The global events industry is working to help unite the world to tackle climate change. In the runup to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, the industry has adopted a comprehensive Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge to commit actors in the sector to targets aligned with the Paris Climate Accord. The pledge has wide-ranging industry support, with members of the entire events industry supply chain involved in developing and executing the plans.
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On Nov. 10, leaders from across different parts of the industry will be live at COP26 to introduce the pledge and the broad industry commitment. The session will be free to view. (When available, information on accessing the session will be here.) This session will include an address from the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, who sees the pledge as in alignment with his “Five Rays of Hope,” his hopes for guiding the General Assembly for the year.

The themes of the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge session will include the two roles the event sector plays as a driver of the climate change agenda:

  1. As a central strategic tool for all governments, institutions and industries to drive developments and implementations in a sustainable way.
  2. As a sector who needs to be, and is proactively working on, driving its own development toward carbon neutrality and net zero carbon.

Facilitated by the Joint Meetings Industry Council, an industry trade body, and with the support of the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), this joint industry action has been the most inclusive global collaboration ever undertaken in the events sector. To date, there are more than 150 businesses from across the sector, and all regions of the world, who are registered supporters.

Signatories to the pledge commit to:

  • Publish their organization’s pathway to achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest, with an interim target in line with the Paris Agreement’s requirement to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030, before the end of 2023.
  • Collaborate with partners, suppliers and customers to drive change across the value chain.
  • Measure and track Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions according to industry best practices.
  • Report on progress at least every two years.

This pledge is the starting point for practical work to be done afterwards, with the participation of all interested industry stakeholders.

The global events industry covers a wide variety of businesses and stakeholders, from globally active event organizers to local suppliers and from destinations to international institutions. The sector operates the meeting places and marketplaces that drive social, economic and societal development through events big and small — from COP26 itself to local events.

For more information about the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge or Initiative, please click here.