The meetings industry, some feel, is not yet ready to address social responsibility. We’re asking too much for businesses, many of whom are only now beginning to integrate ‘green’ practices, to try to tackle issues of social responsibility. Really? Certainly we can ask for fair wages, equality and diversity as we ask for recycling, carbon measurement and the elimination of bottled water? 600,000 people die in China each year as a result of overwork. Child slavery flourishes and women continue to be paid less than men for the same position. Green is good, but the real rewards will come for the meetings industry and for local communities when we find a way to better integrate social responsibility into the organization of meetings and events—but soon and on a global scale.

Recently, Shawna McKinley posed an important question to members of The Green Meetings Industry Council asking, in essence, “ What does Social Responsibility mean for the meetings industry and how will we measure it?”.  What follows is a re-working of my responses to that lively conversation.

What does social responsibility mean for the meetings industry? With such great complexity, and the variance in regional norms, finding a single checklist of recommended steps may result in something too generic to be meaningful.

An important step is for businesses to define ‘social responsibility’ for their organization, perhaps using the new ISO 26000 as a guide.  Note that socially responsible initiatives should focus on long term benefits, rather than feel good one-time events. In addition, organizations should seek to support those projects or NGOs which align with the core values of the event or company.

But how to find suitable projects and organizations with which to align?

Some solutions might be found on the new and exciting trend in the creation of online sites which match charities with businesses or individuals  An example is LeapAnywhere Act Bolder provides opportunities for organizations to define causes and invite others around the world to join them (Note that the ‘challenges’ can be pretty basic).  Yet another is Social Vibe.  For talented individuals, Catchafire.  See these suggestions for good charities to support.  Lastly, Good Intentions are not Enough is a great site and can help organizations avoid common pitfalls of social responsibility initiatives.

Social media can facilitate some of the needed solutions but there’s no replacement for business leaders seeing the gaps in their sustainability plans and innovating solutions to provide a response. What actions are being taken in your company?

In addition to your thoughts and feedback, please share sites and solutions and ideas which can be helpful to accelerate action in support of socially responsible initiatives. Check out the responses to Shawna’s initial question by joining the Green Meetings Industry Council group on the Linkedin site. Lots more good topics there, too.

There’s something missing from the conversation, however. These observations of BP (and the many companies who are very glad they are not BP), don’t seem to make the link between company displays of sustainability and the utter lack of a corporate culture of sustainability in so many companies.  No community investment, eco-certification or annual report can replace a culture of sustainability which would have prevented the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the first place.

The recent intense focus on ‘the business case for sustainability’ retards, perhaps, business leadership (CEOs, COOs, CFOs) understanding and acceptance of the potential sustainability can have for a business.  Beyond the savings which result from eco-efficiency initiatives, beyond the increased stock value from consumers who trust the brand, beyond the practical benefits of recycling or supporting community, sustainability for business is more about philosophy and spirit that it is about any series of actions or stated commitments.

This philosophy of sustainability guides responsible actions and sparks innovation for better practices.  In a culture of sustainable business, certain decisions don’t get made because they violate the fundamental tenets on which the business-and the greater natural order– are based.  Reward systems are created to inspire greater commitment to the philosophy of balance and restoration than short term profit and exploitation.

Have you ever known (or been?) an absent parent or lover who substituted emotional investment with monetary investment?  The purchase of a new bicycle after a family argument, or the buying of flowers for the forgotten anniversary might serve as familiar examples.  But what would most people rather have?  Most would choose to have the heart, spirit and trust-affirming emotional presence of the loved one, rather than a material surrogate.

BP invested heavily in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Yet, in spite of their focus on the Carbon Disclosure Project, or their annual reports compliant with Global Reporting Initiative criteria, or their contributions in support of communities struck by natural disaster they, like so many companies, missed the larger point.  It might be said that The Deepwater Horizon tragedy was the result of a lack of corporate culture—an emotional investment in sustainability as a core value and business philosophy and way of working that would have prevented the disaster in the first place.

Today, in corporate reporting circles, such an approach is called “Transparency” and it occurred to me as I read this article shared by MeetGreen’s twitter feed.  The rest of this post will make more sense of you read the actual article, but at issue is a hotel who earned uncomfortable attention for their ‘green’ initiative to reduce the total guest rooms cleaned each day, thereby ostensibly reducing the energy and water required to support the cleaning.  This initiative has also had the effect of reducing the weekly earning of the housekeeping team, which is where the drama begins.

I feel this train wreck can be a nice example for how organizations often get sustainable business wrong

(in no particular order)

• Stakeholder Engagement. (on a limb here) The organization likely did not engage affected audiences before rolling out the program.  By not providing some background and/or getting their ownership (or at least a notice), they more readily open themselves up to employee backlash.  Perhaps theirs is not a culture where such a discussion/presentation would have been deemed welcome but, as has been proven elsewhere,  employee groups more easily support tough or smart business decisions when they understand the bigger picture or feel a part of the process
• Lack of transparency:  Consumers are more educated/more jaded than ever and when a plan like this gets communicated as being all about the environment it is, to many, offensive.  Is it an important and creative method to partner with customers to reduce costs for mutual benefit? Say that.  Let it be ok that it’s a smart business move which has measurable benefit to eco-efficiency goals if that’s the case.  The biggest benefit to the property, one might gather, is the reduced labor cost.   How that pencils with the reduced room rate would take some study, but it appears to be a successful program to reduce costs.  Why not let that be part of what is measured and reported?  Transparent reporting/communication would have helped to build trust and might even have made this article read differently
• Green. This article raises social responsibility issues which cannot be addressed through the green lens alone.  Businesses which successfully integrate a balanced approach to sustainability, with a measured eye on social and economic indicators as well as those of eco-efficiency, will sooner prosper with a healthy corporate culture in tact.

Many guests are comfortable with the idea of going without getting their sheets and towels changed everyday and might well appreciate a reduced rate as their part of the deal.  Initiatives like these are example of the sort of innovations which bring needed improvement to reducing our impacts on our natural resources.  It’s important that, in pursuit of such initiatives, organizations have clear plans based on triple bottom line considerations, including social elements of the business, and provide transparent reporting on the results of their decisions.  Call a spade a spade and avoid messes like these.

Meanwhile,  recycling of paper and paperboard in industrialized nations is consistently less than 50% of the waste stream.

Fun fact:Recycling 1 ton of paper saves the energy equivalent of 185 gallons (700 liters) of gasoline.

Less fun fact: In 2008, the US EPA reported that in the US alone, over 35 million tons of paper went unrecycled.

Meetings Industry example: COP15  exceeded 8 million printed pages for its 10 day event (=the weight of  two Caterpillar dump trucks).

There exist many, many tools, resources and recommendations to guide a move to reduced printing. What’s needed now is social change (getting comfortable with practices to reduce paper use at the source) and action.  Some fundamentals:

1.  Measure your use and attach a monetary value to that.  Set a goal to reduce use using money as a goal.

2.  Convert your paper use to interesting environmental impact figures: Check out this

3.  Change your purchasing practices to mandate a minimum of 35% post consumer recycled paper.  In most industrialized nations, it’s cost is at par or below virgin paper stock.  Pressure suppliers.

4. Educate your stakeholders (see above) and advise them that your Congress directories, annual reports, telephone directory, newsletter, etc, will only be available online.  Encourage readers not to print.

5.  Collaborate with your printer.  The more you print, the more they make, but good providers have practical solutions for reducing (expanded margins, smaller sizes, paper types, etc).  Explain your goals and approach them as a resource and a partner.

Let’s tame that paper hungry beast

Your ideas?  Helpful resources?

The GMIC is as much a tribe as it is a driver of business;  the culture is one characterized by palpable excitement and optimism for the potential of the future imbued with a fiery passion for leaving the world a better place.  Jaded enough, perhaps,  to know that idealism alone will not result in needed positive change for industry, members have come together to share best practices, uncover new technologies, and make incandescent the messages for the cause of sustainable, responsible ‘green’ practices for business.  In this way, this is an organization focused on creating business results in a faster, smarter way.

Next month, from 9 through 11 February, 2010 in Denver, Colorado, USA, the GMIC will hold the Sustainable Meetings Conference.

The emerging APEX Green Meeting Standards, itself a direct result of the passionate GMIC network of committed professionals, will serve as a framework for much of the content of the conference.

For any meetings industry professional who understands that we are stronger as a network of unified talents and voices, and who seeks practical resources and ideas to speed improved business performance, they are strongly encouraged to register and attend.  This conference is the most powerful conference and education experience for green meeting planners and suppliers.  Plan to come.

See you in Denver!

For my CSR update session, we decided to start the plenary with something a little different.. Have a look at the video and listen to Charlotte Gough from the MCI UK office reading the memorable “lost generation” poem from Jonathan Reed.

This poem sums up and reflects the attitude, vision and aspirations of what we are trying to achieve with the MCI CSR program. Not surprisingly she received a standing ovation, which was well deserved. Charley your a star!

Airline emissions represent a minimum of 80% of event-related emissions for larger meetings and a recent, information-rich article from the Guardian/Green Futures magazine reveals that, in spite of all the technological innovations and exciting developments with alternative fuels, no real change will happen for decades.

Now what?  The technology guys are working hard but more is needed.  Continuing, as an industry, with our head in the sand (our experience shows that fewer than 10% of events and business travel is measured and offset..  never mind integrated reduction efforts) is not responsible.  We know it’s an issue and yet– and here the aviation industry heartily agrees–we need to have meetings. 

So, champions of sustainable events, where does that leave us? Thoughts?…anyone?  (.. Bueller??)   There are no easy answers, which is why we need our inspired industry leadership.  We must commit to an approach, then galvanize and solidify our voice and speed the formation of a plan for immediate action.

Some ideas for event planners and suppliers:

1.  Promote renewable energy now.  Most destinations have a utility offering clean energy for business.  When selecting vendors, require they purchase clean, real-renewable (not nuclear, sorry nuclear team) energy.  Industry leaders, demand political action and investment to find faster solutions to climate friendly travel. Join forces with airline lobbyists.  We have shared goals here.

1.  Measure (placed here as co-#1).  Lots of helpful, easy-to-use methods and tools available, so no excuses for not measuring the climate impact of your event and business travel.  Don’t forget to include the travel incurred during planning phases.  Don’t forget to include RFI factor (1.9 suggested as a minimum).

2. Set reduction targets.  Perform an emissions forecast of your event or business travel.  There’s the size of your problem, so how will you minimize it?  Rail instead?  More speakers virtual technology? Print on site and eliminate shipping of heavy boxes for the exhibition?

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.. and it’s chow time!

Items destroyed and discarded represent huge waste (cost) not only to staff time, landfill costs, etc, but to both brands, neither of which needs the outpouring of bashing which has been the result.  While costly in terms of wasted resources, this incident represents huge lost opportunity.  A well organized initiative to donate these items would have avoided cost and boosted consumer trust in each brand.

These incidents have special resonance for large meetings and events, as well as other businesses.  We seem geared to see disposal, rather than planned donation, as the preferred method to clear out exhibition halls, registration desks and store rooms.  What meeting planner would not feel remorse if journalists splashed their event on the front page for  insensitive, irresponsible waste practices?  Why wait for such embarrassment before taking action to integrate a plan to donation usable materials post event?

As part of planning their European Offshore Wind event in Stockholm last fall, EWEA partnered with Majblomman, a Swedish NGO supporting children, to  donate congress bags.  Similar efforts are being observed by other meeting planners and venues, so the idea is neither new or difficult to understand, just rare in its occurrence.

We’re better than this, people!

In addition to the previously mentioned (here, too)  GMIC Trash Challenge, Please share your thoughts, examples and resources for expanding on the idea to donate usable resources.

The pursuit of a standard which requires a commitment to reduced emissions is appropriate, but the Carbon Neutral “brand” needs to go.

Like a sassy ad for cigarettes, the current (pre-standard) ‘carbon neutral’ brand promotes unhealthy actions.  Event owners can now budget to offset varying degrees of carbon emissions and market the event with something that looks like responsible action although no effort to reduce event related emissions was planned.

Similarly, ‘carbon neutral’ smacks of the disigenuous.  ‘Neutral’ becomes re-defined by arbitrary parameters.  Did the measurement consider the emissions resulting from the production of the 20,000 square meters of carpet that will be landfilled or incinerated?  Probably not.  Still, the attractive ‘carbon neutral’ label is awarded. 

Granted, an investment in offsetting represents a still new and positive shift in how event owners account for the impact their meeting has on the climate. Further, the ‘carbon neutral’ standard, once released, will result in everybody using the same terminology and definitions.

Still, offsetting was never intended to be the solution, but one part of a multi-facted approach with emissions reduction requiring the most focus.  Even then, our response without a major effort to safely sequester carbon will prove inadequate to achieve the 350ppm to keep our familiar climate in balance.

Offsetting is not enough and ‘Carbon Neutral’ labeled events must not become the goal. Event planners and owners must do more.

One of the lessons from COP15 is the need for all actors to immediately commit to reducing emissions. The meetings industry, like other industries, must measure their Greenhouse Gas emissions and collaborate with respective stakeholders to set agressive goals to reduce total emissions while pursuing effective carbon sequestration, investment in–and efficient usage of– non-nuclear renewable energies in an effort to become ‘Climate responsble’.

Now, that’s a worthy label by any standard.

Your thoughts?

Corporate Social Responsibility is, of course, a very broad term referring to a highly complex array of philosophies and systems.   Often,  these complexities serve as barriers to any meaningful action.

So, in the spirit of providing practical, meaningful example, I offer as a resource a great book just out from JP Bergqvist.  JP, formerly the engine and guide behind Scandic Hotels path to sustainable practices, now leads Sleepwell sustainable business advisors.

Designed for busy professionals, the book is a fast guide rich with clear example.  Written in plain language,  as though from a trusted colleague, it’s an ideal guide for the CEO as well as the leader of the office ‘green team’.

Order the book at JP’s website by contacting him directly.  (Note:  We’re fans and friends of JP but receive no financial compensation for any book sold.  JP shares a portion of the proceeds with his chosen charities, however, so please buy several and let us know what you think! Do you have recommendations for other practical guides you’d like to share?  Please let us know!)