For some time now, we’ve been banging the drum – not just about committing to sustainable changes, but also about the industry making a collective contribution towards change. The events world, known for its large-scale productions, significant resource consumption, and global reach, has the potential to drive real and tangible change. And it’s fair to say that change is coming. We’re seeing more and more businesses realising that the data and insight that we can produce together is far more meaningful.
A clear example of how research and understanding have evolved is evident in the recently released Temperature Check by the independent industry body, isla. Although we don’t work directly with isla, we – like them – believe in data, and see such reports as evidence of our impact and action on climate change. The report provides a data-backed snapshot of European business events and has grown significantly since its fledgling overview in 2022, boasting 7.5 times more data this time around.
As we would expect, exhibitions are regularly reported as one of the highest producers of material emissions, with the report suggesting that exhibitions average 6.5tCO2e per event, placing them in the highest emissions quartile of the benchmark.
Similarly, freight emissions have been brought into focus with the average from exhibitions reaching 5.9 tCO₂e/event, compared to just 0.09 tCO₂e for meetings and awards.
While the isla results are unsurprising, the actions and progress made by the industry, as well as the numerous pledges made, are a positive step forward. For us at GES, it’s heartening to see that so many of the areas that are addressed in our Roadmap to Net Zero are recognised in the Temperature Check too.
Reduction in emissions forms a distinct part of our plans and is driven by our agenda to meet our Net Zero Pledge. We established our baseline GHG estimates in 2023, aligned with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, which has allowed us a comprehensive approach to assessing our carbon footprint across various categories. We’ve taken time to identify four priority areas of focus: Events, Materials and Waste, Business Travel, Energy Efficiency, and Logistics and Transport, and we’ve set clear intentions to make changes and reduce our impact year by year.
“We often speak about how this needs to be a collective effort to have a true impact. The figures show that our industry has quite a significant footprint, but together we can make changes that we can all learn from and benefit from. At GES, we’re constantly exploring new partnerships and avenues to help us progress our plans, and we continue to work with experts who can support our vision’ says Kate Holliday, Head of ESG, GES EMEA.
Undoubtedly, data such as that gathered by Isla is a vital contribution to helping our industry inform our strategies and collectively make changes for the better. We need to keep doing what we’re doing and using the data to influence positive action. We’re excited to see how far the industry will have evolved on its ESG journey before isla’s next Temperature Check and look forward to playing a part in that progression.