The principles of sustainability underpin the thematic focus of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) and guides every aspect of the conference’s organisation.
The EMAS/ISO14001-certified company implementing the event works in cooperation with the European Commission (Directorate General for Energy and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) is doing it with a holistic approach to sustainability that considers environmental, social and economic factors throughout.
The following areas have witnessed the implementation of various actions as:
🌱 Venues
Use of venues (Charlemagne building and Martin’s Hotel) close to public transport and whose rooms require limited customisation as excessive production of new material. The Martin’s Hotel also holds the Green Key eco-label.
🌱 Catering
Use of seasonal and local food and drink, including plant-based options for onsite catering. Prevention of food waste via redistribution of leftovers. No plastic single-use items.
🌱 Suppliers
A focus on local suppliers for all elements of the conference’s logistics, including AV production, decoration, catering, and support staff leading to a limitation of the CO2 emissions.
🌱 Trophies production
Trophies delivered during the Awards ceremony were produced out of the wood taken from of a fallen tree from Belgium. They were levelled, planned and sanded manually. Engraving was done by an inclusive company employing disabled workers.
🌱 Carbon offsetting
The event compensates for its carbon footprint by making a financial investment in a certified sustainable project that reduces carbon emissions and advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. For the 2022 edition, carbon offsetting of the event was achieved through investment in the Gold Standard Climate Project Cookstoves in Nigeria.
🌱 Decoration and materials
Conference materials from past events (banners, decorations, badges, etc.) are reused and upcycled. The conference materials used for this edition and for the next ones are also reused and upcycled.
🌱 Waste
The event is paperless and no promotional gadgets are distributed.
🌱 Employment
Staff working at the event are employed in a socially-conscious way, complying with safety and labour rules and privileging disadvantaged/long-term unemployed individuals.
