Last year was a pivotal one for Detroit’s Cobo Center and its environmental initiatives, which have been highlighted in its recently released 2017 Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report.

According to Claude Molinari, general manager of Cobo Center, each year the facility’s Green Committee makes great strides in expanding its environmental program, and last year was no exception. 

“We were recertified by the Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC), hosted Sustainable Brands 2017, and made significant strides in our efforts on environmental and social stewardship of the Metro Detroit community,” Molinari explained.

Cobo’s green initiatives included the addition of honey bee hives and an herb garden on the 10,000 square foot green roof. The bees pollinate the plants, while the herbs and honey are used in the center’s kitchens as a highlight to locally grown ingredients used in the Center’s menus, according to Cobo officials.

In addition, an Executive Green Team was formed to provide resources and guidance to the facility’s Green Committee programs in an effort to strengthen the organizational efficiency of the efforts. 

The team immediately launched a new marketing campaign for sustainability, just in time for Sustainable Brands 2017, aptly named “Sustainability Lives Here,” which is broadcast over all marketing channels including digital signage, social media, digital marketing and banners and posters throughout the facility.

Other key green achievements listed in the 2017 report include:

• During Sustainable Brands, Cobo Center achieved a 91 percent waste diversion rate, its highest ever for an event.
• Worked closely with the iComply auditor to facilitate the venue portion of Sustainable Brands’ GMIC ISO 20121 Environmental Management System standard compliance for sustainable events.
• Increased annual compost diversion by creating food court compost stations, purchasing all compostable service ware for use in the food courts and creating extensive training programs for staff.
• Expanded the ongoing Cobo Cares program to include more free after-work health and wellness events for staff and visitors and community improvement events with Cobo volunteers serving to improve the Detroit community.
• Established a permanent nursing mother’s room where families can have a quiet place to feed and nurture children during events.

“We understand the importance of both sustainable venue operations and corporate social responsibility in meeting the center’s development goals,” Molinari said. 

He added, “Giving our employees and visitors avenues toward health and wellness contribute to the longevity of the city and center’s success.”

In its efforts to further its green mission, Cobo has upped its own ante by setting some lofty sustainability goals for 2018as well as including social responsibility in its Green Committee initiatives.

Green objectives for this year include the purchase of two portable lactation stations; a newly designed green roof observation area for visitors that includes information signage, and visitor tours of Cobo Center that include highlights of the venue’s sustainable operations. 

To learn more about the Cobo Center’s annual Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report and its green initiatives, go HERE.