Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just 10 years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tailspin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics, and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced. This is the message at the core of former Vice President Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth." The movie depicts Gore's fervent crusade to halt global warming's deadly progress in its tracks. In his movie, he quotes Winston Churchill who said, "The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences."

Gore added, "What changed in the U.S. with Hurricane Katrina was a feeling that we have entered a period of consequences."

Environmentally Friendly Meetings Are an Imperative

We can no longer bury our heads in the sand - the meetings industry included. Environmentally sound meetings are no longer just for Birkenstock-wearing granola eaters. They must be implemented by all. Global warming, and our industry's impact on the environment, is something to be taken seriously.

More and more people and companies are thinking "green." Amy Spatrisano, CMP, and Nancy J. Wilson, CMP, principals of Portland, Ore.-based Meeting Strategies Worldwide have been "green" before "green" was a buzzword. They believe simple strategies can be implemented in the meetings you plan to make them "greener."

"We always make every effort to ensure the conferences we plan are in facilities that implement recycling and use china service instead of disposable tableware. At the very least that no Styrofoam is used if disposable ware is unavoidable," Spatrisano said. "A pivotal point came for us was when Nancy was planning a conference in a Midwest convention center that only used Styrofoam. This is a product that is toxic to create; it doesn't break down, and is toxic to destroy. The conference was for 2,500 people for five days and we ordered 70,000 compostable paper cups. We realized what impact one meeting management firm could have at one conference during one finite period of time - and that we could make a difference by the choices we made," said Spatrisano, who along with Wilson, wrote the "Environmentally and Socially Responsible Meetings and Events" chapter in PCMA's Fifth Edition of Professional Meeting Management (PMM5).

What makes a meeting green? Simply put, a green meeting incorporates environmental considerations throughout all its stages in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment. A green meeting incorporates much more than just recycling. "Greening" a meeting or event encompasses all aspects of the strategic planning process, starting with communicating your environmental expectations to suppliers in the initial stages of planning and making it part of the RFP process.

Eventually, green meetings will no longer be an option. As corporations feel pressure to make an effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible, green meetings will become a requirement.

Virgin Atlantic, Cisco, Credit Suisse, Hewlett-Packard, Adobe, and Nike are just a few of the companies that have incorporated green policies.

Even Wal-Mart has decided to help save the earth. As a matter of fact, Gore was on hand during an all-day meeting this summer at Wal-Mart's home office in Bentonville, Ark., to show his movie.

Virgin Atlantic Chairman Richard Branson has pledged the earnings from his transportation businesses, including Virgin Atlantic, to be invested in businesses that develop renewable energy, with plans to contribute $3 billion during the next decade for the initiative.

The technology giant Cisco has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by a minimum of 10 percent, starting with a dramatic reduction in air travel over the next year. Cisco President and CEO John Chambers said, "Cisco hopes to serve as a role model to challenge companies and countries to reduce carbon emissions." If the meeting planners from these companies don't start to green their gatherings, if the gatherings are wasteful and environmentally destructive, they will be flying in the face of their companies' stated mission.

"Attitudes are changing. As companies become more environmentally minded, it will be crucial to ensure their meetings are produced environmentally responsibly. If they aren't, it puts the meeting planner in a precarious situation. There is so much talk about planners getting a seat at the executive table. Understanding green meetings is another level of expertise to include in those discussions and strategic plans. Implementing environmentally friendly meetings will be necessary to continue being taken seriously as a senior meeting planner. The bottom line is meeting planners must learn how to green a meeting over the next five years to add value to themselves and their industry. Planners should be entrenched in this," Spatrisano said.

Small Steps on the Road To Green
"People are very excited about the concept of green meetings. They want to give it a shot, but change is a challenge even if it's a good change," said Spatrisano. Here are some simple and practical ways to make a meeting green:

• Make sure the facility you are meeting at has recycling bins and encourage your attendees to use them.
• Use cloth napkins and tablecloths instead of paper. If this is not feasible, request compostable napkins or napkins made from recycled content material.
• Use mugs instead of disposable coffee cups. (In January, the $6.4 billion coffee colossus, Starbucks, unveiled what is said to be the world's first recycled beverage cup made from 10 percent post-consumer fiber. To get to this point has been a tedious process, as the Food and Drug Administration approved these cups. Starbucks, which goes through 1.9 billion cups annually, plans to eventually increase the recycled-fiber content of its packaging. But even the current design will conserve five million pounds of paper a year, or approximately 78,000 trees.)
• Use water coolers instead of individual bottles of water.
• Use china instead of Styrofoam. If non-disposable service ware is unavailable, use biodegradable disposable service ware in conjunction with a compost program or service ware made from recycled content materials.
• Eliminate the use of plastic stir sticks with any beverage service. Reusable spoons should be used at coffee service. • Eliminate "box lunches."
• All condiments should be served in serving containers, not in individual packets.
• Where possible, donate surplus food to local shelters or soup kitchens.
• Plan menus with locally grown or organic food.
• Use online invitations instead of printed ones.
• Use mailing labels with water based adhesives.
• Offer registration online.
• Collect and reuse plastic nametag holders. Companies like pc/nametag have introduced innovative products like its World Badge (www.pcnametag.com/worldbadge), an environmentally friendly badge holder that is created with partially recycled material and is fully recyclable.
• Use reusable or recyclable signs.
• When you must use paper, make sure it meets or exceeds EPA standards for recycled paper content (30 percent post-consumer recycled content); limit use of glossy paper. Use both sides.
• Make materials self-mailers whenever possible.
• Print with vegetable oil-based ink.
• Have exhibitors provide information on CDs or online, saving thousands of sheets of paper per year. If promotional brochures are necessary, be sure they are printed on recycled paper.
• Choose destinations with minimal travel requirements for delegates. Shorter distances result in less environmental impact.
• Choose hotels/meeting venues accessible to airport via public transit system.
• Give delegates incentives to travel via public transit, such as free passes or transit route maps. • Make sure hotels, meeting venues, and free time activities (restaurants and shops) are all within walking distance of each other.
• Confirm that the hotels you are using participate in a linen reuse program, so that bed linens are changed only when requested. Towels can also be reused by leaving them on the rack. Only those on the floor will be washed. This helps save millions of gallons of water and from chlorine and detergents entering the wastewater stream.
• If transportation is being arranged for delegates, choose vehicles powered by one of the following: electric or hybrid energy, natural gas, propane, methane gas, or ethanol. Hertz is one rental company that recently rolled out a "green collection." It now offers a new collection of fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly cars with an EPA highway fuel efficiency rating of 28 miles or more per gallon. With more than 35,000 cars in its Green Collection, Hertz guarantees availability at 50 major U.S. airport locations. More than 18,000 of the cars are also SmartWay certified, indicating lower emissions or air pollutants and greenhouse gases. EV Rental Cars is said to be the only rental company in the United States to rent only environmental vehicles to the public. EV Rental Cars' fleet has grown to more than 425 cars at eight locations throughout the country. For EPA-certified tips on improving gas mileage, go to www.fueleconomy.gov.

Ensuring Your Event Venue Is Green

According to PMM5, once you have chosen the minimum green guidelines for your meeting, you should include them in your RFP and ask properties to respond to the guidelines. If your organization has not established its own guidelines, ask the venue if it has an environmental certification program or use the Ceres Best Practices survey, found at http://www.ceres.org/pub/docs/Ceres_%20GHI_BPS_survey.pdf. 

Once your RFPs have come in:

•  Weigh each hotel or venue's environmental policies and procedures along with other determining factors. Ask hotels that do not already have policies in place if it is possible to establish them for the meeting and ask if they will continue them after the requesting group checks out.
• Conduct a back-of-the-house tour as part of the green site inspection. It is important to actually see where the recycling is sorted and where it is stored before pick-up. Take a look at the kitchen to see the amount of individual packaging that is used, as well as the venue's recycling or composting efforts, and where they store food for donation to local food banks.
• Be sure to include a clause in the contract outlining the environmental components that will be in place during the conference and event and the consequences for non-compliance.
• Once on site for the meeting, tour the back-of-the-house again to see how green practices are being implemented. Be sure to ask for measured data, such as how much cardboard, paper, plastic, and aluminum is collected from the event. If the group is not the only one in house, actual numbers may be difficult to obtain; in that case, ask for estimates.

Diet for a Healthy Planet
According to the Environmental Defense Council, "Using 1,000 disposable plastic teaspoons consumes over 10 times more energy and natural resources than manufacturing one stainless steel teaspoon and washing it 1,000 times."

Choose china service over disposables, and serve in bulk and pitchers rather than individual containers. In addition:

• Choose food in season from the local area. This helps support the local communities and offers fresher, seasonal, and regional choices without the transportation impact.
•  Choose seafood from sustainable fisheries. Increased consumer demand for seafood is depleting the fish stocks around the world and harming ocean health. Blue Ocean Institute publishes the Mini-Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood, available for free at www.blueoceaninstitute.org.
• Choose food based on the history of the attendees' preferences. If there is no history for the group, ask attendees to note their meal preferences in advance. This will save both money and food.

Meetings Leave a Heavy Footprint
According to David Suzuki, Ph.D., renowned Canadian environmentalist (see Leading by Example on p. 70 for an in-depth profile), meetings leave a heavy footprint on the environment.

The resources that go into one gathering are many:

• Energy - natural gas, electricity, and oil used to produce meetings/hold events
• Transportation - airplanes, airports, cabs, buses, trains, rental cars
• Food - farms, dairy, cattle, poultry, fisheries
• Local community - employment, financial, retail
• Accommodations - hotels, cleaning products, soft goods market.

The rates of consumption at meetings can be staggering. For instance, during a typical five-day conference, 2,500 attendees will use 62,500 plates, 87,500 napkins, 75,000 cups or glasses, and 90,000 cans or bottles, according to PMM5.

Saving Green by Going Green
Green meetings and events hold hope for the future by reducing their impact on the environment - while improving financial outcomes. By adopting just one environmentally responsible practice, meeting managers can reduce consumption of the earth's resources and their organization's expenses, a win-win situation for everyone.

"The idea that green meetings cost more money is a myth. In fact, in the last few years, people have been looking for ways to cut costs and green meetings are a good way to save money," said Spatrisano. For example, it's often cheaper to buy items in bulk than to purchase individual containers.

Some fundamental questions to consider when setting goals and objectives for green meetings include:

• Why does the organization want to incorporate green practices?
• How much is the organization willing to contribute?
• Is this a one-time effort or part of the organization's core practices?
• What aspects of the conference are most important to green?

Greenbuild International Conference & Expo Wins Awards
Since 2002, Meeting Strategies Worldwide has helped the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) green its Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. Together, they implemented green aspects that were precedent-setting. Greenbuild's impact on Atlanta, where the 2005 conference was held, included:

• Brought a permanent recycling program to the Georgia World Congress Center.
• Composting of all food waste was made available for the conference and delivered to a local prison for processing.
• Two of the conference hotels put permanent recycling programs in place - a first for Atlanta.
• The convention center caterer, MGR, permanently changed from polystyrene, plastic disposable cups to biodegradable cornstarch cups.

About $25,000 was saved by using water stations and compostable cups instead of water bottles. Meeting Strategies Worldwide worked with Portland State University on a waste audit program that measured waste output at the Oregon Convention Center and the conference hotels and gave suggestions on how to minimize their waste streams. The convention center was able to recycle 48 percent of the waste and 38.2 tons of food was composted representing 23.9 percent of food served. This successful program earned an IMEX Green Meetings Award, sponsored by IMEX and the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC).

"Receiving this award is truly an honor," said Kimberly Lewis, director of conference and events for the USBGBC. "USGBC's mission of market transformation to green building encompasses all that we do, including hosting our annual Greenbuild conference. Hopefully, as Greenbuild moves from region to region, the knowledge gained from our green reports will strengthen the business case that an environmentally responsible conference can still be profitable."

UUA Greens Its General Assembly
Last year, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) decided to integrate environmental responsibility goals into its annual General Assembly and turned to Meeting Strategies Worldwide for help. Highlights of the UUA General Assembly's green initiatives include:

• Provision of a voluntary carbon offset. Twenty percent of the more than 4,000 delegates participated in the offset, pooling $5,078 for Carbonfund.org. This offset encompassed more than 2 million pounds of greenhouse gases.
• Introduction of green language into the request for proposals to identify potential host cities beyond 2009.
• Inclusion of an extensive and specific environmentally responsible meeting clause into the contract with the convention center and caterer.
• Changing of hotel practices to adopt permanent linen and towel reuse, as well as communication to delegates of vendors unwilling to sign environmental clauses.

"Offsetting the CO2 footprint of general assembly participants was a logical next step in the UUA commitment to greening our national meetings, particularly because Unitarian Universalists have been studying the issue of global warming for the past two years," said Claudia Kern of Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, which proposed this project to the UUA.

"Global warming is an issue that affects every human being, rich or poor, black or white," said Carbonfund.org Executive Director Eric Carlson. "It is a moral issue that gets to the heart of Creation and our purpose as humans. The actions and decisions we take over the next few years on global warming will impact our world for generations to come. The UUA and their affiliate are providing leadership, vision, and action on global warming. We are thrilled to have partners so dedicated to solving our global problems."

Carbonfund.org, a non-profit organization empowering any individual, business, or congregation to reduce its climate impact easily and cost-effectively, calculated the average carbon footprint for participants traveling to St. Louis for the annual event. This included the greenhouse gas emissions from air travel, and the energy use for hotels and the venue.

Each participant was then given the option to pay an additional $6 to offset their footprint, either during online registration or at the event, and received a Carbonfund.org sticker at the event signifying their pledge. The UUA promoted the initiative in its registration materials, Web site, and throughout the event.

"This was a big step in the right direction as we continue to promote a sustainable environment," said Jan Sneegas, director of general assembly and conference services for the UUA. "We are very pleased by the response in this first year and are already contemplating ways we can increase our participation rate next year."

When convening at the America's Center in St. Louis, UUA insisted the following requirements be part of the convention center contract:

• Provide documentation about air quality control and systems.
• Reduce the lights, power, and HVAC during move-in and move-out times in the exhibit hall.
• Minimize energy use by turning off lights in meeting rooms when not in use.
• Offer large containers of drinking water rather than individual bottles.
• Have low-flow toilets and other water-saving devices in restrooms.
• Sweep, not spray, parking lots, sidewalks, and driveways.
• Implement a recycling program to recycle glass, aluminum, plastic, paper, grease, and cardboard.
• Have a policy in place to reduce and reuse where possible and appropriate to include minimizing paper usage.
• Donate leftover food.
• Train staff to implement environmental policies.
• Use china service (if not possible, use biodegradable disposable service ware).
• Work with the organization at no cost to implement a composting system if available.
• Purchase locally grown and organic foods and produce wherever possible and affordable.
• Purchase and serve condiments in bulk.
• Purchase and serve juice, iced tea, coffee, and water in pitchers or bulk containers.
• Purchase environmentally responsible cleaning products for carpets, floors, kitchens, and bathrooms.
• Establish a program with wholesalers to utilize reusable crates or cartons.

In addition to the above conditions, host hotels, which had to be located within walking distance or easily accessible by public transportation, were required to:

• implement a towel and linen reuse program
• not replace amenities unless empty
• shut off HVAC/lights when guests are not in their room
• recycle paper, cans, bottles, and plastic
• have water conservation practices in place such as low-flow showerheads and toilets.

Caterers were required to:

• implement water saving strategies (e.g., not pre-filling water glasses or providing a saucer under the coffee cup)
• offer large containers of drinking water rather than individual bottles
• reduce the use of ice in drinking water
• recycle and donate.

Likewise, exhibitors were required to:

• recycle
• minimize packing materials
• avoid large quantities of collateral
• make giveaways environmentally responsible.

All originally contracted host hotels agreed to comply with the sustainability measures requested by the UUA.

In addition to supporting hotels willing to comply with green practices, the UUA also advised delegates of those hotels that were unwilling to participate, including that information on its Web site.

All hotels, with the exception of the Holiday Inn, which already had an established program in place, introduced linen and towel reuse to comply with these specifications.

The results were staggering:

• 25 percent to 50 percent of convention center waste was recycled, including 250 pounds of cardboard, 900 pounds of paper, and 150 pounds of cans/plastic bottles.
• Cans were donated to be recycled by a local charity group.
• The UUA's general assembly helped to establish a permanent partnership between America's Center and Operation Food Search, the St. Louis regional food bank, to provide unserved food to the poor and hungry in the region.
• The UUA introduced an optional $6 carbon offset as part of the conference registration process; voluntary donations were collected and forwarded to Carbonfund.org, a non-profit organization that educates the public about the issue of climate change and works with businesses and civic groups on CO2 reduction programs. Twenty percent of registrants participated and $5,078 was collected for Carbonfund.org.
• Rather than mail paper copies of the General Assembly agenda to congregations, assembly organizers made it available online.
• Soy-based inks and the paper with the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled paper were used for all printed materials, including the program.

Metro Toronto Convention Centre's Zero Waste Event
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) recently mounted a Zero Waste Event. It partnered with Turtle Island Recycling, a recycling and waste management company, and York Communications, a Canadian event management company. York is the organizer of Construct Canada, an annual exposition and conference for professionals in the building design, construction, and renovation industries. Construct Canada is one of the most complex and challenging shows hosted by the MTCC from a waste management point of view, according to Leonidas (Louis) Anagnostakos, co-founder of Turtle Island. With more than 700 companies, almost 1,100 exhibits, and nearly 23,000 people attending over a three-day period, the show took up the entire MTCC exhibit hall. In addition, show exhibitors had a wide variety of materials on display, including stone, bricks, asphalt, wood, and concrete.

Thanks to a multi-level strategy put in place by the MTCC, York and Turtle Island, the event won the enthusiastic participation of virtually all exhibitors and attendees, and was able to recycle 26 metric tons. Almost half of the diverted waste (almost 12 metric tons) was paper fibers. The MTCC calculates this saved 238 trees, approximately 4,300 gallons of water, and close to 30 cubic yards of landfill space.

This is an enormous change from past shows, explained Vince Quattrociocchi, MTCC's vice president, operations. Last year, Construct Canada produced 23 metric tons of waste, only 10 percent of which was diverted from landfill and recycled.

MTCC has long been recognized for being environmentally friendly. Quattrociocchi noted that the MTCC has a solid record in recycling, which is currently at 56 percent, and energy conservation (overall average reduction of 40 percent in the past five years). The building also has an enormous 300,000-square-foot green roof, a partnership with Second Harvest for food leftovers (2,000 pounds recycled annually), and a variety of other sustainability programs.

In addition, the MTCC was the first facility to be on Enwave Energy's Deep Lake Water Cooling system, launched in 2004. The Deep Lake Water technology provides the Centre's building cooling by using cold water extracted from Lake Ontario.

The MTCC was recognized for its efforts with a Silver Award at this year's Recycling Council of Ontario Minimization Awards, which honors innovation in waste reduction programs. The Centre is also in the midst of applying for BOMA's "Go Green" designation.

PCMA's 51st Annual Meeting in January at the MTCC will also be a Zero Waste event.

Convention Centers 'LEED' the Way
According to a recent interview on a national public radio station (American Public Media), convention centers often find themselves in the crosshairs of those trying to "green up" the industry.

USGBC's Peter Templeton said that if organizations want to change the way they hold conferences, the buildings that house them are a great place to start.

"Traditionally, convention centers are energy hogs, if you will," he said. "They use incredible amounts of energy and they are used on alternate schedules."

Which means many convention centers end up leaving their lights or air conditioners running 24 hours a day. While convention centers are usually enormous buildings, Templeton told American Public Media that huge size can mean huge savings when a convention center starts "greening up" its act.

"In buildings of that scale there's a tremendous amount of money to be saved when you are achieving efficiencies because these are buildings that operate 24 hours a day year-round and consume a great deal to be heated and cooled and lit throughout the year."

The USGBC estimates that when a large convention center becomes more ecofriendly, it can save close to half a million dollars a year on energy costs alone.

Convention centers in North America are taking note. For example, centers in Pittsburgh, Portland, Phoenix, San Diego, Spokane, Dallas, Toronto and other cities have placed a priority on green initiatives.

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh was the first convention center in the nation to receive the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for its numerous green features, which include energy savings and gray water recycling.

The LEED Green Building Rating System, was developed in 1998 by the USGBC. The rating system provides a common standard of measurement for what constitutes a green building and offers a third- party validation of a building's green features.

To participate in the voluntary program, buildings must submit an application that documents compliance with the organization's requirements.

LEED measures buildings according to sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere- related initiatives, materials and resources used, and indoor environmental quality. Bonus points are given for innovations that go beyond the checklist requirements. There are four progressive levels of certification: certified, silver, gold, and platinum.

The Oregon Convention Center (OCC) became the second convention center in the nation to be LEED rated. In addition to the LEED operational standards, the OCC's recent expansion incorporated numerous sustainable design elements, including a new rain garden, which filters and cools the extensive storm water that runs off the large roof and site surface area. Other stormwater measures include the use of native plants, efficient irrigation technology, and a minimized lawn area.

The newly opened expansion to the Phoenix Convention Center is LEED-rated and includes an Energy Star-compliant roof, water-efficient landscaping, and an energy management system to reduce energy demands.

Its air conditioning equipment reduces ozone depletion and provides healthy indoor air quality. The center also is using adhesives, sealants, carpeting, and paint with low emissions of volatile organic compounds. Even the chairs are eco-friendly. The K1 Daylight Chairs are made of recycled car batteries and seat belts.

Construction on the expansion of the Spokane Convention Center is being undertaken with the goal of becoming a LEED certified facility.

In Dallas, the city has declared that new public buildings of more than 10,000 square feet must be LEED projects. Existing buildings there, including the Dallas Convention Center, are working toward a related certificate with the Green Building Council. That building certification addresses cleaning and maintenance issues, indoor air quality, reduction in electrical and water usage, and recycling programs.

In Canada, as befits an environmentally forward city, the expansion of the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre has been designed to minimize environmental impact, and in some cases, even improve the surroundings. These design features include:

• Canada's largest living roof, complete with a rainwater irrigation system.
• Energy efficient design making use of natural light and ventilation.
• On-site water management, including a seawater cooling system.
• Marine habitat restoration and shoreline replacement, including benches on the water side of the expansion to create a new fish habitat in Burrard Inlet.

The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) has become the first Calgary Building to be certified BOMA Go Green in recognition of responsible environmental practices in building operations.

Go Green was introduced by BOMA, (Building Owners and Managers Association) Canada in April 2005 as a National Environmental Certification of best practices in building operations. BOMA Go Green is the only industry-recognized environmental program and the only program endorsed by BOMA.

BOMA Go Green focuses on five key areas where commercial buildings have environmental impacts: Resource consumption (energy); waste reduction and recycling; building materials; interior environment; and tenant awareness.

Convention centers, hotels, resorts, and others in the meeting and hospitality industry are recognizing that global warming is not a political issue; it's a moral issue facing global civilization and it's up to all of us to make changes that make a difference.

° Andrea Doyle is Convene's senior writer.

International Environmental Awareness
Climate change is pushing green issues higher up the agenda of meeting decision-makers, according to the third annual "focus group" survey on the environment undertaken by IMEX, the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings, and events. Buyers in 10 countries in Europe and Scandinavia were consulted.

Seventy-five percent reported that they, or colleagues, "have taken environmental considerations into account" when planning a meeting or incentive program. A total of 66 percent believe that "they, or colleagues, probably would deliberately avoid destinations/venues known to have a poor environmental record."

The top 10 countries that IMEX survey respondents identified as displaying the most environmental leadership are (in alphabetical order): Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Across the Pond
ExCeL London, England's capital city's largest conference and exhibition centre, has undergone a major refit of its building management system to ensure optimum energy usage and was accredited as "energy efficient" by the Carbon Trust. Reductions in greenhouse emissions to a sustainable level are aimed at over the next three years and the venue is also in discussions to become a carbon neutral or carbon negative venue.

The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEIICC) achieves recycling figures of about 60 percent annually, diverting 437,460 kg of paper, cardboard, glass, and aluminum cans from landfill each year.

In Germany
The new Stuttgart Trade Fair Center and the ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart integrate topographical features and typical landscape elements into the architecture. The multi-story car park will be placed as a "green wave" above the motorway and the ICE railway track, providing a continuation of the green space as a landscape bridge. The suspended-roof design of the halls favors partial landscaping, which, on this scale, is said to be of considerable ecological value.

Scotland
For the first time ever, the Scottish Tourism national awards ceremony, known as the "Thistle Awards," included a category for sustainable tourism. A finalist for this category was the Apex Hotel, which has applied to the Carbon Footprint organization to calculate its primary footprint and awaits confirmation on actions required to offset, including tree planting in the U.K.

Six Stars for Melbourne
When it opens in 2009, Melbourne's new convention centre will be the only convention facility in the world to have a six-star green energy rating, the highest possible under the Australian Green Building Council rating system.

A black-water recycling plant will recycle wastewater to supply toilets, cooling towers, and irrigate landscapes; solar panels will deliver all public amenity hot water requirements; building materials will be sourced from renewable sustainable industries; and radiant slab heating and an advanced ventilation system will reduce the need for air conditioning.

As an added selling point, future conference delegates will have plenty of fresh air and maximum natural light to look forward to when meeting at the centre.

A Green Partnership
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has positioned itself as a leader in environmental stewardship for more than a decade. Pioneered by the company's Canadian properties in 1990, the award-winning Fairmont Green Partnership program (www.fairmont.com/environment) is now growing internationally. This comprehensive initiative to minimize the impact of hotel operations addresses key issues including waste management, water and energy conservation, habitat protection, purchasing, and community outreach. Here, Fairmont Corporate Manager of Environmental Affairs Michelle White offers several green travel tips:

Green accommodations - Make a point of selecting facilities that strive to reduce the consumption of resources through such initiatives as recycling, energy efficient lighting, and water saving devices in guest bathrooms.

Eco activities - Look for packages that provide access to attractions, such as zoos, aquariums, and walking tours. They support the efforts of local organizations and are a great value for guests.

Local foods - Order regional wines and beers, and choose seasonal specials instead of "flown in fresh daily." Many Fairmont restaurants offer "farm-to-fork" menu items, featuring local purveyors and farmers.

Eco-friendly meetings - Work with your host to implement simple tactics to make functions more environmentally friendly. Fairmont has designed Eco-Meet, a green meeting and conference planning option featuring disposable-free service, Eco Adventure activities, themed meeting breaks, and Sustainable Gourmet menus including organic wines.

Resource consumption - Pretend you're home. Turn off lights before you leave the room, use air conditioning wisely, and ask yourself if you really do need sheets and towels changed every day.

Green City Seal for Minneapolis
The city of Minneapolis will be in good shape to host the 5th Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference this coming spring. The Minneapolis City Hall's green roof will be finished in time for the meeting, and the Minneapolis Public Library already features an 18,560-square-foot green roof, with low-growing prairie plants to reduce storm runoff and conserve energy by reducing cooling and heating loads.

Other green initiatives:
Twins Stadium could be the first LEED-certified major league stadium in the country (pending approval).

Minneapolis Convention Center sends food waste to a hog farm for animal feed and has placed recycling bins throughout the center.

Mall of America has no heating system; it relies on the heat from lighting, skylights, and all the people.

LVCVA's Recycling Works Like Magic
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) introduced new, on-site recycling efforts during the recent MAGIC International convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center, a move that not only helped the environment but also benefited the LVCVA and MAGIC with direct cost savings.

The LVCVA contracted with a local Las Vegas company to conduct on-site separation of recyclables and removal of the materials to a recycling facility. The company collected materials such as cardboard, wood, plastic, paper, carpet, carpet padding, and aluminum for recycling. The company managed to achieve a recycling rate of 68 percent during MAGIC, well above the state goal of 25 percent.

As a result, the LVCVA saved more than $28,000 compared to the previous MAGIC trade show. Having the operation set up on site meant a 100 percent cost savings for MAGIC; the entire fee they normally pay for trash removal was completely eliminated.

Green as a First Resort
The Sandpearl Resort, opening in Spring 2007 in Clearwater Beach, Fla., has spared no expense to make itself an environmentally sound resort. Here are some of its green initiatives:

• geo thermal heating systems throughout entire hotel
• room-by-room energy management system, which regulates while guest are not utilizing the rooms/suites
• recycled more than 50 percent of waste from construction site
• salt bromine pool system which contains no chlorine or damaging chemicals to the environment
• environmentally friendly paints and sealants
• ozone laundry system
• all-natural materials in spa
• green building education enrichment program available for all guests to learn about on property
• hybrid parking spaces for hybrid cars
• low-flow toilets
• sprinkler heads and irrigation systems which produce filtrated water and regulate ground moisture control.

Starwood Is Seeing Green
Starwood has lofty ecological goals for its newest hotel brand, aloft, a Vision of W Hotels. (The first aloft is scheduled to open in early 2008, with 500 properties worldwide expected by 2012.)

Some elements of the aloft "see green" program:

• a park-like landscaping plan for the parking lot, with a variety of deciduous trees and shrubbery
• a special area of parking spots reserved specifically for hybrid cars; plans include providing a hybrid aloft "house car" at each location, available to interested guests
• instead of offering the typical bathroom amenities in individual plastic bottles, there will be eco-friendly dispenser units in the showers
• hotels are being built with eco-friendly construction materials like recycled teak wood
• laundry facilities will use eco-friendly detergent and pools will use eco-friendly cleaning agents.

It's Good to Be Green I Where to Turn to for Help

www.wbcsd.ch
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 180 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development via economic growth, ecological balance, and social progress.

www.CSRwire.com
The Newswire for Corporate Social Responsibility www.GreenBiz.com GreenBiz is the leading information resource on how to align environmental responsibility with business success.

www.greenhotels.com
A site that is committed to encouraging, promoting, and supporting ecological consciousness in the hospitality industry.

www.sustainabletravel.com
Promoting responsible travel and ecotourism, supporting sustainable development, and helping travelers and travel providers protect the cultures and environments they visit.

www.carbonfund.org
Carbonfund.org is a non-profit organization focused on reducing climate impact easily and cost-effectively.

www.greenmeetings.info
The Web site of the Green Meeting Industry Council, established to improve meeting management practices by promoting environmentally responsible strategies through the efforts of meeting industry stakeholders, balancing economic, environmental, and community objectives.

www.usgbc.org
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 6,000 member companies and organizations; a 60-person professional staff; a broad portfolio of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program and services; the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo; and a network of more than 60 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.

MCCA’s Green Practices
Here are a few of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) and the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) green initiatives:

• The convention center has an urban location, easily accessible to its visitors. The MCCA strongly encourages the use of public transportation and walking. Boston is known as America's Walking City.
•  An energy saving strategy is in place for the BCEC by reducing lights, power, and HVAC during move-in and move-out in the exhibit halls.
• Sensor-controlled lighting is used throughout the convention center, in its executive offices, as well as meeting and conference rooms.
• The convention center offers large, spring water coolers in each meeting room rather than individual bottles.
• Restrooms have low-flow toilets and other water-saving devices.
• A recycling program is in place to recycle glass, aluminum, plastic, paper, grease, and cardboard.
•  More than 20 percent of the bathroom supplies, such as hand towels and toilet paper, are recycled products.
• More than 50 percent of the cleaning products for carpets, floors, kitchens, and bathrooms are environmentally responsible.

Sustainability: New and Historic Initiatives
Sustainable Travel Makes a STEP
Earlier this year, Sustainable Travel International (STI) announced that it has officially launched its Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program™ (STEP) in North America (www.ecocertification.org).

STEP is a voluntary certification initiative developed by STI in conjunction with stakeholders from around the world for the travel and tourism industry. It's designed to assist travel and tourism providers in identifying, measuring and managing their environmental, socio-cultural, and economic impacts. Though similar initiatives exist in other countries, STEP is currently the only unsubsidized, non-profit eco-certification program of its kind that will be available globally.

An Historic Commitment to the Environment
New York's Mohonk Mountain House has been doing its part to protect the environment since 1869 when founder Albert Smiley first laid eyes upon Lake Mohonk and its breathtaking surroundings. Still intent upon providing recreation and renewal for guests, Mohonk continues its 137-year-old commitment to environmental stewardship through earth-friendly design features, an extensive recycling program, and green initiatives that preserve the land and educate people.

When Mohonk Mountain House embarked on enhancing its 266-room "Victorian Castle" with the addition of a new spa in 2005, ensuring that the new facility would integrate well with the rich architectural heritage of this National Historic Landmark was a top priority. And, in keeping with the ecologically-friendly approach to the land, a geothermal heating and cooling system was implemented. The system moderates the temperature of the 30,000-square-foot facility using the constant temperature of the earth and provides an emission- and noise-free alternative to traditional heating and cooling methods. In addition, a green roof helps insulate the building, reduces energy use and runoff, and provides a habitat for birds and butterflies, as well as a venue for yoga and meditation.

Florida Green Lodge Program
Developed by the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection, this certification program recognizes properties that invest in simple and innovative green practices that conserve water, save energy, and reduce waste. As of today, two of six Walt Disney World convention resorts carry the "Florida Green Lodge" certification (Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and Disney's BoardWalk Resort). And on the leisure side of the business, another four Disney resorts are also certified (Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Port Orleans Resort). As of August 2006 there were a total of 18 Florida hotels certified as Green Lodges.

Environmentality and Pixie Dust
Walt Disney World Resort is a city unto itself. It has all the elements that go into providing support services for thousands of people including water, energy, and waste management. The resort strives to focus on conservation, waste minimization, education, awareness, and research, and www.DisneysEnvironmentality.com offers a wealth of information on the environment including a handy carbon calculator that will help you discover your carbon footprint with mascot Jiminy Cricket on hand to help.

•  Of the 30,000 acres at the Walt Disney World Resort, nearly one-third of the property was set aside from the beginning and remains a dedicated wildlife conservation area.
•  Another 8,500 acres south of the Walt Disney World Resort is the Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve, a $45 million living laboratory for land restoration. The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund (DWCF) annual awards program supports scientific research and habitat protection in more than 40 countries.
• To date, the DWCF has supported 450 projects totaling $8.5 million.
• Each day, 10 million gallons of water is reclaimed (recycled) and used in irrigation throughout the property.
• The Disney Harvest program collects food which was prepared, but not served, from the restaurants and distributes nearly 50,000 pounds of food per month to Second Harvest Food Bank.