Throughout 2022 PHUSE will be embarking on an ambitious plan to reduce our carbon footprint and take an environmentally mindful approach to help create a sustainable earth.
During the year you will see a number of initiatives launched, as we strive towards integrating greener practices within PHUSE Events – a key area we can work on to reduce our negative environmental impact. Whilst we acknowledge that travel allows collaboration in person, COVID has taught us that many things can be done virtually – and that a blended approach is optimal.
PHUSE’s original pledge to take greener event steps was due to begin in 2020. When the world shut down due to COVID-19, we looked for other ways we could still achieve this at home. We switched our PHUSE Office programs to Amazon Web Services, a company committed to using 100% renewable energy, and Microsoft, which has been carbon neutral across the world for 10 years and commits to being carbon negative by 2030.
After two years of online events, our transition back to in person has been an environmentally conscious one. Take a look below at a few of the initiatives that have already taken place in preparation for our events this year…
So far:
- The Connect delegate bags and the 30+ paper flyers they contained have been removed as a sponsorship item
- We have created an App to house all previous paper materials digitally
- We no longer use the large plastic wallets for name badges at events
- We have ensured our venues are also following greener initiatives
- We have a globally spread Board of Directors, so have less face-to-face meetings and increased monthly teleconferences
- We have teamed up with World Land Trust* and through our donations have been able to protect two acres of the world’s most biologically important and threatened habitats
- We have two major Connect events annually to limit transatlantic travel
- We also hold regional Single Day Events around the world to allow people to connect without relying on air travel
We are striving too...
- Become carbon neutral for PHUSE representatives’ event travel
- Utilise technology to cut down on paper use
- Reduce single-use plastic wherever possible
- Reuse in-house venue options for event branding
Did you know...
- Between them, the PHUSE Office staff travelled 68,436 air miles in 2019 for event attendance and site visits
- Starting in 2022, PHUSE is committed to carbon offsetting every flight the PHUSE Board of Directors members and the PHUSE Office staff take to attend a PHUSE Event
- In 2019, PHUSE used over 1,500 kg of paper on our two Connect and CSS brochures
- 2019 was the last year we had printed event brochures – and they will not be returning in 2022