COHORT PROJECT
In partnership with the AGÉCO Group, the Réseau des femmes en environnement and its Council have set up a cohort project in 2021-2022 involving ten Quebec events. The objective of this cohort was to develop a framework for assessing the environmental impact of events in Quebec using the life cycle assessment approach. The aim of this cohort was to gain a better understanding of the main contributors to an event’s life-cycle impacts, to improve decision-making and to contribute to the integration of eco-responsible measures into event planning.
Methodology
A simplified lifecycle analysis approach has been adopted to identify the activities that contribute most to an event's carbon footprint (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) and to enable organizations to implement initiatives that potentially reduce GHGs, in the areas of activity that have the greatest impact.
Eight categories were considered to cover all the activities of an event upstream, during and downstream of its realization:
- Purchasing goods and services
- Energy and water consumption
- Food and beverages
- Transportation
- Managing end-of-life residual materials
- Virtual presence
- Accommodation
- Selling or donating promotional products
Data collection was based mainly on primary data, i.e. data obtained directly from event organizers. Secondary data were used to fill the data gaps (i.e. values obtained from various sources such as scientific literature or expert judgment).
Data called “emission factors” were used to convert activity data into GHG emissions. These factors are derived from recognized North American and international databases. For example, a factor in kg CO2 eq./kWh of electricity consumed was used to derive GHG emissions from an electricity consumption value. A factor in kg CO2 eq./$ spent was used to derive GHG emissions from a dollar expenditure value.
Results
The results show a trend in which the Transportation category (especially that of the audience) is generally the biggest contributor to the event’s GHG footprint, followed by Food & Beverage and Purchase of Goods & Services.
Here are a few figures and findings from the GHG balance sheet for the events:
- According to the results obtained, the transport category is responsible for an average of 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by events. Of these 80%, emissions generated by public travel are the most significant, compared to the transportation of employees, volunteers and collaborators, or the transportation of purchased goods. We therefore suggest that organizers encourage the public to use active or public transport whenever possible. Incentives can be put in place to encourage these actions.
- In Quebec, the GHG emissions linked to virtual attendance are negligible compared to the event's total emissions, and this type of hybrid event reduces the impact of transport.
- Depending on the type of promotional products distributed and the type of event, these can make a significant contribution to the overall environmental impact of the event.
- Food has a major impact on an event's greenhouse gas emissions. We recommend that organizers evaluate menu solutions with a lower carbon footprint to reduce the impact of this category.
Following analysis of the results, recommendations were made to the events participating in the cohort. Generally speaking, they touched on aspects of data collection, for example, stressing to events the importance of collecting information relating to energy and water or waste management. Recommendations were also made in relation to eco-responsible practices.
Here are a few recommendations related to the main emission sectors listed above:
- Promote the use of active transportation, public transit and carpooling for the public, by offering incentives for these modes of transportation.
- Continue to offer hybrid events wherever possible.
- Reduce the amount of promotional items offered by the event or by partners, and ideally ban them altogether.
- Increase the proportion of vegetarian meals offered during the event, and evaluate the possibility of offering 100% vegetarian meals.
This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Écoleader Fund.
Thanks also to our partners: Ville de Gatineau, Événements Attractions Québec and Ville de Cowansville.