participants and stakeholders for more responsible events.

By calculating the carbon footprint of their activities, organizers are not only adopting an ethical stance, they are also integrating a strategic approach that is essential to guaranteeing the sustainability of their operations.

Increasingly, these organizations understand that this approach is crucial to their resilience in the face of extreme climatic events, and their ability to endure in an ever-changing world. This is not simply a question of environmental responsibility, but an imperative for their long-term survival.

📈An opportunity to strengthen brand image and competitiveness

 

An organization's brand image is a key factor in its success, especially in a sector as visible as events.

Integrating a carbon footprint into the preparation of an event sends out a strong signal: that of a company concerned about its influence and its role in the fight against climate change.

It's not just about environmental benefits. According to a study published by GlobalData, organizations adopting responsible practices see an improvement in their reputation and attractiveness, particularly among young talent and consumers.

⚖️ Anticipating regulations and optimizing resources

 

Regulations are evolving rapidly, notably with the application of the environmental objectives of the Paris Agreement and European directives. Carrying out a carbon footprint assessment enables us to respond to these changes by aligning ourselves with future standards. Ultimately, this approach can avoid financial penalties or sanctions in the event of non-compliance.

What's more, analyzing the emissions data for a business event provides a clear picture of the main emitting items, such as travel, energy consumption and waste management. This data can be used to identify opportunities for optimizing resources and reducing costs. For example:

🚌 Encourage the use of public transport or carpooling to emit greenhouse gases linked to exhibitors' journeys.

⚡️ Reduce energy consumption with low-impact equipment, such as LED lighting or energy-saving technologies.

🥗 Better manage catering by favoring local, seasonal menus with less meat, which are often less costly and more sustainable.

In this way, the carbon footprint becomes a strategic organizational tool that combines sustainability and profitability.

What are the main sources of emissions from a professional event?

 

A professional event generates significant carbon emissions, spread over several major functions. Measuring and understanding these items is essential to identifying levers for action.

🚛 Travel and logistics: a crushing carbon burden

 

Travel by exhibitors, speakers and logistics service providers is the largest item. They account for a major share of GHG emissions from events, representing 70% to 90% of each event's carbon emissions.

In France, a plane journey emits an average of 285 g of CO₂ per passenger per kilometer, compared with just 14 g for a train journey. For example, an event in Paris bringing together 500 participants, 30% of whom arrive by plane from Europe, can generate several tons of CO₂ from travel alone.

To reduce this :

• Choose locations accessible by public transport or train.
• Encourage carpooling or offer hybrid alternatives such as online participation.
• Choose local logistics providers to reduce the number of journeys required.

📝 Energy and resources consumed on site

 

The location of the event is important. Heating, air conditioning, lighting and technical equipment consume energy that often depends on the type of infrastructure and its management.

This can be reduced by choosing greener solutions:

• Opt for premises certified as "low-energy buildings" or using renewable resources.
• Replace conventional lighting with LEDs and limit energy-guzzling equipment.
• Adapt the length of the meeting to optimize needs

What's more, catering, which is often overlooked, is a major contributor to emissions. Meals containing meat, particularly beef, have a far greater consequence than vegetarian options. One kilogram of beef produces 27 kg of CO₂.

To remedy this :

• Offer menus based on local, seasonal, meat-reduced products.
• Limit food waste by adapting portions to the number of visitors.
• Avoid disposable packaging by opting for reusable alternatives

Waste and indirect emissions

  The waste generated by an event includes packaging, paper, promotional items and food-related waste. Their treatment, whether by recycling or incineration, generates indirect emissions that add to the overall carbon footprint.. The organization of a convention may entail the production of 14 kg of waste per participant and that of an international seminar up to 34 kg per guest! According to AdemeAn average event for 5,000 people would generate 2.5 tonnes of waste, consume 1,000 kWh of energy and 500 kg of paper. A waste management structure can considerably reduce this: 💻 Limit the printing of paper media by favoring digital alternatives. 🚮 Install accessible sorting points and make guests aware of their use. ♻️ Work with specialized service providers to ensure efficient recycling. Finally, it's important to differentiate between greenhouse gases directemissions, scope 1, (produced on site, such as the resources used for heating or electricity) of the emissions indirect, scope 2 (linked to upstream or downstream activities, such as worker mobility or media production). According to the GHG Protocol, they fall under scopes 1, 2 and 3..

How to reduce the environmental impact of a business event?

 

Let's take a closer look at the different solutions.

📉Reduce the impact of travel for participants and speakers

 

Travel, whether for participants or logistics, is often the biggest source of carbon emissions. To limit them, there are several levers to pull:

 

• Choose accessible venues: One of the most effective ways of reducing transport-related GHGs is to give preference to "environmentally responsible" venues, i.e. those well served by public transport. For example, holding events in cities like Paris or other European metropolises with good rail connections limits air travel, one of the major sources CO₂ emitted.
• Carpooling or group trips are preferable. : Carpooling and electric shuttles help reduce fuel consumption emissions per person.

   

• Integrating hybrid formats : By offering a virtual or hybrid option for remote guests, we can significantly reduce mobility and therefore the carbon footprint footprint of events.

💡 Optimizing energy and resources used

  Visit heatingthe air conditioning, l'lighting and equipment operation also represent a major source of emissions. To limit this :

 
• Choosing eco-responsible venues: It's crucial to choose infrastructures that are certified for their low power consumption. Many venues in France and Europe now offer certifications such as HQE or BREEAM, which guarantee their low carbon footprint. These facilities use renewable resources and minimize their use.
 
• Optimizing energy use on site: Reducing the hours of use of energy-hungry equipment, favoring LED lighting, optimizing heating and air conditioning, usinglow-cost technical equipment (LED screens, low-consumption spotlights) all help to minimize energy impact.
 
• Responsible catering: Catering is also a significant source ofemissions. By choosing local, seasonal and vegetarian products, companies can reduce the carbon impact of their meals. A vegetarian menu emits between 200 and 300 grams of CO2 per plate, whereas a beef-based plate emits 20 times more CO2e than a vegetable-based plate.