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PRO INSTALLER DECEMBER 2013
PRO EVENTS
@proinstaller1
Striving to achieve
ISO 20121 standard
for Sustainable Event
Management
Championing best practice for sustainability, Ecobuild
(www.ecobuild.co.uk), the world’s leading event
for sustainable design, construction and the built
environment, is striving to achieve the ISO 20121
Sustainable Events Management System certification.
Forming part of owner UBM Live
Built Environment’s strategy for
continual improvement of its sustainable performance, Ecobuild’s
team are looking at the environment, community and economic
sides of sustainability ahead of the
2014 event (4th – 6th March 2014,
ExCeL London).
Helping to ensure that Ecobuild leaves
a positive legacy behind, Ecobuild is
concentrating on reduction of the carbon
impact of the show this year, with the aim
of reducing its carbon footprint by better
management of resources and sourcing
more sustainable options.
Alison Jackson, Group Director of Sustainability & Construction, Ecobuild, said:
“Being the leading sustainable construction and design event, we must be at
the forefront of sustainability ourselves
and walk the walk. We recognise the
social and environmental impacts of our
own activities as organisers of Ecobuild
and ISO 20121 can help to manage this
impact.”
Another challenge set to the team is
to address the volume of waste created
by the event. This will firstly involve a
reduction in the amount of waste that is
generated and secondly, an increase in
the proportion of waste which is recycled.
Alison continues: “One change we have
made already is the way we will build the
show, changing the design of our shell
scheme stands to reduce material use. In
addition we will build as many features
as we can with recycled and recyclable
material.”
Increasing the shows positive impact on
the community is also a critical area of
Ecobuild’s work towards sustainable best
practice. The team already has a number
of community initiatives it plans to develop including its partnership with CRASH,
a practical charity addressing the issues
of homelessness by harnessing the skills,
products and goodwill of the construction
industry.
Ecobuild will work closely with exhibitors and contractors to achieve the
standard, encouraging all exhibitors to be
mindful when building their stands. One
step towards this is Ecobuild’s partnership
with the UK Green Building Council to
promote the Sustainable Stand Awards at
Ecobuild 2014.
New research and
innovation partnership
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