CoP11 Conference on Biodiversity Sustainability Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4
Event Background ......................................................................................................................... 4
Organisation .................................................................................................................................. 8
Sustainability Approach.................................................................................................................... 10
Commitment to Sustainability ......................................................................................................... 10
Sustainability Issues ..................................................................................................................... 10
Sustainability Objectives ............................................................................................................... 11
Sustainable Event Management Activities ............................................................................................ 11
Event Impacts ............................................................................................................................... 12
Sustainability Performance ............................................................................................................... 15
Event Footprint .......................................................................................................................... 15
Event Audit System ...................................................................................................................... 16
Sustainable Event Management Process Performance .............................................................................. 16
Audited Event Sustainability Benchmarking Using MeetGreenTM Calculator .................................................... 18
Waste Generation Breakdown.......................................................................................................... 19
Strengths and Weaknesses ................................................................................................................ 21
Strengths, Opportunities and Innovations .............................................................................................. 24

Sustainable Event Assessment – CoP11 to CBD Page 1

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Catering Responsibility.................................................................................................................. 24
Responsible Procurement ............................................................................................................... 25
Managing Exhibitions .................................................................................................................... 28
Stimulating Social and Sustainable Experience – The Biodiversity Haat ......................................................... 29
Community Outreach Donation ........................................................................................................ 32
Leaving a Positive Legacy in Andhra Pradesh ........................................................................................ 34
Waste Management Approach ............................................................................................................ 36
Summary of Waste Diversion and Recycling ......................................................................................... 38
Increasing Sustainability Performance .................................................................................................. 39
1. Build Engagement Early ............................................................................................................ 39
2. Carbon Responsibility............................................................................................................... 39
3. Scale up Social....................................................................................................................... 40
4. Structuring Sustainability .......................................................................................................... 40
5. Take Bold Steps ..................................................................................................................... 40
6. Amplify Communication ............................................................................................................ 41
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 42
Credits ....................................................................................................................................... 43
Authors and Contributors ............................................................................................................... 43


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About MCI Sustainability Services ..................................................................................................... 44
Contact .................................................................................................................................... 44
Photo Credits ............................................................................................................................. 44


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INTRODUCTION
The principles of the United Nations, the Ministry of the Environment and Forests India and the ethos of the XI Conference
of Parties (CoP) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) command that a responsible approach be taken to organising a
large event such as COP11, the leading global gathering of policy makers and stakeholders in the planet’s biodiversity.
Working collaboratively all bodies were committed to promoting environmental, fiscal and social responsibility and event
partner MCI was committed to leading by example and demonstrating ethical and sustainable operating practices. As a
result, the organisers aimed to minimize the environmental impacts of the COP 11 Convention on Biological Diversity by
organising as responsible and sustainable event as possible given the short lead time in preparation and unprecedented
scale.

This summary report prepared by MCI provides a sustainability assessment of the event. It details a perspective of the
environmental footprint of the event, analysis of the event management system and process concerning sustainable event
practices. Recommendations are provided to increase sustainable performance of future events.

EVENT BACKGROUND
Hosted by the Ministry of the Environment and Forests India, in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (SCBD) in Montréal and the United Nations Environment Programme, the XI Conference of Parties
Convention on Biological Diversity (8-19 October 2012) was organised to support and promote biodiversity and the Aichi
Biodiversity Targets. As a platform for collaboration its goal is to mainstream biodiversity at different levels. Throughout
the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, governments around the world have been encouraged to develop, implement
and communicate the results of national strategies for implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. With more
than 11,500 participants in attendance, the convention featured over 900 sessions focused on elements of the Strategic
Plan including: Marine & Coastal Biodiversity, Climate Change & Biodiversity, Development & Biodiversity and Biodiversity


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of dry and sub-humid lands, Forests, Inland waters, Agricultural biodiversity, Sustainable use of biodiversity, Plant
Conservation, Biofuels and Invasive alien species.

The resounding commitment from the XI Conference of Parties Convention on Biological Diversity was that countries agreed
to double resources for biodiversity protection by 2015; developed countries agreed to double funding to support efforts
in developing states towards meeting the internationally-agreed biodiversity targets, and the main goals of the Strategic
Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

Developed countries agreed to double funding to support efforts in developing states towards meeting the internationally-
agreed Biodiversity Targets, and the main goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

See www.cbd.int/cop11 or www.cbdcop11india.in for more information on the event.


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11,638 delegates attended
the ground breaking event
from over 173 countries.


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ORGANISATION
The event was organised by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), based in Montréal, Canada,
with the support of the host government - the Ministry of the Environment and Forests, Government of India and the
assistance of the professional conference organisers – MCI Management India. The event was held at Hyderabad
International Convention Centre (HICC) and HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad, India. Creative production and
technical services at the conference were provided by Dorier Perfectus Asia. Several other local suppliers provided their
servicers for audio-visuals, signage, printing, catering, transportation, etc.

Sustainability advisory was provided by MCI Sustainability Services.


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“Biodiversity sustains our food supply,
is a source of medicines and supports
the provision of clean air and fresh
water while also contributing to
economic development, cultural and
spiritual enlightenment.” CBD.


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SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH

COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
The convention aimed to be a “leading sustainable
event for India, leaving long term positive social and
environmental legacies in Andhra Pradesh.”

SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
The conference organising team identified the
following key sustainability issues and risks when
planning:

 Low levels of awareness by suppliers of event
sustainability issues and wider communities of
Andhra Pradesh;
 Waste created by official documents and hand-
outs, delegate communication and exhibition;
 Low level of maturity of the hotels sustainability processes (waste, energy & measurement);
 Unreliable energy supply (in India energy spikes and brown-outs are very common);
 Lack of availability and price of organic produce.


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SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES
The following overall sustainability objectives were set to lessen the environmental impact of the event:

Objective Status
Understand and benchmark sustainability performance of event Achieved “A leading sustainable event for
Divert 80% of waste away from landfill Achieved India, leaving long term positive
social and environmental
Use 90% local (India) catering at event venue Achieved
legacies in Andhra Pradesh”
Offset water and event carbon emissions Not reached
Organisers
Raise awareness and educate participants Achieved
Engage Community, youth & tribal groups in event Achieved

SUSTAINABLE EVENT MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
Sustainability concerns were addressed through all phases of event design and execution, including the following activities:

 Strategic Planning: The planning team leaders met to identify a strategy for the sustainable performance of the
event and created customized targets.
 Supplier Engagement: Through a two hour educational event and a series of interviews, 50 entities were educated
about the objectives of the event; key suppliers were questioned about sustainable practices and offered coaching
and recommendations for improved results. In particular, the MCI team worked with HICC, waste management
company and caterers to improve waste management, catering and sustainability measurement processes.
 Sustainable Procurement: The event management team and the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government
of India made a series of conscious decisions in the purchasing of material and services. This includes congress bags,
stage set, exhibition construction, USB sticks, printing, catering, communications as well as the selection of logistics
teams that reduced transport requirements.


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EVENT IMPACTS

IMPACTS KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR VALUE
ECONOMIC
Investment in Event Total expenditures to improve event sustainability and offset emissions Over INR 10 Million
Sustainability
Investment in Biodiversity Park, Pylon and Museum INR 1 Billion / USD
18,264,858
Participation Number of Official delegates (MOP6 + COP11) 11,683
SOCIAL
Stakeholder Key supplies being evaluated for sustainability No cost
Engagement
Number of Social Enterprises & NGOs in attendance at event 80+
Health and quality Space designated smoke free in venue No cost
of air
Labour Rights Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements broken down by No cost
region/country.
ENVIRONMENTAL
GHG emissions Total Carbon footprint (tonnes CO2 equivalents) 8634 mt CO2e
Flight Emissions (tonnes CO2) 4966 mt CO2e
Local transport emissions (tonnes CO2) 688 mt CO2e
Venue based emissions (Generators & electricity) 1956 mt CO2e


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Food and paper emissions (excluding concession stands) 244 mt CO2e
Average Emissions per delegate 0.75 mt CO2e
Energy Total electricity consumed (Wh) 730,840 KWH UNITS
Total diesel consumed on official transport (l) 12,0000
Total diesel consumed on diesel generators (l) 323,190 L
Total gas consumed (m³) 0
Renewable energy certificates procured to offset electricity 0
Water Total water used (m³) 11,134 KL
Paper and Sheets of paper used for printing 1,220,000
materials usage
100% recycled paper Delegate handbooks (46 pages, A5) 15,000
Carpet landfilled through event 0
Waste management Total waste from event (tonnes) excluding food 24.55 tonnes
Total recycling captured from event including food (total Kg) 17.7. tonnes
Paper (kg) 9,924
Glass (kg) 991
Metal (kg) 595
Plastic (kg) 4,621
Organic (food) waste 8,424
Waste Diversion from landfill 91%


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Food Number meals produced 64,438
Percentage local (India) food sourced for meals 90%
Percentage organic food sourced for meals 2%
Estimated number of 250 ml plastic bottles not served due to bulk 493,600
water dispenser


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SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE
CoP11 to CBD (tCO2e)
Food and
EVENT FOOTPRINT Paper
2.83%
The Event produced a measurable total of 8634 metric tons
of Carbon dioxide, or an average of 0.75 tonnes of CO 2 per
participant. This is equivalent to the average yearly emissions Venue
22.65%
of over 8000 Indians or 435 US citizens.

As expected, the biggest CO2 emissions impact derived from
air transport due to the international nature of the event, the
venue provides the second largest source due to the overall
length of the event compared to others of a comparable size.
Emissions created in the production and transportation of the Air
Exhibitor Stands were not included in the report nor from the Hotel 57.52%
9.04%
concession food stalls, though all official onsite catering
function figures are included.

Local car and
bus
7.96%

Air Local car and bus Hotel Venue Food and Paper

Fig 1. CO2 emission sources


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EVENT AUDIT SYSTEM
MeetGreenSM was used as the system to evaluate the performance of the event management system.

MeetGreenSM employs the philosophy of continuous improvement that challenges organizations to work to maintain and
improve their environmental and social performance.

MeetGreenSM aligns with the APEX-ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting standards, and evaluates over 150 event
criteria in nine separate categories to provide advice on how to increase the sustainability and business results of an event.

SUSTAINABLE EVENT MANAGEMENT PROCESS PERFORMANCE
Using the MeetGreen system, the UNCBD earned a total average score of 47% of a possible maximum of 100%. For
benchmarking purposes, the following chart compares the sustainability practices of the Forum against the UN Global
Compact Leaders Summit and the many other events in the MeetGreen system. As can be seen the UNCSF score is just
above average, and demonstrates the results of the event team’s commitment to improving processes and working with
suppliers to increase event sustainability.


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24 sets of 5 bins each with clear
colour coding, recognisable symbols
and descriptions in the 6 Official UN
languages were strategically placed
around the venue, supported by a
staff of 30 people focused on waste
management.


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AUDITED EVENT SUSTAINABILITY BENCHMARKING USING MEETGREENTM CALCULATOR

Average Audited Event 45%

Biodiversity COP 11 47%

European Ecological Federation 2011 54%

Climate Change COP 15 69%

UN Global Compact Leaders Forum, New
74%
York

Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum 60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%


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WASTE GENERATION BREAKDOWN

4%
2%
19%
Plastic

Food

Paper/cloth
41%
Metal

34% Glass


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In order to better understand sustainable event management performance, the next chart looks at the different MeetGreen
categories:


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STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

AREA KEY STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Poor public transport offering.
Choosing a destination of this type allows for
Destination Low levels of sustainable event management
strong education and economic multiplier benefit
experience within local supply chain.

Management of Novotel were very committed to
Headquarters Hotel had previous experience
demonstrating best practice and promoting Planet
providing event measurement data. However
21 Initiative
satellite hotels had no experience and in some
Hotel operated towel & sheet reuse cards,
Accommodation cases no understanding of wider sustainability
provided information booklet as part of customer
practice.
engagement and communication programme,
More engagement of 18 other official hotels
constructed 2 sculptures of recycled material and
required and off site hotel recycling required.
eco-friendly staff uniforms

Excellent partner in waste management - Ramky
A number of initiatives were not
Meeting Venue provided 24 sets of 5 bins each with clear marking
implementable due to late planning.
in 6 UN languages and staff of 30 people at venue.

Venue and main hotel were in the same complex, Distance from airport and lack of public
which significantly reduced the need for transfers. transport required most delegates to use
Transportation
Shuttles were provided for LDC ministers instead taxis.
of the individual cars


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Low availability and high cost of organic
products, and lack of supplier awareness of
90% of food was sourced within India.
sustainability.
Delegates were encouraged to use reusable water
Leftover food was unable to be donated to
bottles and dispensers, resulting in an estimated
wet/oil mix and distance of distributors from
Food and 493,600 plastic water bottles being avoided.
venue and liability issues.
Beverage Plates in the food court were made of Areca palm
Water pitchers were not used for Higher
accompanied by wooden cutlery. The paper cups
Level Segment due to image concerns
used at the water dispensers were biodegradable.
Single sachets of sugar were unable to be
Menus printed on Recycled paper
eliminated due to rainy season & high
humidity

All shell schemes were hired and modular. Flex
Solar powered lighting for external signage
signage was donated to shanty town inhabitants
Exhibition too costly.
and stands and staging featured bamboo
UNEP guidelines provided as guidance rather
constructions.
than policy.
UNEP Exhibitor guidelines integrated into manual


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15,000 delegate bags handmade from 100 % Event used 1,220,000 sheets of paper
natural Jute. No mobile application
Communication &
Limited website and brochure
marketing
15,000 Delegate hand books and diaries were communication around sustainability.
printed on 100 % recycled paper. Limited use of electronic signage

AV was powered using smokeless, silent
Bamboo stage set used for main room
Audio Visual diesel generators due to no hotel backup and
Modern energy efficient equipment deployed
risk of power cuts.

Low adoption and promotion of carbon offset
Partnership established with Carbon offset and opportunity.
Offsets
unique website developed for conference 0% of the onsite or delegate emissions were
offset.


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STRENGTHS, OPPORTUNITIES AND INNOVATIONS

CATERING RESPONSIBILITY
Each stand in the food court featured vegetarian food and
used menus printed on recycled paper. The event caterer
agreed to display calories for catering on demand food
packaging (not a common practice in India) and nutritious,
healthy foods were actively promoted over sugary healthy
snacks with items such as fruit smoothies. A significant
reduction in waste was achieved through the rejection of
plastic utensils which were completely eliminated from the
food court eating area, including plates, cutlery, and water
bottles. Food court plates were made from Arecanut leaf
and wooden knives, forks and spoons were used to dine
with. Cups were made of paper rather than plastic or
polystyrene.

Replacing individual sachets of sugar and condiments was investigated as a means to save waste but was not implementable
due to the high level of humidity combined with heat in the rainy season in India. Water safety in India was an issue that
needed to be well balanced with the impact of individual plastic bottles which generate a huge amount of waste. Instead
of serving bottles of water in either plastic or indeed glass, water was sourced locally and served from 20 litre re-usable
containers. Delegates were provided with a branded water bottle for refill and re-use to reduce the use of cups and
individual water bottles. A total of 90,000 litres was consumed onsite.


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RESPONSIBLE PROCUREMENT
Ensuring your supply chain is as responsible as possible is a critical component
of sustainable event management and critical components of the event were
reviewed using sustainability principles. The delegate bags were made using
deaf and dumb staff employed in a workshop in Delhi who embroidered tribal
images and biodiversity native to India on a 100% natural jute material bag.
Delegate gifts were selected for their cultural relevance, employment of
disadvantaged minorities in their manufacture and choice of materials. The
delegate pouches were manufactured with recycled textiles. Although the
organizers opted not to use a mobile application and implement a zero paper
policy, steps were taken to ensure that where paper was used it was procured
from responsible sources.

The 15,000 delegate conference handbooks and diaries were printed on 100%
recycled paper. When organizing an event on the scale of the COP 11, power
and wider resource issues are important considerations, efforts were made to
investigate green energy sources locally but due to the high likelihood of
unreliability, generators were considered the wisest choice of energy source.
Silent and smokeless modern technology was sourced and measured. Fuel
consumption is included in our reporting metrics.


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ITEM MOST COMMON OPTION USED AT COP11
Bags made of 100% jute, which is recyclable and
Kit Bag Bag made of leather/raxine/Nylon
produced from green sources

Photo frames and Jewellery Box made of
Traditional tribal art called – Dokra
Stoles made of silk and locally by
Gift Items Pen Holders, Crystal Souvenirs, etc.
underprivileged groups.
Shoulder pouches made by tribal women group
using waste cloth material.

Regular notepads with virgin 70/100 Notepads made of 100% handmade paper, which is
Notepads
gsm paper recycled and recyclable.

Made of 100% certified recycled paper. Standard ink
Conference Delegate Made of 150 gsm glossy paper with
used, but reduced usage of full page coloured
Handbook high usage of colours
graphics.

USB Pen Drives given to all delegates as part of the
kit. All conference documents made available online
Storage Medium for in real time.
CDs/DVDs, printed material
Conference material Limited number of print material.
Total printing of 2.3 million copies, which is far less
than that of COP10 at approx. 3.8 million copies.


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ITEM MOST COMMON OPTION USED AT COP11

Water fountains were installed across the
conference venue. Recyclable plastic bottles were
given as part of the conference kits for drinking
Water Containers Use of plastic water bottles
water.
Paper glasses were also provided at the water
fountains. All paper glass were recycled.

All document printing was back to back to reduce
the paper usage. Further, no or extremely few
documents were coloured prints (not including the
documents brought by side event hosts) and official
Single Side printing and “Minus one
Document Printing onsite documents printed by the organiser practiced
concept"
the ‘Minus One’ concept, which involves reducing
the font size by one point over the existing size.
During COP11, all the official documents used font
size 11 instead of preferred 12


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MANAGING EXHIBITIONS
When planning the exhibition, it was vital that materials used were
as responsible as possible and would be either re-usable or donated
to a worthy cause. A huge amount of waste is often generated
through the use of disposable carpet and exhibition stands. The
temporary carpet used for COP11 was specially selected for its
sustainability merits; it was woven from hessian and jute, without
a foam base and was 100% biodegradable. The exhibition company
were a solid partner and ensured all materials from the event
infrastructure were diverted from landfill, re used for other events
or donated to impoverished communities locally. The team opted
for Octanorm exhibition booths ensuring that 100% would re-usable
and natural enhancements were added as decoration from
local bamboo sources. Reinforced flex fabric signage was
donated to slum dwellers in Hyderabad to construct homes and
protect from adverse weather conditions. A responsible
exhibitors policy was integrated with the exhibition manual
using the UNEP Exhibitor guidelines guiding exhibitors to
reduce unnecessary waste by only shipping what was needed
and choosing responsible materials for giveaways. To
supplement the official exhibition a complimentary exhibition
featuring local artisans was constructed called the
“Biodiversity Haat”.


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STIMULATING SOCIAL AND SUSTAINABLE EXPERIENCE – THE BIODIVERSITY HAAT
In order to support social enterprises and sustainable businesses
from the region, a unique market place was constructed within
the perimeter of the HICC-HITEX Complex and 40 local artisans
and community groups were invited by Centre for Environment
Education (CEE). The haat featured groups selling organic
produce, handmade artefacts and those using responsible
materials showcasing the best example of Access & Benefit
Sharing. The area gave local producers a platform and ready
consumer not always so accessible and delegates frequented
the Biodiversity Haat throughout the event.
Examples of local producers
included the “Bodhana Tiruvalla
Social Science Society” who use
bee products to fund and operate
a Social Rehabilitation
Programme; the Uravu Indigenous
Science & Technology Study
Centre, a registered, non-profit
trust supporting the livelihood of
rural woman through end-to-end
programmes in bamboo growth, harvest and product manufacturing. Projects like these within the Biodiversity Haat
supported a vast number of Indian social development objectives including training in natural resource management,
improving literacy, providing employment and women’s rights through to stimulating organic farming and renewable
energy sources.


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Biodiversity Haat - A unique market
place constructed within the
perimeter of the HICC-HITEX
Complex, with participation by
over 40 artisans from across India.


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The Biodiversity Haat demonstrated
the economic multiplier effect of
large scale events in a practical
manner and ensured delegates took
home souvenirs that were
sustainable and supported some of
the most impoverished communities
in Andhra Pradesh.


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COMMUNITY OUTREACH DONATION
Large scale events by their nature generate waste and in many cases many
leftover materials of value. The organisers partnered with their suppliers to
collect as many donatable items as possible and identified a number of local
charities to support, providing a lifeline for those living below the poverty line
including the Sphoorti orphanage and a community outreach centre in Ameerpet
supporting the children of1134 Female sex workers in 12 wards (blocks) of
Hyderabad, looking after their health needs, and prevention of HIV/AIDS.
Similarly, flex used in the event signage and conference backdrops was cut into
large panels and donated to local residents in Hyderabad’s poorest communities
for use as building materials and shields against adverse weather conditions.

Materials Donated to Ameerpet Community Outreach Centre:

S. No. Item No. of Packets Quantity in each Packet Total Quantity
1 Stationery Kits 3 115 345
2 Stationery Kits (loose) 29 29
3 Water Bottles 4 25 100
4 Spiral Books 4 72 288
5 Spiral Books (loose) 59 59
6 Gifts 5 100 500
7 Printed Books – Compendium on Indian 4 25 100
Biosphere Reserves
8 Rio Conventions Calendar 2 35 70
A further 50 Bags, Pen sets, Bottles, Note books, Pouches, 2013 Calendars were donated to the Sphoorti orphanage.


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Please accept our heartfelt thanks
for your distinguished contribution
of Bags, Stationery, Pouches,
water bottles and diaries to
Sphoorti. It is an honour that
Sphoorti was chosen as a partner
organization for CoP 11. Please
know that your support has made
a significant impact on our mission
towards rehabilitation and
empowerment of children in need.

Srivyal Vuyyuri
Founder/Director

Sphoorti


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LEAVING A POSITIVE LEGACY IN ANDHRA PRADESH
One of the key event objectives for the government of India and the Ministry of
Environment and Forests was to raise awareness and educate participants about
India’s challenges, but also to reach beyond the event itself and have respect for
India’s biodiversity filter down into the communities and villages of rural India. This
was achieved in a number of ways, firstly a kick-off education workshop was organised
in Hyderabad for all key suppliers including hotels, vendors and invited NGOs. A
discussion took place about the event objectives, their roles in the supply chain,
commitment and benefits in making CoP11 a sustainable event. 50 organisations
attended the two hour workshop and follow on meetings were organised.

The Biodiversity Haat and procurement process were deployed to ensure that the
economic impact of the event was funnelled to the most responsible businesses and
beyond direct economic benefit the event provided a platform to exhibit and sell their
organic produce and raise the profile of the social enterprises present.

Focusing on education in the wider Andhra Pradesh Community, the MOEF launched
both an educational campaign and legacy project for the city. A special educational
pamphlet was designed and distributed to 250,000 people within Andhra Pradesh
promoting the value and importance of preserving India’s biodiversity and architects
were contracted to design an impactful and lasting gift to the local community; the
Biodiversity pylon and Park in Hyderabad. A 15 acre plot of land in Gachibowli was
earmarked for the development of an architectural monument, park and museum for
the city and representative ministers and VIPS attending the event from around the
world planted over 300 rare and endangered plant species in the proposed park.


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A total of 100 crore rupees ($18,264,858) was invested in
the development and the site was inaugurated by
Hon. Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh during
the event. The centrepiece of the park is a 46 ft steel and
800 kg stone pillar symbolizing the 23 male and 23 female
chromosomes and wealth of nature. Around the pillar,
educational panels and designs instruct and inform visitors
about the richness and value of the earth’s
biodiversity. A PR agency was appointed
On the occasion of this to ensure that the contents and value of
conference, I am pleased to
the meeting were spread beyond the walls
launch the Hyderabad
Pledge and announce that of the convention centre and a number of
our Government has informative articles made it into the local
decided to earmark a sum press including articles linking biodiversity
of US$ 50 million during to health.
India’s presidency of the
Conference of Parties to the
Convention on Biological
Diversity to strengthen the
institutional mechanism for
biodiversity conservation in
India.

Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India


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WASTE MANAGEMENT APPROACH
The management of waste was a key sustainability objective for the
event with an ambitious 80% waste diversion rate, higher than many
conferences in the United States or Europe. A strong and able partner
was appointed in the shape of “Ramky Enviro Engineers” and in
partnership with the event management team an excellent 91% waste
diversion rate was achieved. 24 sets of 5 bins each with clear colour
coding, recognisable symbols and descriptions in the 6 Official UN
languages were strategically placed around the venue.

The MCI team worked with the venue to improve the placement of the
bins during the conference and to ensure sufficient receptacles were
provided throughout the setup and breakdown of the event. The clusters
of colour coded bins were each managed by a dedicated housekeeper
who were available to educate and guide the delegates in the correct
segregation of waste. Waste was further segregated at source and
transported between 11.30PM and 6AM to avoid traffic. Ramky staff
maintained an interactive stand onsite detailing the process of collection
segregation, disposal, recycling and reuse.

The entire waste management was conducted in accordance with the
guidelines of Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules,
2000 as laid down by Ministry Environment & Forest, Govt. of India. Over
19 days the event generated a whopping 24.55 metric tonnes of trash. An astounding 9,924 kg of waste comprised of paper
and cloth alone, 8,424 kg was generated by half eaten and left over food by the delegates and this was followed by plastic


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(4,621 kg), glass (991 kg) and metal (595 kg). 85 percent of event waste was directly recycled, 3% turned to energy at a
refuse derived fuel (RDF) plant, 16% evaporate as moisture and the remaining 9% went to landfill.

AVERAGE AVERAGE
COMPONENTS PLASTIC METAL GLASS PAPER (EXCLUDING FOOD (INCLUDING FOOD
FOOD WASTE) WASTE)

Weight loss after
dehydration (moisture
content loss) 2% 2% 2% 6% 3% 70% 16%

Total waste recycled 76% 88% 85% 87% 84% 22% 72%

Inerts diverted to Landfill 9% 10% 13% 5% 9% 8% 9%

Diversion to refuse-derived
fuel plant 13% -- -- 2% 4% -- 3%

Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Recycling was conducted as follows:
 Paper: Sent to “Wealth out of Waste” Initiative, where the paper is to be used by ITC Bhadrachalam for recycling.
 Plastic: Sent to plastic recycling plant at Balanagar, Hyderabad for recycling. End Product is granules/flakes
 Food: Is composted for organic manure and being used for gardening
 Metal: Sent to metal recycling facility at Hardware Park
 Glass: Provided to glass recycling facility in Hyderabad


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SUMMARY OF WASTE DIVERSION AND RECYCLING

Landfilled
Converted to Energy 9.00%
3.00%

Evaporation loss
16.00%

Recycled Waste
72.00%

Recycled Waste Evaporation loss Converted to Energy Landfilled


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INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE

1. BUILD ENGAGEMENT EARLY
Considering the scale of the event and short notice involved in the appointment of the key suppliers much was
achieved but opportunities exist for improvement. Sustainability is a challenge to integrate late in the process. For
future events there is a clear opportunity to build on the initial achievements and wider integrate and communicate
sustainability expectations to hotel partners.
A recommended step would be to include sustainability criteria as a core component and clause in supplier selection
for every area of the event and follow up commitments with contracting clauses relating to sustainability objectives.
Once destinations and key suppliers are selected, a sustainability team composed of representatives of the
secretariat, local host organization and key event suppliers should be created to drive the process and to ensure
accountability and that objectives are represented at each point of the planning process. Widening the engagement
and starting the process easier would enable wider collection of data (exact data of all hotel energy consumption
and waste production was not collected). A recommended minimum target for COP 12 would be to obtain data from
the key 10 hotels hosting delegates to understand and benchmark performance and improve footprint calculations.

2. CARBON RESPONSIBILITY
The CoP 11 on biodiversity made great strides in recognising the potential emissions of events and collecting the
data relating to the event site, transport and catering. However, with the data collected no offsetting or mitigation
has taken place. Steps to be considered include ensuring delegates take greater responsibility for their travel related
emissions with stronger messaging. Delegates could be invited to voluntary offset their emissions or a small
offsetting fee could be integrated as standard into the registration costs to ensure greater uptake. In line with the
travel impact, the UN could consider seeking a sponsor to offset event emissions or encourage event hosts to be
accountable and offset any emissions relating to the event location. Care should be taken to select a certified
offsetting project in alignment with the UN’s criteria.


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3. SCALE UP SOCIAL
The Biodiversity Haat was a commendable innovation and example to all major events of how to integrate social
enterprises. To build on this success, further efforts can be made to widen the hands on community activity beyond
the VIPs and engage the delegates in a community service event either onsite or offsite. This is especially relevant
in developing nations where need is clearly evident. Opportunities exist to further engage local communities to
produce items needed for the event such as table decorations, organic food supplies and delegate lanyards. An
interesting opportunity for events of this size exists in evaluating the economic impact of the delegates, collecting
stronger data about the attendees’ visits would allow for a clearer picture of the economic multiplier effect in
stimulating employment and spending in host destinations.

4. STRUCTURING SUSTAINABILITY
To support sustainability objectives, event management best practice would recommend further structuring the
process. This would commence from the request for proposal stage through the procurement filter and contracting
and include the definition of an event sustainability policy alongside the goals and objectives. The policy would
allow for clearer communication around sustainability expectations and requirements to suppliers and partners.
This policy would be formally integrated into the procurement processes and communicated through the event
website and supporting communications to suppliers, speakers, exhibitors, delegates and other stakeholders. The
UN could consider adopting the international event sustainability management standard launched in June 2012.
ISO20121 provides guidance on how to build a sustainable event management system, incorporating key elements
of ISO14001, ISO26000 (social responsibility) and ISO9001 (quality). Implementation of ISO20121 would help to build
a more robust event management system with clearly defined and documented processes.

5. TAKE BOLD STEPS
Innovating for any reason requires an element of risk and a willingness to change. Great opportunities exist for
event enhancement, cost saving and improvement of the delegate experience by taking bold steps in the planning


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process. Although the organisers of this event were resistant to eliminating paper, clear opportunities are present
in both saving cost and increasing functionality. Over 1 million sheets of paper were used by the organisers alone.
The UN has launched the “Smart Paper initiative” with the introduction of a mobile application eliminating the
need for conference hand-outs and a significant amount of waste, it would also enhance the capability of the
organizers to communicate with delegates.
Further innovation can be used across the board to improve the experience of both the planners and delegates with
electronic signage, the elimination of more transportation and the widening the inclusion of FLOSS (Fresh, local,
organic, sustainable, seasonal) food products. Particularly interesting for a convention on protecting biodiversity is
the concept of event space measurement and “offsetting” to protect wildlife habitat and the “offsetting” of event
water consumption by the construction of a reservoir in accordance with water used. These initiatives would have
left a positive legacy supporting the key issue of the CBD and sustainability challenge of Andhra Pradesh.

6. AMPLIFY COMMUNICATION
Due to the complexity of the organisation for the COP 11 with a number of competing websites maintained by both
the event hosts and CBD secretariat, delegates lacked a single information point for the event. This fragmentation
made the sustainability communication difficult and led to the low uptake of the travel carbon emission offsetting
programme. Delegates registering through CBD but receiving local information through the host destination’s
website.

To further amplify the messaging a solid communication plan with sustainability weaved throughout and the use of
storytelling would improve performance supported by stronger PR celebrating sustainability achievements.

To improve communication and engagement, sustainability messaging needs to be integrated within the mainstream
communication channels and key touch points relevant to the audience, this extends across the event from informing
delegates both pre event and onsite to educating exhibitors about their impact and recognising increased
performance.


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CONCLUSION
The 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CoP11 to CBD) took responsible steps to
implement an event in line with the UN Global Compact Principles. Notable progress was made by working with event
partners to improve sustainability in a region where event sustainability is a developing concept and particularly
commendation should be given to the solid waste management approach and performance. With a commitment to constant
improvement and by implementing the practical recommendations outlined in this report, the UN Convention on
Biodiversity serves as a role model and guide for others in the meetings industry.


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CREDITS

AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS
This report has been developed with direction from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Sustainability Reporting
Guidelines and the Event Organizers Sector Supplement.

Data in this report relates to the COP MOP6 and COP11 to CBD which took place from October 1 st through to October 19th,
2012. It covers all areas of event logistics and production that were managed by MCI Management India Pvt. Ltd..

This report was prepared by Roger Simons of MCI Sustainability Services with the valuable input, contribution and support
of Lalit Chadha, Shikhar Gupta and Akash Nath Garg of MCI India with the support of Victor Ogbuneke of Secretariat of the
Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) in Montréal. Special thanks go to Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Government of India and all the event suppliers who supported this tremendous undertaking and supported the
sustainability objectives with commitment and passion.


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ABOUT MCI SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES
MCI is proud to be seen as industry thought leader in sustainable event management and consulting. MCI
is actively engaged in efforts to change the way the world meets through the promotion of smart,
sustainable business solutions.

MCI is the selected Professional Congress Organizer and Sustainability Guide for more than 130 of the
world’s leading events on sustainable development and the renewable energy sectors, including:

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP15), the 11th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CoP11 to CBD), the GRI Global Conference on Sustainability and Reporting, the Climate Group Asian Business Summit on
Climate Leadership, the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum and the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit.
www.mci-group.com/csr

CONTACT
In the interest of constant improvement, all ideas and comments about this report are welcome. Please address comments
to Roger Simons, MCI Group Sustainability Manager – Roger.Simons@mci-group.com

PHOTO CREDITS
 Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India
 Akash Nath Garg – MCI India
 Roger Simons – MCI Sustainability Services


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