Climate Sustainable Conference Venues

The Target

The UK conference and meetings sector is estimated to be worth over £20 billion/year. Venues require travel to and from them; power; and catering. All of these sectors contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions: the food supply chain adds 38% to emissions, and is much reduced if catering is plant-based; the UK power sector is 12% of UK emissions; transport is 29% of domestic emissions.

Academic conferences alone generate £1.9 billion in spend, with medical conferences making up a significant portion of this category. If we change what we do, we can change a whole industry! 

What can I do?

Firstly, whenever you are booking hotels, catering or a meeting/conference venue, send out this questionnaire to all prospective venues and suppliers. This in itself may engender change in the industry. Then choose the greenest venue you can (recognising that costs may remain an issue... but you might be able to negotiate, saying 'we'd like to choose you as the greenest... is there any way we can reduce the prices?')

Secondly, when you are ready, feel free to sign the Holborn Declaration for Organisers below and return it to us. We will then promote your organisation.

If you are a venue/ hotel/ caterer that is green (or you know of ones that are) we want to know. We'll promote you free of charge! You don't have to be big: you might be a society or organisation which has a small meeting room you rent out, or a small local restaurant/caterer.

 Thank you!