Blog | Guy Bigwood
MCI launch Sustainability Services
Posted 2/16/2008 2:54:24 AM
2007 will be a year that will be remembered as the year that governments, organisations and corporations around the world recognized the effects of climate change. Sustainability and climate change evolved from discussions among environmental activist to heated boardroom debates. The world experienced a massive global tipping point, and today all major corporations have, or are implementing, significant social and environmental sustainability programmes.
This trend will continue in 2008 unabated and with more rigour. Many corporations have already created the role of Chief Sustainability Officer, or CSO. These board-level directors are being empowered to maintain and increase the intangible value of a company by measuring, reducing and communicating a company's environmental footprint and sustainability strategy. During the coming year, these executives will start to have an increasing effect on marketing departments, procurement professionals and those responsible for corporate travel and event organization.
Already, most large international companies produce a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or sustainability annual report. While it is not the only indicator that should be used, many companies already declare their greenhouse gas emissions, with over 3000 of the largest corporations registering them with the Carbon Disclosure Project.
However, there is a hole in the majority of these reports: most companies do not yet include scope 3 emissions or the emissions from meetings, events and business travel. As travel and flying is such a large emitter of carbon, you can expect things to change in 2008. So if you are responsible for organizing events or meetings, expect to be asked to consider the environmental impact of your activities and to provide statistics about carbon emission levels, waste levels and resource utilization.
In response to this business challenge, MCI launched Sustainability Services. These consulting services provide an evaluation of a client's global or national meetings and events - first to calculate the environmental footprint and then to offer practical solutions for a sound sustainability plan. Key components include carbon-reduction strategies, operational protocols, staff training and measurement systems needed for annual sustainability reporting. MCI's Green Event Management methodology (GEM) offers clients an end-to-end approach to reducing the environmental impact of a meeting or event.
One of the key tools used by the team is the MeetGreen Calculator. Designed and licensed from Meeting Strategies Worldwide, the online tool uses a list of over 100 questions to analyze and report on the environmental impact of an event. These questions are split into 8 categories: destination selection, accommodation, venue, food and beverage, transport, exhibition, communication, and back-office organisation.
The Calculator then compares practices of a specific event against other events/meetings in the database. Results provide a benchmark for future events and a comparison with other events. In this way, a corporation can compare its events against other organizations' events. Or they can benchmark them against their own events. So for example a large pharmaceutical company could measure and compare all of its 1000 annual events and then report them in a way which could be included into the company's annual report, website or memorandum.
Once a clear picture has been calculated of the environmental footprint of an organisation's meetings, MCI's Sustainable Services consultants can help to design and implement coherent policies and processes to reduce emissions, resource usage and waste production. Together with carbon partners, MCI then designs a carbon management strategy to offset emissions through a portfolio of environmental and social projects such as reforestation, avoided deforestation, renewable energy and environmental education programmes, both locally and internationally.
MCI Sustainability Services offer clients a thorough approach to the sometimes daunting challenge of "going green". They help reduce "greenwashing" while reinforcing commitments to CSR and communicating with integrity and transparency.
MCI's commitment is to conceive, create and produce memorable events and projects that are environmentally and socially responsible, ethical and safe. Our sustainability services are an integral part of our CSR strategy and our vision to help build community for a better world
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