Member Article

NewcastleGateshead going green

NewcastleGateshead will be taking a major step towards promoting an eco-friendly friendly message at a major trade exhibition for the conference industry in London next week. The convention bureau will be using the Confex event at Earls Court to officially launch a new initiative to actively encourage carbon neutral conferencing. NewcastleGateshead believes it will be one of the first convention bureaux in the UK to make the promotion of carbon neutral conferencing a matter of policy.

Jessica Roberts, Head of Business Tourism for NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, said: “We are working closely with CarbonNeutral North East, a charity which is helping make the region a carbon-free zone. Together, we are encouraging conference organisers to make their events as green as possible. “We are encouraging conference organisers and delegates to reduce their pollution and then offset the impact of their travel to NewcastleGateshead by donating money through the CarbonNeutral North East charity. This money will be used to balance out carbon emissions by investing in local schemes, including home insulation and renewable energy. “We will also be encouraging delegates to consider their carbon footprint during their stay in NewcastleGateshead, by reminding them to turn down the temperature in their hotel for example and to use public transport to get out and about rather than resorting to their cars.”

NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau will be taking its first steps towards implementing its new policy by ensuring that when it travels to Confex this year, all of its travel requirements will be offset.

Charlie Henderson, Project Director of CarbonNeutral North East, said: “The growing challenge of climate change is so much more in the public consciousness and on the political agenda now. People are welcoming initiatives like NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau’s CarbonNeutral events service which help the planet and spread the message in a positive way. It’s great that people can visit the region and leave a green legacy for future generations.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .