DELIVERY SUSTAINABILITY
Peatlands – Scotland’s natural carbon capture resource – are being supported by the EICC
A ‘step’ in the right direction for the EICC
Edinburgh’s flagship conference venue supports peatlands restoration as part of new sustainability drive
P
eatlands restoration and a carbon footprint report for every event will be part of a new sustainabil- ity drive launched by the
Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). Te new ‘Step Change’ initiative
will focus on three areas of inter- connected impact: environmental, societal and economic.
In what the venue believes is
a world first, every event taking place at the EICC will now receive a detailed and bespoke Event Impact Report which focuses on those areas. Marshall Dallas, chief executive of
the EICC, said: “Events in our venue impart knowledge, build relation- ships and inspire ideas that change the world. At the same time, we recognise there are also inherent adverse impact associated with the events industry. We consider it a moral imperative to place sustain- ability at the heart of every event we host and at every step of the pro- cess. Tis new programme means our clients can be assured that their
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events will demonstrate best practice in sustainability.” Te announcement of the
EICC’s new sustainability programme came the week after the venue hosted Prince Harry and 200 guests at the Scotland Summit of Travalyst – a sustainable tourism initiative founded by the Duke of Sussex and comprising some of the world’s lead- ing travel brands. “We are a coalition of partners
with a shared goal to transform the future of tourism and travel for everyone,” said the Duke of Sussex at the conference. “We believe travel is a good thing. It is the heart of human experience, of cultural con- nections, and of new friendships.” He added: “We will not reach our
goal of a more sustainable industry without on-the-ground experience and expertise, and this is why we’re here today.” Te Step Change programme
includes a ‘Desk-to-Door’ initia- tive which sees the venue actively encouraging everyone travelling to the EICC to choose the most sus- tainable option for their particular trip, with information provided to delegates and event organisers on
the least carbon-intensive options available for all popular modes of transport. Additionally, the EICC will miti-
gate the carbon impact of events through peatland restoration projects across Scotland, with a primary focus on the Flow Country in Caithness and Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. Degraded peat- land is responsible for the release of large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and peatland restora- tion is, on average, four times more effective at mitigating carbon, in comparison to tree planting. Marshall Dallas said: “We’re
really impressed by the positive environmental impacts of the peat- land restoration work taking place in the Scottish Highlands, and we’re very much looking forward to contributing to this project mov- ing forward.” n
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