Event greening in South Africa

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Demand for green events is growing

© Durban ICC

Event greening in South Africa is becoming important for many meeting venues and accommodation establishments, as global demand for environmental management in the MICE industry grows.

Although some South African venues and accommodation establishments have only recently begun to wake up to the need for environmental management, a host of meetings destinations, conference venues and accommodation establishments in South Africa have for several years been actively engaged in reducing their carbon footprints and minimising their environmental impacts.

South Africa’s award winning convention centres in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town have all implemented comprehensive greening initiatives, from energy and water saving projects to recycling. The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) is a founding member of the Global Green Alliance. It is also IS0 14000 certified.

As event greening in South Africa has become a key consideration, many of South Africa’s meeting venues and accommodation establishments have taken on the challenge of becoming ‘green certified’. They are meeting the demands of international meeting planners for environmentally-friendly facilities that contribute to sustainability.

Green certification bodies that exist in South Africa include:

The Heritage Environmental Management Company – which incorporates several international programmes and provides businesses with effective environmental management and certification solutions.

The Green Leaf Environmental Standard - assesses hotels, game lodges and country estates in the tourism sector. It aims to reduce the effects of consumption on our environment and improve on environmental management and awareness in an eco-friendly manner.

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) – promotes sustainable tourism development and offers Fair Trade certification. Business travellers who stay in FTTSA-certified establishments are assured their travel is benefiting local communities and economies, and that the tourism business is operating ethically and in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

The environment has also been top of mind for the City of Cape Town, which launched The Smart Events Handbook in 2010. The handbook provides a step-by-step guide on how to green an event and includes sections on eco-procurement, waste minimalisation and management, water conservation, energy efficiency, emission reduction, biodiversity conservation, and social and economic development. 

The Gauteng Tourism Authority also launched the Gauteng Green Event Guide in July 2011. It is aimed at promoting sustainability and the efficient use of resources at events organised in Gauteng. 

Another significant development was the formation of the Event Greening Forum, which officially launched at Meetings Africa 2011. The forum brings together South Africa's 9 key MICE associations around the issue of event greening. It aims to accelerate greening and sustainable business practices in the events industry in South Africa.