GRI Sustainability Policy
The GRI Secretariat is committed to being conscious of its sustainability impacts and to improving its sustainability performance by:
- Annually disclosing its sustainability performance
- Promoting and practicing an organizational culture that incorporates sustainability into its decision making and management practices
For the 3rd international Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency GRI has aimed to be sustainable by, among other actions:
Offsetting all significant CO2 and other greenhouse gases emitted as a result of the conference
Included in the offset:
- Conference participant travel & accommodation (heating and energy use per day/hotel room)
- Conference venue heating and energy use
- Conference paper-use (substantial runs of printed material)
- Conference participants will be requested to give their travel route and length of stay
GRI’s offset supplier of choice for the second time is Climate Neutral Group.
Selecting a sustainable conference venue:
The Amsterdam RAI currently is the first convention centre in Europe to meet the requirements of the Green Globe Benchmark program – the premier sustainability certification and benchmarking program for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. In 2009, it received the prestigious Green Globe Silver status.
Among other environmentally-friendly initiatives, the RAI:
- Uses renewable energy
- Employs energy and water efficient equipment and practices
- Is located close to accommodation and only 15 minutes by train from the airport and 20 minutes by tram from the Amsterdam central train station
- Has established re-use and recycling programs, including providing recycling bins in public areas and re-use of temporary exhibition materials (i.e. Market Place)
- Has technologies and policies to ensure that lights and A/V equipment are turned off when not in use
- Offers locally-sourced, seasonal and organic food where possible for catering
Taking a sustainable outlook on promotional materials:
- GRI has committed to reducing the amount of its own printed promotional materials, as well as limiting 3rd party promotional materials handed to participants
- GRI promotional material is printed on post-consumer recycled content paper and by using environmentally-friendly vegetable-based ink
- Conference participant badge-holders and lanyards are made from biodegradable materials, and the name tags are made from recycled FSC paper
Selecting environmentally friendly hotels:
The majority of the official conference hotels selected by GRI are also committed to being environmentally friendly, by way of:
- Having active recycling programs for both staff and guests
- Using environmentally preferable cleaning products
- Using renewable energy
Ticket discounts and other subsidies
To encourage participation from broad mix of cultures and constituencies, the conference pricing structure offers significant ticket discounts for participants from non-OECD countries, non-profit organizations, and for students. Travel subsidies are also offered to speakers from these groups to ensure that the conference stays true to GRI’s aim of achieving multi-stakeholder inclusiveness.
