UKPHA Eco
Annual Forum’s Environmental Targets Achieved!!
Working together to reduce our impact on the environment
educing our impact: The UKPHA way
Since the 16th Annual Public Health Forum in 2008, the UKPHA have been focused on analysing and reducing their eco footprint caused by the Forum. With sustainable development one of the UKPHA’s key priorities, this work has been at the forefront of the Forum’s development over the past few years. The trend from 2008 to 2009 shows that initiatives introduced to date are having a significant impact on the footprint created by the Forum however there is still a long way to go to achieve a sustainable conference that has zero impact on the environment.
What is an Ecological Footprint?
- A measure of the area of land, across the world, that is needed to produce all the things you use and to get rid of all the waste you create.
- Measured in global hectares (gha)
- An equal earthshare would be 1.9 gha each equivalent to 2 football pitches
- Average in the UK is 5.4 gha
What progress have we made so far?
It can be seen from figure 1.1 below that progress was made to reduce the environmental impact of the Forum between 2008 and 2009. There was a 35% reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent and a 33% reduction in the eco footprint.
|
Year of Forum |
Carbon dioxide (tonnes) |
Eco footprint (global hectares ) |
|
2008 |
113 |
38 |
|
2009 |
67 |
25 |
Figure 1.1 Data taken from footprint reports commissioned by UKPHA and carried out by Best Foot Forward in 2008 and 2009. Table updated to reflect actual carbon dioxide results (not co2 equivalent) to enable a fair comparison across the 3 years analyzed.
Our Targets for 2010
In 2010, in line with the UK wide initiative, 10:10 campaign to encourage us all to reduce our footprint by 10% in 2010 and given the reductions achieved from 2008 to 2009, we targeted a further 10% reduction in carbon dioxide and a 10% reduction in the eco footprint.
Eco Results Announced!
We are pleased to announce that the Forum has reached and surpassed its eco footprint targets for this year’s Annual Forum!
Results showed that in 2010 the Forum produced 61 tonnes of carbon dioxide and had an eco footprint of 21 global hectares. The Forum has therefore not only met and exceeded its targets set for 2010 but has also achieved an overall reduction since 2008 in both its CO2 emissions and its eco footprint by an amazing 45% and 49% respectively!
We are delighted with these results and are extremely proud to be leading the way in sustainable conferencing for associations. We do know however that there is still some way to go before a fully sustainable, zero environmental impact conference is realised. With our delegates working with us to help us achieve our goal, we believe that we can continue to reduce our impact on the environment. One of the targets we are looking to set for future Forums will be focused on per delegate reductions in CO2 and eco footprint. Everyone CAN make a difference.
What initiatives did we put in place for 2010?
We are working hard, year on year, to reduce our impact and in 2010 again stepped up our efforts! Here is a list of just some of our initiatives that took place at year’s Forum:
Paper reduction:
In 2010, for the first time, there was no abstract book printed. This significantly reduced the paper usage for the Forum as this book tended to be 130 pages in length. Instead of printing 900 copies of this book, there will be 50 copies available onsite for reference only and the abstract book will be available online before the Forum.
No Conference Bags:
Previously the UKPHA produced around 900 conference bags per year made from environmentally friendly materials. This year, with support from the UKPHA members, we have made the decision not to produce conference bags. We therefore encouraged delegates to bring their own bag for use at the Forum. There was an exciting bag making and decoration workshop in the foyer where delegates added their own touch to an old bag, or picked up one of our bags made from recycled materials.
Due to the fact that there will be no bags; another change for 2010 is that delegates did not receive any paper inserts from sponsoring organisations. We have previously included 20-25 inserts from organisations, and with 900 copies each this meant up to 22,500 pieces of paper!
Heathly, sustainable diet:
In 2010 once again, we provided delegates with a nutritious, vegetarian diet at the Forum. There was also plenty of choice with smoothies and fresh fruit also available. We introduced the all new UKPHA Kitchen Experience this year where local projects were showcased, demonstrating how to pass on healthy eating tips to local the community. All food is locally sourced where possible.
Venue:
The town of Bournemouth has been awarded the Green Tourism Award, the national sustainable tourism scheme awarded to businesses and towns. Read Bournemouth’s latest recycling news: http://www.bournemouth2026.org.uk/bournemouthintoptencouncilsforrecycling
As the town’s primary conference venue, the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) ensures that recycling is in place as standard, escalators can be switched off and lighting and heating are not used when rooms are empty. Many of the town’s hotels also strive to achieve the very highest environmental standards with most having ‘green’ policies in place.
Travel:
In Bournemouth we had our first ever public transport Friend of the Conference! Transdev Yellow Buses worked with us to create a bespoke bus route plan to help delegates reach the venue and hotels easily. Yellow Buses is committed to the local community as well as to the environment.
All of our Eco initiatives can now be easily spotted - Look out for this logo:
What impact do you have on our environment?
Our modern lifestyles are now responsible for a significant impact on the environment. Calculate your own impact on the environment NOW by completing this online footprint tool: http://footprint.wwf.org.uk.