ESG stands for Environmental, Social Governance. Put simply, it's about doing the right thing to save the planet, one thing at a time.
More and more, people are caring about our planet. What happens to it, how we treat it.
There is a realisation that whether you believe in global warming or not, it's less risky to assume it's real and therefore plan to make a difference, so that we can all look forward to sitting on a park bench looking at our beautiful Planet A for millennia.
So, if you plan events, how can you make a difference? And is it all on your shoulders? That's a big burden to bear!
The good news is, we can all carry part of the load.
You as the event owner have all the choices, at every step.
Events Simplified as your event planner can source all the suppliers that can meet your ESG
Venues can provide (or be required to provide if they don't already as standard) a profile of the carbon footprint of your event - an overview of the steps they, as an organisation, are taking to minimise their carbon footprint and what that means in relation to your event.
Most can already provide a post-event report to show the actual carbon savings.
Other suppliers such as DJs, entertainers, production partners, etc. can all provide an overview, on request, to show how they minimise their ESG impact on the world.
So let's look at these in more detail:
Work with like-minded ESG partners - who you partner with for venues and vendors matters, choose ones whose values align with yours. This goes deeper than simply finding out whether they recycle, and more into their broader ethos and activities to not only offset their impact, but also to leave a positive impact. Example: partnering with firms whose mission is to combat food waste.
Be intentional and make sustainability a part of your process - planning is everything, and if you incorporate it from the start, it will become a natural priority and much easier to continue throughout and for future events.
Treat it like a priority, not an afterthought - if you fake your efforts, it will show, and could ruin your brand reputation (as well as doing absolutely nothing to address the actual issues at hand). Understand that supporting ESG may not be the cheapest option, but if you say it's your values, then live them, be true to yourself and damn the cost! if everyone did this, eventually sustainability would be a true way of life and costs will be less of an issue.
Plan for all stages of the event - pre, during and post. Think about travel, transport and accommodation, your speakers, staffing requirements, supporting events (post-conference parties) and where they’re held (e.g. are they within walking distance?), and use of local vendors, donating unused food, etc.
Seek B Corp Certification - long term, this achievement shows you’re committed to a certain standard of environmental and social impact. It isn't easy to get or maintain, but think about your business for a moment...do you want your staff doing the easy thing or the right thing? By making something the cultural norm within a business, suddenly, the right way also becomes the easy way!
Environmental
Adopt a variety of initiatives to address sustainability from various angles - from carbon offsetting, to supplying seasonal, fair trade produce, and encouraging public transport use - it’s worth investigating every element of your event to see where environmental harm can be minimised and take active steps to offset any harm that couldn’t be prevented.
Social
From a social perspective, work with a diverse panel of speakers and stakeholders, ensure your event addresses basic accessibility requirements, and ensure supply chain management meets sustainability standards (across sectors like fair trade and labour rights).
Governance
From a governance perspective, provide accurate event reporting on financial performance and operations, implement adequate risk and performance management, and consider making pay for speakers public to ensure equity across the board.
If you'd like help planning your next event to be more ESG compliant and support your values, get in touch. We'd love to help.
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