GREEN MEETINGS & FACILITIES

GEOFF DONAGHYManaging Director

Cairns Convention Centre

Where have we come from?

Where are we now?

Where are we going next?

GREEN MEETINGS & FACILITIES

IN THE BEGINNING

Range of venue types

- Convention Centres

- Converted/adapted building

- Hotel facilities

Very “clean” industry

Minimal community concern

PAST 2 – 3 DECADES

Large purpose built venues

Sustainability concerns

Tourism industry impacts

Air and water quality

Biodiversity

Habitat destruction

Social impacts

DESIGN INNOVATION Green Building Standards and Ratings

OPERATIONAL BENCHMARKS Waste Energy Accreditation programs - venues

- events

THE NEW AGE – THE NEW PARADIGM

Climate change

Global warming

Rising sea levels

Extreme weather events

Highly visible

Highly publicised

GREENHOUSE GASES

Necessary and Natural

Carbon Dioxide

Methane

Nitrous Oxide

Water Vapour

Carbon Monoxide

Fluorocarbons (CFCs)

CARBON DIOXIDE

Industry

Deforestation

Started to increase from 1800

Rapid escalation from mid 1900s

By 2010 - 4% lower than 2006

- 39% more than 1990

Sustainable levels 3.5t per person

GLOBAL ACTION First Earth Summit

- Rio de Janeiro - 1997- 150 countries- Framework Convention on Climate

Change Kyoto Protocol

- 2005 International Agreement- 162 Industrialised countries- Carbon Emission Targets- Carbon Credit Trading- Carbon Sinks

CARBON FOOTPRINT MEASURABILITY

Global

Continent

Country

Corporation

Household

Individual

Convention Centres - direct

- indirect

Large Buildings

Large Gatherings

Large Airline Movements

Large Consumers - Energy

- Other Resources

- Hotel Rooms

- Other Services

Large Targets

CONVENTION CENTRES

CLIENT EXPECTATION & DEMANDS

2006 IMEX Buyers Survey67% Taking environmental results into account

58% Selected hotels on environmental programs

80% Environment will become bigger issue

50% Delegates will become concerned

THE FUTURE

Convention industry culpability

Client demands

Community expectation

Individual venue action

AIPC Leadership Role

- forum for information and innovation

- public and media debate

Thank You

May all your convention centresbe carbon compliant!