How to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Zero Budget

February 17, 2020

Julia Spangler

Julia Spangler is the owner of Ecosystem Events, a sustainable events consultancy company. Julia helps organizations and event professionals reduce the environmental impact of their events in order to preserve our planet and deliver powerful sustainability stories. 

Did you know that the biggest climate change impact from your event happens before your event even begins? That’s because travel is the top contributor of greenhouse gas emissions from events.

According to calculations by MeetGreen in 2014, for an association conference of 5,000 attendees, 80% of the event’s emissions came solely from travel.

Thankfully, there’s a helpful tool event organizers can use to negate the impact of attendee travel: carbon offsets. The concept behind carbon offsets is that an individual or company can offset the impact of their greenhouse gas emissions by supporting projects that reduce global carbon emissions by an equivalent amount.

Carbon offsets are relatively inexpensive, typically just a few dollars per flight. But what if your event doesn’t have any budget to cover offsets for attendee travel?

Quick Tip: Share carbon offset information with guests so they have the option of offsetting their own travel.

Even if you can’t afford to purchase carbon offsets on behalf of your attendees, it’s free to share information about carbon offsets in your communications or registration form.

First, find a carbon offset provider like Native Energy that helps guests easily calculate the impact of their travel and purchase the equivalent offsets. Next, share the link to the provider and a blurb about why carbon offsets are important. That’s all you need to do!

The Oracle OpenWorld conference offers a voluntary carbon offset option to attendees during the registration process. For their 2017 event, 3,670 attendees chose to offset their own travel emissions, resulting in 2,884 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions being canceled out.

By simply offering the green option of carbon offsets, you’ll help many of your guests make a sustainable choice they might not have known how to make otherwise.

For more information about carbon offsets, check out the Climate Action Reserve’s list of reputable carbon offset providers (use the Retail filter to find options that individuals can purchase).

 

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Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact