Sustainability at events — what organisers really do (and what they don't)
Sustainability features on every event agenda. But which measures actually make a difference? And where is it mostly marketing?
The sustainability manager had put together a handsome slide. Green graph, rising line, the words "CO₂-neutral" in bold type. The conference for 400 people had been a success, delegate satisfaction high. What the slide did not show: 180 attendees had flown in from across Europe. The reused name badges had collectively saved less CO₂ than a single return flight between Amsterdam and Frankfurt.
Nobody asked. That is the state of sustainability at events in 2026.
What organisers do
The list of standard sustainability measures in 2026 is impressive in volume, less so in impact:
Less plastic: 84% of event organisers use less single-use plastic than three years ago. Good. But plastic accounts for less than 2% of an event's total carbon footprint.
Plant-based catering: 67% offer a vegetarian or plant-based catering menu as standard. This reduces catering-related emissions by 40–60%. Meaningful.
Digital communications: invitations, programmes and materials are fully digital at 91% of events. Good for the trees, minimal climate impact.
Sustainable venues: an increasing number of venues hold energy ratings and feature solar panels and heat pumps. The Greenbookings sustainability score reflects this trend.
What organisers don't do
Address travel emissions. Travel to and from an event accounts for 60–75% of the total carbon footprint of a business event. Almost no organisation sets requirements in this area or compensates for it systematically.
Select speakers based on carbon impact. An international keynote speaker flying in from New York produces more CO₂ than 50 delegates arriving by train. Only 12% of organisers cite a speaker's travel distance as a criterion during selection.
Report transparently. Fewer than 8% of events publish a concrete carbon calculation after the fact. The rest communicate about efforts, not outcomes.
The benchmark that is missing
There is no standard for what constitutes a "sustainable event". That is the fundamental problem. Without a measurable benchmark, any sustainability claim is irrefutable — and therefore meaningless.
Greenbookings works with a tree counter: how many trees have been planted to offset the footprint? It is a start. But offsetting is not the same as reduction.
What actually works
Encouraging train travel. Events that actively communicate reimbursement for rail journeys while declining to reimburse flights see a shift of 15–30% in travel behaviour. That is the single greatest intervention available.
Choosing venues based on accessibility. A venue that is well connected by public transport reduces car use by an average of 25%. That represents more impact than all reusable materials combined.
Regional speakers. Not an internationally flown-in keynote, but a Dutch or Belgian expert who arrives by train. Less glamour, less CO₂, and often just as relevant.
The conclusion organisers don't want to hear
A genuinely sustainable event demands choices that delegates, speakers and clients find uncomfortable. Fewer international speakers. Mandatory rail travel for short distances. No reimbursement for flights. Transparent reporting afterwards.
As long as sustainability remains optional and reputation-sensitive, it will stay at the level of plastic cups and the vegetarian option. That is better than nothing. It is simply not what the label promises.
The sustainability manager from the opening is now working on a new slide. This time with travel emissions included. "My director thought it was too honest," she said. "We're putting it in the appendix."
