The document discusses the current state of environmental issues facing the world and highlights areas of growth in sustainability. It then focuses on how event destinations are increasingly prioritizing sustainability through strategic planning, collaboration, community engagement, reducing waste, certification programs, and managing overtourism. The GDS-Index aims to drive sustainability in destinations by ranking cities, promoting best practices, and providing a platform for collaboration.

1. As we look ahead into the next century,
leaders will be those who empower others.
- Bill Gates
Presentation by Guy Bigwood,
Managing Director GDS-Index
#guybigwood

2. The state of our world is a bit gloomy right now

3. Source: WHO
1 in 8 Deaths
are through air pollution

4. 8 Billion Tons
of plastic waste produced since 1950
= 55 million jumbo jets.
8 Million Tons
Go in the sea every year

5. By 2050 we will have more
plastic than fish in the sea

6. It’s getting hot and wet
1.6 to 5.1 °C
mean annual temperature increase by 2100
March 30, 2018

7. Biodiversity loss is
increasing
Every 20 mins a species becomes extinct

8. Explosion in
Immigration

9. Rapid rise in inequality

10. But it is not all gloom
there is an exciting BOOM in Sustainability!

11. 500,000 SOLAR PANELS
INSTALLED GLOBALLY EVERY DAY
Price dropped +70% in 10 years18% of all electricity in Europe
came from renewables in 2018.
+71% growth in 10 years

12. 220 million new electric cars to hit
the streets by 2030
81% growth in US in 2018

13. Boom in the circular economy innovation
Garbage in doesn’t have to be garbage out!

15. This BOOM is happening all over the world and it’s happening
in the EVENTS INDUSTRY
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BETTER, MORE SUSTAINABLE and
EFFECTIVE EVENTS

16. 67%Of Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
members increased their focus on event
sustainability in 2017

17. 68%of MCI’s clients ask their suppliers to comply with
a sustainability policy and evaluate it
In 2013 it was 51% and in 2011 only 25%!

18. EIC State of Sustainability Report
34% of clients expect to see
sustainability in their suppliers
proposals without asking for it
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19. IT IS NOT ENOUGH
We need to speed up & scale up this movement

20. IMPROVE PROMOTEASSESS
SUSTAINABLE DESTINATIONS
Our Partners Our Mission

21. How does the GDS-Index drive sustainability?
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Cities receive ideas on how to improve
their strategy
For the full list of rankings please visit www.gds-index.com
Destinations collect and submit data
Experts assess sustainability criteria
We promote destinations performance and
stories via the GDS-Index web, social media,
whitepapers and presentations
IMPROVEASSESS PROMOTE

22. 60 cities from 5 continents and growing
Our goal is to have 100 global destinations by 2020
Top Ten City Name Country
1 Gothenburg Sweden
2 Copenhagen Denmark
3 Reykjavik Iceland
4 Oslo Norway
5 Uppsala Sweden
5 Helsinki Finland
6 Malmö Sweden
7 Zurich Switzerland
7 Glasgow Scotland
8 Melbourne Australia
9 Sydney Australia
10 Brussels Belgium
10 Espoo Finland
31 St Petersburg Russia
A Global Community of Collaborating Destinations

23. What are these business tourism destinations doing to be
smarter and more sustainable?

24. Tourism is a means to a sustainable end – a reality where tourism contributes positively to society, to building better cities
and destinations for locals and visitors alike and where tourism is a driver of positive change
1. LEADERSHIP WITH PURPOSE
Growth is only relevant when it has a positive impact

25. 26
2. FOCUSED GOAL DRIVEN STRATEGY
TOP 10
DESTINATIONS
HAVE a SMART
STRATEGY
Melbourne is committed to becoming a carbon-neutral
city and creating a bold and sustainable future.

26. 27
3. COLLABORATION FOR EDUCATION AND CO-INNOVATION

27. 28
4. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

28. 5. THE SUSTAINABLE LOCAL FOOD REVOLUTION
Food is being used to accelerate the sustainability movement by engaging locals and visitors in
more local, unique and innovative food culture
UNITED AGAINST WASTE
Zurich hotels have reduce their food waste by 42%

29. 6. GOING FOR ZERO

30. 31
7. DESTINATIONS FOR ALL
1 billion people have some form of disability. Approx 10% of event attendees have some form of sensory,
mobility, cognitive or medical disability. Leading sustainable destinations are addressing this challenge

31. 32
8. CONCENTRATE AND CHAMPION CERTIFICATIONS
In a market where everyone is proclaiming their sustainability credentials, recognised eco-certifications are
increasingly important.
Sweden Leads: Karlstad has 100% of the city’s total hotel room
inventory eco-certified, followed by Malmo with 95%, Västerås
with 93%, Uppsala with 88% and Gothenburg with 83%.

32. The 2020 Tourism Strategy aims to better
integrate tourism and events into the running of
the city with an objective to increase the social
and economic returns for local residents.
9. MANAGING OVERTOURISM: Destinations engaging the
community and controlling growth

33. 34
10. TELL THE STORY

34. SHARING KEY INSIGHTS: GDS-Index Whitepapers
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Read more about how event destinations around the
world are improving the sustainability and
competitiveness of their destinations?
Download www.gds-index.com

36. “It’s about Progress, not Perfection”
If you have any questions or require more information,
please contact:
Guy.Bigwood@gds-index.com To find out more about the GDS-Index,
please visit: www.gds-index.com