Recently, Linda, a Deputy Secretary-General of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), attended a consultation meeting for an important event to be held in Guizhou Province, China in July 2023. She proposed four suggestions on how to plan the event to embody "sustainability" and tailor the event to local characteristics.
Firstly, the event theme should be designed to incorporate local features, such as the dark night sky and sustainable tourism (combining local astronomical tourism features); and reflect the concept of low-carbon development.
Secondly, it's recommended that the conference be held as a "Green Meeting", by not defaulting to single-use bottled water, reducing paper usage, minimizing energy waste, and providing "good food", among other measures. The CBCGDF's "Green Conference Standards" could be used as a reference.
Thirdly, it's suggested to offer an "ecological offset" option. The CBCGDF had previously encountered an excellent case at the World Conservation Congress (WCC 2021) organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). During the registration process on the computer before the conference, the organizers offered a "carbon offset" option, stating: "To ensure fairness, the carbon offset policy for this conference is as follows: regardless of the participant's country of origin, a fixed amount (24 euros) is recommended. This calculation is based on the average carbon footprint of past WCC congresses (1.58 Teq CO2, or one ton of CO2 equivalent) and the guaranteed cost per project (15/Teq CO2, one ton of CO2 equivalent). At the same time, the organizer also indicated that the allocation of carbon offset for the selected project may vary due to equivalent projects." For more details, please refer to: https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_14271213.
Finally, it's suggested to advocate the concept and best practices of "responsible tourism". The conference will undoubtedly inject vitality into the local economy of Guizhou Province and attract a large number of tourists. The concept of "responsible tourism" can be incorporated into the conference's advocacy.
Reported by Xiaoai
Editor: Maggie
Contribution
Do you know? CBCGDF is a non-profit organization. We rely on crowd-funding and donations. You have the opportunity to help us to advance biodiversity conservation. Donate TODAY to power up the movement to make it a better world for all life.
https://www.paypal.me/CBCGDFChina
http://www.cbcgdf.org/English/ConfirmDonaTion/0.html