Events and sustainable development: WHERE ARE WE?

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More and more French people are expressing their concern with regard to respect for the environment. In 2015, 26% of the population said they were concerned by global warming ¹ . Applied to the professional environment, 7 executives out of 10 believe that a CSR policy should be integrated into their strategy. This desire is reflected in particular with event agencies, who are also concerned with offering sustainable activities to companies. Let’s take a look at the question.

What exactly is an eco-responsible event agency?

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Event agencies can generate a strong environmental impact because their activity involves many more or less polluting elements, from transport to the event on site. To limit their carbon footprint, some players in the events sector have been adopting a sustainable approach for several years. But how to certify that their activities are really respectful of the environment?

For this, there is an international standard called ISO 20121. The latter relates to a methodology specific to responsible event activities. It thus defines the guidelines of your activity so that its practices are more sustainable. Whether it’s about swapping your plastic bottle for a water bottle in order to limit waste, favoring public transport or preferring an activity in the heart of nature, the standard aims to cover all stages of the supply chain of your event from A to Z.

Are you looking to carry out an eco-responsible team-building? At Autentik Events, we are fully capable of advising you on the best steps to carry out a sustainable event .

What types of activities are possible for a responsible event?

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Sometimes it doesn’t take much to achieve a sustainable business exit. One of the first keys for an ecological event is to limit transport as much as possible, in order to minimize its carbon footprint. Why not offer a collective bike ride to strengthen the ties between the teams and make a gesture of solidarity at the same time? In the event of a longer distance, choose carpooling or the electronic shuttle rather than the plane when possible because it is a very polluting mode of transport.

As for the responsible activities that it is possible to carry out, our professionals will not hesitate to direct you to the type of Event corresponding to your desires. Collective vegetable gardens, recup’ workshop, ecological kitchen, collaborative construction… There is no shortage of ideas in terms of sustainable team building at Autentik Events!

Upstream, when you communicate about your event, favor a more ecological mode of communication (recycled paper or electronic means, without abusing it). And if you can, prioritize one or more players donating part of their revenue to a charity, in order to be sustainable on a larger scale. With this in mind, Autentik Events can help you choose the most responsible service providers for your event !

¹ Source: Opinions and environmental practices of the French in 2015, General Commission for Sustainable Development, n°750 April 2016 http://www.statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/fileadmin/documents/Produits_editorials/Publications/Chiffres_et_statistiques/2016 /figures-stats750-opinions-environmental-practices-2015-april2016-b.pdf
² Source: France tv info survey: https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/c-est-mon-boulot/sondage-pour-sept-cadres-sur-10-la-responsabilite-sociale-des- companies-must-be-integrated-into-their-strategy_2688326.html