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Events

UNEP FI 2009 Global Roundtable

Green Sponsor

Keep it Green

UNEP FI works closely with financial institutions to develop and promote linkages between the environment, sustainability and financial performance. In keeping with this, we firmly believe in the crucial importance of hosting an environmentally friendly conference.

Our green event activities will aim to balance social and economic considerations while pursuing the ultimate goal of reducing the critical environmental impacts that an event of this scale can have.

Carbon Offsetting

While all steps have been taken to reduce, reuse and recycle, for an event of this size, as indicated in the Green Report from our 2007 Melbourne Global Roundtable, 72% of the event's overall emissions resulted from delegates flying to and from the destination.

This is why we have partnered with both the UN award winning NGO, Food and Trees for Africa and our Green Sponsors Pick 'n Pay to offset all the carbon emissions from the entire event, which includes electricity use and emissions arising from delegates flying to and from the event.

Media Invitation: Consider Us – the kids of Khayelitsha Special School plant trees for the UN and Cape Town Green Week on Tuesday 20th October, 2009

During the Event

UNEP FI aims to reduce the Ecological and Carbon Footprint of the Conference to a maximum, and will be asking you, the guests, to actively participate and assist us, where possible, in implementing the following activities:

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), through:

Running the event on renewable energy:
To minimise the carbon footprint of the 2009 Global Roundtable, renewable energy has been sourced. Greenx Energy has sourced enough Renewable Energy Certificates to meet the events needs from the Umzimkulu Mill of Illovo Sugar where electricity is generated from bagasse (the residue from crushed sugar cane). These RECs are independently issued, transferred and redeemed and undertaken under the regulatory frameworks which are currently being established by the Department of Minerals and Energy through the South African REC system.
Asking housekeeping/guests to turn down air conditioning and close blinds during the day in rooms;
Avoiding use of elevators and escalators and preferring stairs.
Avoiding emissions through reducing kilometers traveled by car and public transport through:

Encouraging use of public transport and/or car pooling from and to the airport and for all displacements;
Provision of hotels within walking distance of the conference venue;
Location of Welcome Reception and Conference Dinner, within walking distance of the conference venue and hotels; and

Offset all delegate and speaker flights, and, where budget permits all remaining emissions.
Exploring options to avoid energy consumption during the event e.g. thermostat adjustment of air conditioning/heating.

Reduce ecologically intensive resource consumption through:

Minimizing water and energy consumption on site;
Reduce resource consumption through minimization of conference pack materials, such as satchels and stationary;
Print all conference material in South Africa, so as not to fly in the conference documents from long distances;
Print all the conference brochures on double sided recycled paper and use vegetable-based ink and less toxic colors;
Upload all the conference presentations on the UNEP FI website after the event instead of handing out conference satchels;
Where possible in hotels ask staff to not change sheets and towels daily if ok with guest;

Reduce waste to landfill by providing a Waste Wise event with waste management at the Welcome reception and Conference Dinner. A Waste Wise event includes:

Avoiding waste and litter where possible;
Recycling as much as is possible;
Promoting reusable instead of disposable packaging;
Using if possible non disposable (china or glass) or biodegradable plates, cups and glasses;
Using cloth table cloths and if possible napkins;