Practical tips for sustainable events
The events that we host are a reflection of the university, and they offer an opportunity to make sure we are doing things in the same way across the campus. A new online planning tool will help to ensure that our events are sustainable.
It is often the little details that make an occasion perfect – or inadvertently provoke discontent. Take ETH’s Klimarunde climate event last October – the main programme was a resounding success, but for some attendees the refreshments at the drinks reception afterwards left a bitter taste in the mouth.
The food was certainly delicious, and the catering was impeccable. The problem was that, at this public event on the subject of climate change – which made explicit mention of the methane emissions from meat production – some of the canapés contained meat. One guest made a personal complaint to the Executive Board about the organisers’ “lack of awareness”.
Setting an example on our campus
Whether or not there was a lack of sensitivity here remains an open question, and it is worth pointing out that the organisers deliberately cut down the amount of meat in the menu provided by the caterer to 2 out of 13 dishes. What the anecdote shows clearly, however, is that the public are very aware of sustainability issues and that our university has to set an example that goes beyond academic expertise and reaches into other areas of life.
We take this responsibility seriously, as demonstrated by numerous measures aimed at upholding sustainable principles not only in our research and teaching, but also in our operations and on campus. This also applies to the many events that take place here. Anyone looking to organise a local workshop, an international conference or a major public event at ETH Zurich can now make use of an online tool to help with their planning and decision-making. The overarching aim of the tool is to make sure our events are sustainable.
Drawing on previous experience
The content of the web-based tool derives from the existing guidelines “Nachhaltige Veranstaltungen” (Sustainable Events) and “Nachhaltiges Catering” (Sustainable Catering), which the Safety, Security, Health and Environment (SSHE) administrative department developed some time ago together with the Sustainability team from the University of Zurich. “The guidelines provide a good overview, but not enough people know about them,” says Gina Mörgeli from the SSHE department, who developed the online tool in conjunction with Anahita Zelger from the Services department. Together, they revised and expanded the original content and turned it into a user-friendly web application, which Mörgeli hopes will make the information more accessible.
Helping with decisions
The tool takes the form of an interactive mindmap with several levels. The first screen shows 14 planning areas where sustainability criteria need to be taken into account, from transport, guest accommodation and event locations to catering, decorations and giveaways. When the user selects an area, they are taken through a number of further levels corresponding to relevant subtopics.
In the transport category, for example, users are asked whether a conference could also take place virtually. If not, perhaps the amount of travel involved could be reduced by using live streams. If participants must attend the event in person, they are encouraged to travel by train rather than plane. The final level of the tool offers practical suggestions and tips as well as helpful links such as the videoconferencing service from IT Services or a search function for sustainable accommodation.
Focus on campus catering
Alongside transport and accommodation, event catering has a major impact on the environment. In the interests of sustainability, food and drink should be vegetarian, seasonal and regional wherever possible and should be sourced from fair, eco-friendly production. The tool can provide background information on this subject and suggest possible options. Mörgeli recommends speaking directly to catering firms about their efforts to promote sustainability.
Mörgeli worked with ETH Sustainability to define the criteria in the field of catering. The staff unit for sustainability has been working with the caterers for some time to make food services on campus more environmentally friendly. Since 2018, these efforts have been encapsulated in the Climate Programme for ETH catering (see box). They are currently working on developing a comprehensive set of criteria for healthy, eco-friendly, socially responsible catering. This also includes the matter of packaging: plans are in place to introduce reusable containers from reCIRCLE on campus in the 2020 Spring Semester. “The measures implemented by the caterers will also reduce the footprint of the events,” says Mörgeli happily.
The Event management section will use the new online tool in its Event Academy training programme in order to raise awareness among ETH members, and both the University of Zurich and Zurich’s tourism board are interested in using it too. Mörgeli sees the mindmap as a living tool that will keep developing and evolving: “We would love to get feedback from event organisers and users.”
This article appeared in the current ETH magazine "life".
Promising results so far for caterers
As part of the Climate Programme for ETH catering, the SV Group and Compass Group are committed to reducing their CO2 emissions by 10 percent in 3 years. To this end, they are expanding their vegetarian options, avoiding food waste and goods carried by air, and focusing on seasonal and regional products. At the halfway stage, the caterers are well on the way to reaching their target. If they are going to achieve the required reduction in emissions by January 2021, however, they will need the support of their users. The menu choices of ETH members heavily influence the products that the caterers offer.