Working with the Carbon Reduction Institute in Australia Podium can now offer its clients a NoCO2 or a LowCO2 event, significantly reducing the impact of their events on the environment. Podium’s founder and director, Tony Bonney, says “events can now achieve both NoCO2 and LowCO2 by paying a small premium on top of the cost of the event. One hundred per cent of the premium collected is then spent on the environment”.
A portion of this money will be spent on carbon offsets to neutralise the greenhouse gas emissions generated from holding an event and the remainder is invested in energy efficiency projects, all of which are aimed at helping the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“NoCO2 and LowCO2 events create an opportunity for an organisation to expand upon its corporate social responsibility role or to put one in place,” he explains.
Podium can work with companies in two ways:
1. Measure the expected CO2 outcome of the event and create offsets to neutralise emissions.
2. For reoccurring events they will work with the client with a view to lowering CO2 outputs for the following event.
Mr Bonney says this new initiative is in line with Podium’s overall event strategy for clients.
Podium has a philosophy of events called the “Woo Factor ™” (in contrast to the so-called “wow” factor). For Podium, Woo Factor ™ events are all about engagement. They focus on ensuring that a meaningful exchange is had for all parties; that there is something of value exchanged by the event.
“There is nothing wrong with wowing people,” Mr Bonney says.
“But if you wow people once then there is a likely expectation that you have to continue to do it for every event, every year, and it can become unsustainable. And what it may also overshadow is the reason for the event in the first place.
“We look at events from the point of view of sustainability. What outcomes does the client want from their event? How can we engage event attendees in a meaningful way? They may not want (or need) to be wowed all the time.”
He says that running an environmentally aware event is just another part of the Woo Factor ™ philosophy at Podium.
In line with the offering for events Podium itself has undergone stringent analysis of its entire business to determine its impact on the environment, and now reports quarterly to maintain its NoCO2 Certification. As a result the company has changed numerous business practices to reduce its CO2 emissions, and plans further changes in the coming 12 months.
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