The climate cost of post-Covid revenge event-going: How to stop people flying to conferences?

(Eco Business, 27 Mar 2023) Event organisers face growing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, which mainly comes from air travel. But confusion over how to measure the climate cost of an event and who's responsible for reducing emissions is making it hard to keep a growing problem in check.

The average international conference attendee produces about half the carbon dioxide that the average person emits in an entire year just by attending a single event.

With Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions loosening, the climate cost of events has come into focus as event organisers face growing pressure to limit their environmental footprint as physical event attendances rebound with a vengence.

The biggest climate impact of an event comes from its Scope 3 emissions – air travel, which accounts for 70-90 per cent of the carbon footprint. This presents a dilemma for key business travel destinations such as Singapore, which simultaneously wants to be Asia’s leading sustainable meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) hub while attracting more people from overseas to jet in for an event.

Singapore’s Grand Prix drew criticism for greenwashing in September for crowing about its efforts to reduce the operational environmental impact of the event by digitising tickets and using LED lights while ignoring the 70 per cent of emissions generated from transporting thousands of people and equipment to the city-state for a one-off, carbon-intensive event.

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Eco Business, 27 Mar 2023: The climate cost of post-Covid revenge event-going: How to stop people flying to conferences?

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