EWEC 2010 conference from Tuesday 20 - Friday 23 April featured over 50 sessions and side events, more than 500 oral and poster presentations and over 2,000 delegates. Due to the explosion of the Icelandic volcano and the resulting ash cloud which closed down all Warsaw feeder airports, EWEC 2010 attendance was reduced to 3100 participants with an additional 1400 who viewed the proceedings online.

EWEA takes social and environmental considerations into account in all we do. EWEA is committed to:
• championing the development of a wind industry that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable;
• minimizing the environmental impact of its operations, communications and events;
• incorporating sustainability principles and stewardship into the management of the association

EWEA has adopted the MCI Sustainable Event Management (SEM) framework to provide a structure for the sustainable organization our events, including EWEC, and is currently working towards BS8901 Sustainable Event Management System compliance.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, EWEA has initiated a sustainable events management process requiring a comprehensive and transparent ‘Sustainable Event Assessment’ report outlining sustainable activities, sustainability systems and performance against objectives. The results of two Sustainable Event Assessment reports are now available.

Sustainable Event Assessment reports from EWEC 2009 and for EOW 2009, the latter of which EWEA planners earned 3 stars on the MeetGreenSM performance index, are available for download at the EWEA website (www.ewea.org).

Planning followed the action areas outlined in the Copenhagen Sustainable Meetings Protocol: Leadership (with an expert planner team); strategy (following the MCI Sustainable Event Management strategic framework to ensure a structured approach and measured outcomes) and Stakeholder Engagement (all EWEA event suppliers receive, and are expected to sign, a Code of Conduct based on the United Nations Global Compact).

A cornerstone component of EWEA’s approach is usage of the MeetGreen evaluation tool. The MeetGreen Toolkit MeetGreen is the industry leading sustainable event platform and measurement tool that allows organisations to track and improve on the sustainability performance of their meetings and events.

MeetGreen analyses over 100 facets of event policy, practices and outcomes. Using a checklist approach, MeetGreen divides the meeting into 8 key areas; Destination, Accommodation, Venues, Transport, Marketing Communications, Food and Beverage. Exhibitions and back office performance. The approach provides a forum to have a dialogue with our key suppliers and other stakeholders, including our internal teams.

For EWEA events, congress bags are constructed from recycled materials and produced from factories with socially responsible conditions and oversight. Menus must include vegetarian options, durable dishware and bulk service of condiments to reduce waste. Venues and hotels are to observe recycling practices and avoid toxic chemicals as part of a more comprehensive environmental management plan. For EWEC 2010, Sheraton Catering Warsaw, the selected caterer, worked in collaboration with the Warsaw Food Bank to safely donate un-served food to communities in need. This became Poland’s largest such effort to date. It is noteworthy that the Sheraton was selected because they were a local supplier and are the first hotel in Poland to be certified in HACCP (a risk management tool recognized internationally for use in the proactive management of food safety issues). Sheraton Catering’s approach to EWEC 2010 brought a comprehensive sustainability policy which included the use of biodegradable cutlery and onsite waste separation.

EWEA measures the event related carbon emissions for its events and works directly with suppliers and stakeholders to reduce the impact to climate destabilization. They have also partnered with the Koru Foundation, which develops renewable energy projects that tackle poverty in developing countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia and Oceania. Through a unique initiative to allocate 1€ from every registered delegate for the 2009 European Offshore Wind event in Stockholm, Sweden, EWEA members and partners raised over 7000€ The Koru Foundation.

EWEC es un ejemplo de cómo un evento sostenible no consiste en algunas medidas verdes, sino en todo un proceso, desde la definición de estrategia hasta la medición y el reporting.