Message from the Congress Organisers

Message from the Congress Organisers

“We, at the 12th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) 2024, are passionate about sustainability and having a positive impact!

 

Our approach

With the guidance of the GDS-Movement and the collaboration of our suppliers, we have established three fundamental principles to guide the organisation of WEEC 2024:

 

1. Eliminate waste, emissions, and pollution.

2. Regenerate natural systems for both people and the planet.

3. Enhance participants' experience through sustainability efforts.

We invite all participants to embrace these principles actively. From planning your journey to engaging in the event, we encourage you to prioritize sustainability in every aspect of your involvement.

Your support is pivotal in making WEEC 2024 a pioneer in sustainable conferences and a catalyst for global environmental and education.”

WEEC 2024 Organizing Team

Our Goals

Climate Action

· Measure Congress CO2 emissions

· 70% of food served is vegetarian or vegan

· 60% of food locally sourced (less than 160 miles)

· Eliminate red meat from the menus

 

Circular Economy

· 90% eliminate single-use plastic, polystyrene and PVC

· Decrease waste sent to landfill to 50%

· Recycle 30% of event waste

· Minimum 40% of signage is made from sustainable materials

 

Social Responsibility

· Integrated accessibility approach leading up to the event

· Integrated accessibility actions on-site with integrated sign language, accessibility across the venue

· Engage with the local education institutions ensuring continuous education and visit at WEEC 2024

 

Energy

We ensure the use of clean energy sources by supplying electricity from our solar power plants, (Noor Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra Solar PV—two of the world's largest single-site solar power facilities). Additionally, the energy during the event is derived from the Barakah Nuclear Power Station, the region's sole nuclear power facility.

Your Role

Sustainability thrives when we all actively engage and collaborate. Each of us bears the responsibility to initiate actions within our area of influence and, even with limited impact, to urge those in positions of power to address environmental and social concerns.

 

Here are simple steps you can take during your time at WEEC 2024:

· Bring a reusable water bottle and utilize the water dispensers available throughout the event.

· Practice responsible waste disposal by recycling materials in the appropriate bins.

· If you're within walking distance, consider walking to the venue to reduce your carbon footprint.

· Choose more sustainable menu options from our climate-conscious menus

 

By collectively embracing these practices, we contribute to the shared goal of making WEEC 2024 an environmentally responsible event.

The Venue’s Pledge Towards a Sustainable Future

Selecting the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) as our venue for the Congress is a significant move towards minimizing our environmental impact, given the venue's sustainability credentials, including:

Sustainable Event Design: following the ISO guidelines 20121:2012–Event Sustainability Management System. The use of QR codes for menus, promotion of healthier options, eco-friendly materials for event accessories, and designing low carbon emission menus based on life cycle assessments.

ADNEC is dedicated to advancing sustainable practices within the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) industry. As a pioneer in the UAE, ADNEC has committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon Events, winning multiple sustainability awards.

Their pledge aligns with the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, positioning the country at the forefront of sustainable practices in the MENA region. This commitment not only establishes ADNEC as an industry leader but also resonates with the values of WEEC, making it the ideal host for the 12th edition.

Find out more HERE.

We are proud to mention the following initiatives:

· Extensive front-of-house and back-of-house recycling system allowing the delegates to separate their waste into 4-stream bins – general waste, plastic, cans, and glass, with even more extensive approach in back-of-the-house recycling approach adding up to liquid food composting system, bio-diesel production of used cooking oil, reverse vending machine.

· Sustainability-focused operations induced with biodegradable packaging, campaigns to eliminate plastic straws, and reduce the use of disposable cups.

· 100% LED lights across all premises

The Venue’s Pledge Towards a Sustainable Future

Measure, Reduce, Offset

In our commitment to environmental responsibility, we are diligently working to measure and minimize the carbon footprint associated with WEEC 2024. Going beyond these efforts, we are dedicated to offsetting any residual impact. To ensure accuracy, we've partnered with specialized consultants – GDS-Movement - to calculate the carbon footprint of all delegates, encompassing travel, accommodation, production, waste, and catering.

Utilizing the data collected, we will calculate the carbon footprint of each delegate and, in line with our commitment to climate action, we will offset these emissions responsibly in the future, potentially planting a new mangrove forest in the local area. The concept is to regenerate biodiversity as well as sequestrate emissions.

After the Congress, we will produce a sustainability report transparently sharing our goals, strategies and results with the aim to keep our stakeholders informed and engaged in our sustainability journey.

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