1. eco
travelling in australia magazine // 013
Have one meat-less night a week, as producing meat generates more carbon emissions then cars, buses and planes combined.
012 // travelling in australia magazine
Go train rather than plane
Never before has it been so important for
corporate philosophies and operational
practicestobeseenasstrivingforsustainable
balance. Australia competes on a global
stage to attract conferencing business, and
due to the tyranny of distance must ensure
conferences can be carbon neutral or even
negative if they’re to counter the perception
of air travel being a big no-no.
Melbourne boasts the world’s only
6-Star Green Star
environmentally
rated convention
centre and, as large
corporates such as
Nestledemandtosight
green conferencing
credentials before
placing business
with venues, such
attention to detail
makes it Australia’s
most compelling
Green Conferencing
proposition yet.
But to achieve this
level of accreditation
was no easy feat
as the Melbourne
Convention Centre
had to pass with flying emerald-tinged colour
in all nine of the following Green categories:
management, indoor environment quality,
energy, transport, water, materials, land use
and ecology, emissions and innovation, to be
awarded the six-star rating.
Tourism Australia conducted a National
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Audit for the Australian business events
sector and it has helped to position the
nation well in regards to delivering world
class, sustainable events.
Theauditdrewresponsesfromatotalof278
stakeholders and operators in the Australian
business events sector and sought information
about green accreditation, breadth of green
products, community initiatives and examples
of programs, projects and steps being taken to
promote CSR.
By and large, it found that the business
events sector is committed to environmental
sustainabilityand-inthecaseofMelbourne-is
actually leading the world!
More than one-third of respondents had
earnt at least one green accreditation, with the
most popular being the Green Globe Silver,
Bronze or NABERS (formally Australian
Building Greenhouse Rating) programs.
The Green Building Council of Australia
has also launched a Green Star accreditation
rating, which was developed in a bid to establish
a common language and set green measuring
standardsamongthepoolofvariousaccreditation
labels.GreenStarisacomprehensive,national,
voluntary environmental rating system that
evaluates the environmental design and
construction of buildings.
The rating system works by assigning either a
four, five or six-star rating; a four-star rating
symbolising best practice, a five-star rating
demonstrating Australian excellence and a
six-star rating certifying world leadership in
environmentally sustainable design and/or
construction. The latter is what the Melbourne
Convention Centre has secured.
New South Wales and Victoria are leading the
States when it comes to offering facilities with
Green credentials. So seriously does the Sydney
Convention and Exhibition Centre take matters
that it employs an environmental professional,
who is responsible for the development of all
environmentalpolicies,programsandstrategies.
ThePerthConventionExhibitionCentrehas
GreenGlobebenchmarking,whiletheAdelaide
Convention Centre recycles, reuses and
composts90%ofallwaste;reducingtheamount
going to landfill by 2000 cubic metres.
The new Darwin Convention Centre has
implemented various green initiatives; such as
recycled packaging in all of its catering, using
70% recycled materials for all its pipework,
energy-efficient building design and a roof
drainagesystem.Ithopestheseeffortswillresult
in an accreditation five Green star rating by the
AustralianBuildingCouncil,aswellasaGreen
Globe 21 accreditation.
The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition
CentrewasthefirstinAustraliatoofferacarbon
calculatortohelpclientsstagecompletelycarbon-
neutralevents.Italsoproducesa“GreenGuide”
for conference organisers, can source energy
requirementsfromgreenpowerproviders,give
waste-management assistance, and help with
sourcing local produce.
All this has helped the centre achieve Green
Globe benchmarking status. But that’s not
wheretheeffortsstop,asa$130millionfacilities
expansion is planned and it is hoped that the
new “green” building will secure a five-star
environmental rating.
So that’s what the main venues are up to, but
whataboutthemanyconferencesstagedathotels
across the country?
They’re also taking Green Conferencing
seriously.Caseinpoint;MercureHotels,which
offers carbon-free options, while the Sheraton
Mirage on the Gold Coast has already received
recognition for its green efforts by winning the
Environmental Management category of the
Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards. Their
green policy includes a recycling plant, water-
conservationactivities,energyconservationand
environmentally responsible purchasing.
By supplying green conferencing options,
Australia is opening its doors to corporate
meeting and incentive planners from around
the globe, whose mandates include the need to
minimise GHG emissions.
Venues are becoming increasingly savvy
regarding how to provide their clients with a
greenerwaytodobusiness.Andasforthebenefits
being experienced by businesses, they’re able to
trimwastageandconservingresources,whichall
adds up on the quadruple bottom line.
ChelseaSneyd takes a look at just how green Australia’s leading conferencing venues really are.
Conferencing
Tips for greening
your event:
Request a menu using•
local produce and wine
Compost left-overs•
Consider catering•
requirements to
minimise waste
Ensure cleaners•
only use non-toxic
cleaning agents
Recycle•
Encourage use of•
email and USBs
Use recycled paper if•
printing is necessary
Encourage the•
reduction of gifts or
promotional bags, and
if used, use bags made
of recycled products
Encourage use of•
mobile phones for
seating or registration
details to reduce the
need for printing
Use electronic signage•
Reduce lighting and•
aircon when not needed
Use local companies•
to build exhibitions
Offset carbon•
emissions by paying
a fee to renewable
or energy-efficient
programs
Use accommodation•
that is in walking
distance
Encourage the use•
of public transport
?what
can
you
do
PIC: TOURISM QUEENSLAND
PIC: MELBOURNE CONVENTION CENTRE