Championing best practice for sustainability, Ecobuild 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 (March 4-6 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.
