Green Meeting Strategy

The World Conference on Disaster Management has continued with the Green Meeting Strategy as part of our contribution to the efforts to table the impact of climate change.

For the 2012 WCDM we will be reducing our carbon footprint by:

• Continuing to use water stations and waterbottles, saving on plastic water bottle waste.
• Reducing the use of excess paper by providing a CD-Rom of speaker presentations provided and minimizing handouts in the delegate bag by directing delegates to the exhibitors that they only wish to receive information from as well as having a publication exhibit area to pick up various publications and disaster management information.
• Selecting facilities that have Green Initiatives.
• Asking exhibitors/sponsors to print handouts double-sided when possible to minimize excess paper waste.
• Provide announcements through daily loops on screens instead of hardcopy newsletters.
• Provide a single survey booklet to provide comments on the WCDM speakers, exhibitors and overall conference instead of separate surveys for sessions, exhibitors and conference feedback.

As a delegate at WCDM, what can you do to make a difference and contribute?

• Recycle your waste: bottles, cans, paper, etc.
• Turn off any lights, TV, air conditioner or heaters when you leave your hotel room for the day.
• Do your sightseeing by foot or public transit.
• Collect business cards of presenters/exhibitors and have them e-mail larger reports and other information rather then collecting printed hand-outs.
• When attending exhibits, take only what information you really require.
• If you will be driving to the conference and other representatives from your organization are also attending try to carpool whenever possible.