CO2 and water footprint of the EcoProcura 2014 Conference

CO2logic and Ecolife calculated the CO2 and water footprint of EcoProcura, taking into account impacts of food and catering, participant mobility and venue characteristics. Click on one of the three categories below to learn more about the specific impacts of the conference and how they compared to an average conference.

Food and catering	Mobility	Venue

Organised events that bring many people together can often be a valuable opportunity for awareness-raising, learning and creating a new culture of caring for natural, social and financial resources. However, these same events pose significant problems for local natural resources, (e.g. energy, water), environment (e.g. caused by emissions, waste, soil degradation) and the community.

Ecoprocura 2014 is committed to minimising the impact of its event on the environment and maximising the impact on boosting the local economy. We will provide online registration, distribute all information by email and the internet, minimise paper use and choose for 100% post-consumer tree-free paper for the programme and name-tags. All presentations and hand-outs will be provided online. Local organic and seasonal food and beverages and vegetarian meals will be provided. A minimum amount of waste will be produced, and all material possible will be recycled or reused during the conference. The most sustainable logistics options will be selected, and energy and water use will be measured in order to calculate the ecological footprint of the organization of the event. Participants will be able to book a room in green hotels and green mobility solutions will be presented during the conference.

Calculating the carbon footprint of EcoProcura 2014

EcoProcura 2014 is working with CO2logic to determine a series of measures to make the event more sustainable and more climate friendly, and will be calculating the effects of those efforts during the event. The choices of participants has a great impact on the conference's carbon footprint, and we hope that you will join us in making the event more sustainable. Some examples include choosing a sustainable transport mode when travelling to the event, or climate-friendly accommodation.

CO2logic is a company which specialises in calculating and reducing climate impacts. CO2logic is a partner of EcoProcura 2014.

Calculating water use at EcoProcura 2014

EcoProcura 2014's water footprint will be calculated, and will account for both the direct water use of the venue during the event and for the water use of its catering. This water footprint, established by the Water Footprint Network, is a measure for the water used to produce an ingredient over its lifecycle in the supply chain. Belgian environmental organisation Ecolife will also work closely with caterers to reduce the water foot print as much as possible in the preparation stage.

Ecolife is a Belgian non-for-profit environmental organisation (founded in 2002) supporting business, public authorities and other organisations in their engagement to achieve sustainable behaviour change. Ecolife is a partner of EcoProcura 2014.

Sustainable Stands at the EcoProcura 2014 Exhibition

Cradle to cradle inspired stands will be on offer for the exhibition at EcoProcura. Stands are designed to be re-used endlessly and are build from re-used, recycled and non-toxic materials, maximising sustainable solutions such as FSC-certified timber, energy-efficient lighting and low-impact printing techniques. “Building sustainable stands is all about designing future proof solutions”, says Koen Bogaert, CEO of Publiganda

As experts in stand construction and the first sustainable stand builder in Flanders, Publiganda helps clients from developing their concept to the final realisation of a project, all in a sustainable manner. Publiganda is a sponsor of EcoProcura 2014.

Reduce your carbon emissions and offset the unavoidable emissions

By far the largest environmental impact of international conferences is related to greenhouse gas emissions resulting from air travel. EcoProcura 2014 tried to reduce this impact where possible by encouraging the use of trains and promoting air travel in economy class. We strongly encourage every participant to offset his or her carbon emissions related to participation in the Conference. 

Offset your carbon footprint with one of the following platforms:

• Respect: With more than ten years of experience in the business, this Swedish platform has developed a leading concept for business's climate work. 

• Atmosfair: Founded in 2005, it is a joint initiative between "forum anders reisen", an association of German travel agencies, and Germanwatch.

• Climate Friendly: This Australian platform supports a reduce-and-offset approach to carbon management, and complies with the ICROA Code of Best Practice.