Greening the conference

May 26, 2009: Help us Green this year's CES Conference

Here are some ways each of us can contribute to greening our conference and minimize our environmental imprint.

• Purchase carbon offsets to neutralize the impact of your travel to and from the conference.
• Bring your own reusable mug, pen and pencil.
• Turn off any lights, TV, air conditioner or heater when you leave your hotel room for the day.
• Recycle your waste: bottles, cans, paper, etc.
• Register on-line if possible rather than printing paper copies.
• Do your sightseeing by foot or public transport.
• Collect business cards of presenters and have them e-mail reports and other information rather than collecting printed hand-outs
• v If the hotel offers this service, take the energy-saving option of not having sheets and towels changed every day.

The Government of Canada has even more suggestions on how to be green when at work or attending events.

We look forward to seeing you at the CES Conference in Ottawa!

April 22, 2009: Celebrate Earth Day with the CES Conference 2009 Green Team

April 22nd, 2009 is Earth Day and there are events going on all over the world this week to green the planet. Check out what you can do in your community. You can also register your acts of green at Canada's One Million Acts of Green Web site. Do something green today — you and the planet will feel better!

March 8, 2009: Minimize the Environmental Footprint of your Travel to CES 2009

When travelling to the CES conference, we encourage you to think about the most environmentally friendly way to travel. Did you know that trips by train emit only about a third to half of the greenhouse gases that a trip by plane does? For a number of us, however, traveling by plane is the only viable option to get to the conference. When traveling by air, there are steps you can take to minimize the carbon imprint of your flight. For example, studies have shown that night flights take a greater toll on the climate. Learn more about ways to reduce the carbon imprint of your air travel on-line.

January 21, 2009: About Carbon Offsets

Every day we make personal choices about how we travel, whether it be to work or play near or far away. Unfortunately, many of the modes of transportation we use to get around quickly contribute to climate change. The trains, planes and automobiles we use are powered by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas which release harmful greenhouse gases into the environment. We can make conscious choices about choosing modes of transportation that minimize the impact on the environment, but we still need to take responsibility for our own personal carbon emissions. Going carbon neutral by purchasing carbon offsets is a practical and affordable way to reduce our carbon footprint.

You can find out more about minimizing your carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets.

October 31, 2008: One Million Acts of Green

Join other green-minded Canadians as part of CBC's George Stroumboulopoulos' One Million Acts of Green Challenge. You can learn about the many different little things you can do to minimize your carbon imprint and then actually calculate the impact your act will have in reducing green house gases. You can also join the CES 2009 Green Team which is registered as one of the community groups. Just click on "Groups and Challenges", then "Find Groups" and search for the "CES 2009 Green Team". You can then add your acts of green and help the CES Online Green Team reduce the carbon imprint of the Canadian evaluation community.

October 29, 2008

We are very excited to announce the greening of the 2009 CES Conference. By incorporating environmentally responsible practices into our planning work, and providing you with information and options that will help you to reduce your own carbon imprint, we not only hope to minimize the environmental impact of this Conference, but also to set a high standard for subsequent CES events and Conferences.

Did you know that, according to a study by Meeting Strategies Worldwide, a typical five-day conference for 2,500 attendees will use more than 90,000 cans or bottles, 750,000 cups and 87,500 napkins. Additionally, on average a 10'x10' exhibit booth generates 35 pounds of waste. That means a tradeshow of 300 booths can easily generate 1 million pounds of waste!

Whether you plan on attending the Conference or not, stay tuned for lots of practical and doable green practices to consider in the months ahead. In the meantime, learn more about greening your own meetings and events with Environment Canada's guide to green meetings.

And if you aren't already purchasing carbon offsets to minimize the carbon imprint of your travel, learn more about this green practice and how to do it on the Suzuki Foundation's site.

Please let us know if you have any suggestions or would like to provide your support to this initiative (susan.ryan@thewillowgroup.com). We look forward to sharing additional information with you in the months ahead.

Jennifer Birch-Jones and Courtney Amo,
Your CES Conference 2009 Green Team!

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