BECC has a long history of setting new green standards for conference planning – we have tried to  ‘walk the walk ‘ from our beginning in 2007. We work closely with our hotels and attendees to minimize our climate and natural resource footprint. (Our hotels tell us that we produce 2/3 of the trash of a standard conference.) To the extent possible, we try to follow the Sustainable United Nations Checklist for Green Meetings including:
Minimize Impacts and Waste
- All marketing, communication, program development, and registration processes are electronic
- Presentations, abstracts, and conference agendas are posted online
- Our program is printed on recycled paper
- No handouts, flyers, etc. larger than a business card and no plastic; display-only copies are okay (Our sponsors/attendees have been very creative in meeting this guideline!)
- Name tags are compostable/recyclable; lanyards are reused
- Recycling bins easily available; reuse and recycle as much as possible
- Carbon-offsets purchased to cover conference climate impacts
Thoughtful Site Selection
- Hotel should have a strong green policy or certification
- Management commitment
- Linen and towel reuse is default option
- Tracking of energy, water, and waste processes
- LED lighting, low-flow showers, sinks, toilets, etc.
- Public transit easily available; safe bicycle parking options
Careful Catering Decisions
- All food where possible is served family style not in individual disposable containers
- No bottled water
- China and silverware are used for serving; disposables are avoided
- Linen napkins are used for sit-down meals: recycled paper napkins for breaks
Lower Footprint Food Choices
- Serve local and seasonally available food where possible
- One lunch is 100% vegetarian, the other is vegetarian/vegan optional
- No beef or pork; dairy/ cheese used sparingly; chicken and fish sourced responsibly
- Healthy choices such as grains, nuts, fruit and each breakfast should contain protein, not ’empty calories’
- Leftover food is sent to food kitchens or consumed by hotel staff
- The hotel should be connected to a waste composting service
Engaging Attendee Involvement
- Post our Green Policy on our website and discuss at opening plenary
- Encourage attendees to
- Use public transit, carpool, and bicycling; provide transit, and other information
- Purchase carbon offsets for travel and lodging impacts
- Reuse linens and towels
- Bring their own re-usable water bottles