Event Sustainability
The Institute for Sustainable Futures has a mission to create change towards sustainable futures. As organisers we have taken a number of steps to reduce the overall impact of the event for both carbon emissions and use of other resources.
Reducing Emissions:
- Encouraging public transport by providing detailed information to participants and staff at the event on how to get to venues using public transport
- Offsetting emissions from participants’ long-distance transport, from electricity use in the event and closing celebration venues.
Other actions:
- Using recycled paper in printing
- Providing vegetarian food (with lower embodied energy)
With thanks
Thanks to PriceWaterhouseCoopers and AGL Energy Limited for their help in reducing the emissions for this event.
More details about offsetting
Off-setting means funding an emissions reduction project somewhere in the broader economy. For a project like this, it is possible to buy a number of carbon “offsets” equivalent to the estimated carbon emissions of the participants’ travel and the electricity and catering. Buying carbon offsets can fund activities like renewable energy projects, reduce emissions from landfill, and contribute to recycling projects. For this project, we are “offsetting” in two ways, through PricewaterhouseCoopers’ corporate commitment to be carbon neutral and by a donation of carbon offsets from AGL for other carbon impacts.
The Institute for Sustainable Futures collaborated with the Total Environment Centre and CHOICE on Carbon Offset Watch, to rate carbon offset schemes.
At the event venue
On Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September, the WWViews event takes place at the offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Sydney.
”PwC made a commitment to be carbon neutral from 1 July 2008. To achieve this, PwC has made a commitment in 3 key areas; reducing greenhouse gas emissions including setting specific targets, investing in renewable energy and offsetting the residual emissions by purchasing accredited offsets. PwC will offset the emissions associated with the use of its premises for the WWViews event.”
Click here for more information on PwC's carbon neutrality commitment.
For travel and other energy use
AGL Energy Ltd is providing additional offsets for the WWViews emissions associated with:
- Travel to and from the event
- Travel to and from the closing drinks function
- Energy used during the Closing Drinks function, which is being held at the Novotel Darling Harbour
The emissions associated with the above have been estimated to be about 245 tonnes CO2-e. This has been based on information provided by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) and with the aid of the AGL Carbon Calculator. As discussed, to ensure integrity in the offset of emissions, AGL will review this calculation post the event to ensure the correct number of offsets have been retired. AGL will supply offsets in the form of Greenhouse Friendly Accredited Verified Emission Reduction Units (VERs). For evidence of accreditation please see Greenhouse Friendly website.
Additional information about AGL, our environmental sustainability and carbon offset projects can be found on our website www.agl.com.au
