Melbourne continues to lead the Australian Business Events industry in environmentally responsible practices. The City of Melbourne and Business Events suppliers are implementing green initiatives so that the city leads on the corporate social responsibility front.
MCVB’s leadership role was recently recognised with a Corporate Social Responsibility award at the Victorian Meetings & Events Industry Awards, clearly demonstrating that industry peers believe MCVB’s green initiatives add value to the Business Events industry.
Planning a Green Event in Melbourne
Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB) has designed many tools and programs to reduce the carbon footprint of Business Events held in the city; this makes planning a green event in Melbourne simple and empowers Meeting and Event Planners.
One example is Melbourne’s ‘Green Credentials’ report, which lists the environmentally friendly initiatives of leading Business Events suppliers, from hotel and transport providers, to venues and caterers.
MCVB’s own events and trade fairs are run as environmentally responsible as possible; MCVB set a new benchmark for exhibitions in Australia by running Melbourne’s 2008 Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) as a Climate Neutral™ event. The environmental impact of AIME 2009 was greatly reduced by purchasing the highest quality carbon credits to offset carbon emissions in areas where they could not be directly reduced.
In yet another Australian Convention Bureau first, MCVB has become the foundation sponsor of a new Events Carbon Calculator designed by the Carbon Reduction Institute. The Calculator enables Event Planners to calculate and offset the emissions of events held in Melbourne.
MCVB further promotes green events through its ‘Green Check-list’ in the Melbourne Planner’s Guide and by allocating a ‘green logo’ on the ‘Find a Supplier’ section of the MCVB website to green contributors.
Green Incentive Programs
This year, MCVB launched a green, low carbon impact incentive website, making organising green incentive programs in Melbourne and Victoria easier than ever before. The website includes Victoria’s top 10 green incentive activities, sample itineraries, advice on planning a green Business Event in Melbourne and a green checklist for Business Events.
From joining a revegetation program along Victoria’s stunning surfcoast, to ‘grape grazing’ at a picturesque winery sourcing local and ‘low food miles’ produce, Victoria’s green incentive options are plentiful.
For more information, see www.mcvb.com.au/incentives/green/.
Green Melbourne Highlights
Melbourne's Green Venues
The new Melbourne Convention Centre is leading the world on the environmental front – it is the first and only convention centre in the world to be awarded a Six Star Green Star environmental energy rating. This achievement is based on a variety of initiatives that create a natural environment, reduce overall energy usage and use minimal non-renewable resources. The centre features:
- Improved indoor air quality
- Maximum natural light
- Solar hot water
- Displacement ventilation to provide high indoor air quality at low energy consumption
- Carpets, paints, adhesives and sealants low in Volatile Organic Compounds to enhance indoor air quality
- A black water treatment facility to treat wastewater, rainwater and storm water to Grade A quality for re-use in the centre
- The sustainable use of building materials.
Melbourne's Green Hotels
The City of Melbourne’s ‘Savings in the City’ program helps hotels cut energy, water and waste, resulting in many green ‘savings’, including an average reduction of water use of 15.3 litres per guest per night in the last two years.
Green Transport in Melbourne
Melbourne has an excellent transport network that includes low carbon impact transportation such as the Skybus Super Shuttle – Melbourne’s airport/city shuttle – which is Australia’s first ‘carbon neutral’ public transport operator.
Green Leisure Options around Melbourne and Victoria
Victoria’s diverse natural attractions range from desert, mountain, alpine and coastal, to riverine and rainforest landscapes. Victoria also has the greatest biodiversity, relative to land size, in Australia. For a green city escape, visit the Royal Botanic Gardens. Recognised as one of the world’s finest, the 38 hectare garden is home to 50,000 individual plants, Melbourne’s favourite running track, and many of the city’s favourite cultural events, such as the Moonlight Cinema and outdoor theatre productions.