On 31st October, Liam, our Business Development Manager, and Nirvana, our Accounts Executive and member of our Environmental Focus Group, represented Central Hall Westminster at the Sustainable Event Show. Prestige Events Magazine, organised this brilliant exhibition, which took place at the Chicago Booth London Conference Centre.
In the lead-up to the Sustainable Event Show, the industry raised a series of insightful questions about sustainability in events. We used this opportunity to showcase the progress Central Hall Westminster has made in reducing the environmental impact of our events and to share our plans for the future.
What specific steps has CHW taken to reduce the environmental impact of the events you help produce?
At Central Hall Westminster, we manage the building’s facilities and operations, working closely with service partners such as our caterer, Green & Fortune, our AV provider, White Light, and our cleaning team, Atlas. Sustainability remains central to everything we do.
This year, we formed an Environmental Focus Group with team members from across departments. The aim, to drive progress towards achieving net zero in line with the government’s sustainability strategy. This group highlights that environmental responsibility is a shared priority across the organisation and depends on collective action to succeed. Twice a year, we meet with our service partners to share progress and outline future plans, ensuring everyone stays aligned on our sustainability goals.
CHW Achievements to date:
- Increased waste disposal streams from 12 to 24, with none going to landfill.
- Installed 2,932 LED light fittings, saving 70,000w of power every time the lights are switched on.
- Replaced gas boilers, removing 4 tonnes of carbon emissions from London’s skyline.
- Conducted internal audits to reduce COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health).
- Carried out internal environmental audits across departments to ensure alignment with our pathway to net-zero goals by 2030.
- Partnered with Toilet Twinning since 2017, raising £89k to develop toilet facilities with running water in Africa.
Can you share how you are promoting the use of sustainable materials or reducing waste in the events industry?
We’ve increased the number of recycling bins in event spaces and discuss waste management options with clients early in the event planning process. We are also organising departmental training and a visit to the Southwark Waste Disposal Centre to further improve our waste reduction strategies. Our aim is always to find ways to recycle or donate materials rather than disposing of them.
Our caterers, Green & Fortune, use a recipe management system to ensure they don’t over-order or overproduce. They also offer ‘Food for Thought’ menus featuring dishes made with underused ingredients, which helps reduce food waste, you can read more about their commitment to sustainability here.
What new technologies or innovations is your company using to create more sustainable event experiences?
We are constantly seeking ways to innovate and improve our sustainability practices.
Key technologies and plans include:
- LED Lighting: We’ve already installed 2,932 LED lights and plan to replace the remaining halogen fittings, significantly cutting down energy consumption.
- Energy Monitoring: We plan to use software to monitor energy consumption across the venue and are in discussions with green energy provider Ecotricity to ensure we’re using the most sustainable energy sources available.
- Waste Management Enhancements: We’ve increased waste disposal streams from 12 to 24, ensuring zero waste goes to landfill, and are conducting departmental training and visiting Southwark Waste Disposal Centre to improve these efforts further.
- Greenhouse Gas Reduction: We are exploring ways to measure the carbon footprint of our staff and clients, offsetting emissions by planting trees globally and engaging with charities.
- Biodiversity Initiatives: We’re looking into sponsoring beehives offsite, with the honey produced being returned to CHW to use in Green & Fortune’s menus, and are also planning to install a living wall on the roof to promote biodiversity.
How do you ensure your suppliers and partners also adhere to sustainable practices, and what challenges have you faced in achieving this?
We host biannual meetings with all our service partners to facilitate open and honest communication about their sustainability goals and the steps they are taking. We believe accountability and idea-sharing are the best ways forward and foster transparency among all involved. Sustainability is vital to our business. For instance, our AV partner, White Light, is B Corp certified, and our catering partner has embarked on their journey to achieve B Corp certification.
B Corp, short for Certified B Corporation, is a certification awarded to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corps are committed to balancing profit with purpose, ensuring they positively impact employees, communities, and the planet while operating responsibly and sustainably.
To read more about our service partners sustainability plan, check out our blogpost here. (insert service partners blog).
Is your company working towards achieving carbon-neutral events? If so, what strategies are you implementing to make this a reality?
Yes, we’re actively working towards carbon neutrality. We are conducting an internal survey to measure the carbon footprint of all our staff and will soon implement a carbon footprint calculator for our events. We plan to offset emissions through tree planting projects globally and by engaging with various environmental charities.
Liam is also prioritising low-emission travel by using trains across the UK and mainland Europe and offsets UK flights. On 19th November, Liam travelled to Barcelona for IBTM by Eurostar and train, on average the carbon footprint of travelling by train is 95% less than flying. You can read more about Eurostar’s commitment to sustainability here.
How are you engaging event attendees and clients in sustainability efforts, and what impact have you seen from these initiatives?
We make sustainability a priority early in the event planning process, discussing waste management and energy use with clients upfront. It’s promising to see more clients coming to us with sustainability as a key concern for their events. We are also exploring software to help calculate the carbon footprint of our events, which will allow us to create detailed action plans for reducing emissions. Our Environmental Focus Group continues to lead these efforts, driving awareness and engagement with both clients and staff.
How did you find the Sustainable Events Show?
We are dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of events through practical and impactful sustainability initiatives, so it was fantastic to be among suppliers and venues offering excellent sustainable solutions.
The team met several great suppliers including Temperance AF, a non-alcoholic drinks pop up bar and Creative Output who provide cardboard stands and spaces for exhibitions and much more. We also got to hand out some Green & Fortune goodies, vegan and gluten free energy balls which went down a treat.
Thank you for a great event, Prestige and we look forward to returning!
