Zhou Jinfeng’s Suggestions for the “CBCGDF Green Meeting Index”: It Is Not Advisable to Use a Large Number of Flags/Banners and Posters During a Meeting
2019/7/25 15:05:00 本站

When attending the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference (IWT) in London last October, I didn’t see any banner or poster on the street.

 

Similarly, when I attended the fourth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-4), I saw a few banners and poster no matter in the airport, hotel, or even the venue.

 

In contrast, in China banners and posters are overused to publicize conferences or meetings. These disposable advertising materials are usually put up in the airport and conference venue, which will be thrown away after the meeting.

 

This common practice helps to publicize events but is against the principle of energy-saving and environmental protection. Moderate publicity is understandable, such as sticking up one poster or banner in the distance of 100 telegraph poles. I recommend reducing the use of such decoration. In the era of ecological civilization, we should firmly stick to the guidance of green meeting put forward in high-quality development. We should look back to the waste caused and review our work seriously.

 

The upcoming the 15th meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15), which will be held in Kunming in 2020, could be a model of the green meeting to showcase China's efforts in promoting ecological civilization, green development, and biodiversity conservation.

 

Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to the environment. The Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) has been earlier than expected each year… Faced with multiple challenges, Green Meeting Index should be wildly spread and taken into account when organizing meetings and exhibitions. It is advised to pay more attention to the effect of meeting itself. Excessive use of printing products produces tremendous waste as well as plastic pollution.

 

Therefore, I advise to add one article in the first edition of Green Meeting Index (GMI)- banners and posters are not recommended during the meeting.

 

Besides, different indicators should be divided into core index (C-GMI) and extensive index (E-GMI), and calculated with different weights for scientific output.

 

The suggestions above hope to be added in the new version of Green Meeting Index.

 

In a nutshell, GMI should reflect as more green and sustainable concepts as possible under the guidance of ecological civilization. GMI should be designed to be concise and easy to operate, thus making more people know what a green meeting is.

 

This passage is compiled according to Dr. Zhou’s oral narration without his confirmation.


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(Photo credit: CBCGDF)


Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/9330.html


By / Wang Yanqing