About Us
As of February 2024, Positive Impact has a community of almost 2,000 global event professionals, over 40 corporate Head of Events, over 40 Corporate Head of Sustainability, over 160 SMEs with a Race to Zero commitment, over 5 memorandums of understanding with United Nations bodies.
We are the only event sector body to be a Race to Zero Accelerator, UN SDG Action mobiliser and to have education certified by the world’s largest and leading CPD accreditation working across all sectors, so our education is accessed by heads of marketing, HR and sustainability.
For over 15 years not for profit Positive Impact have been providing engagement, collaboration and education to create a sustainable event industry. You could describe Positive Impact as the ‘critical friend’ of the global event sector.
Our funding comes from everywhere and nowhere, and every penny, cent or yen is used to advance the event sector so every time an event happens the UN Sustainable Development Goals are advanced and events are recognised as ensuring 'participation and inclusion in decision making’ (UN SDG16).
This is a timeline of Positive Impact's journey and the creation of a sustainable event industry. It reflects initiatives from:
The United Nations
Positive Impact
CEO Fiona Pelham
Key developments in the creation of a sustainable event industry.
Launching The Pavilion for People
At COP28, Pavilions are places for a small percentage of the world’s population to gather and share ideas, solutions and commitments. Positive Impact created this initiative which exists so that everyone’s voices and actions are recognised in the progress towards reaching the Paris Agreement.
At COP28, Pavilions are places for a small percentage of the world’s population to gather and share ideas, solutions and commitments. Positive Impact created this initiative which exists so that everyone’s voices and actions are recognised in the progress towards reaching the Paris Agreement.
In 2023 we created a proposal to invite organisations to be one of our innovation partners. We spoke to many of the people responsible for Pavilions at COP this year and they loved the idea. They also just wanted to keep doing what they have always done.
Undeterred by a lack of funding and limited buy-in, Positive Impact created The Pavilion for People to show new possibilities for what it looks like to have real engagement from people all around the world, for events like COP and beyond.
This first year is an experiment, so we are focusing on The Pavilion for People being useful for anyone who uses events to communicate their message or engage with their communities. But then again, that is probably most of us. And definitely everyone participating with COP28!
If you would like to be kept up to date when the Pavilion re-opens and learn how to take part, you can register for updates.
Supporting the event sector to join the UNFCCC Race to Zero at COP27
Discover how Positive Impact have supported the sector to have a net zero carbon commitment and join The Race to Zero.
Since 2018, in collaboration with UNFCCC Secretariat (the UN body responsible for climate change) Positive Impact have encouraged the event sector to take action and show leadership regarding their carbon emissions. Discover how we have supported the sector to have a net zero carbon commitment and join The Race to Zero.
Supporting the event sector to join the UNFCCC Race to Zero at COP26
Discover how Positive Impact have supported the sector to have a net zero carbon commitment and join The Race to Zero.
Since 2018, in collaboration with UNFCCC Secretariat (the UN body responsible for climate change) Positive Impact have encouraged the event sector to take action and show leadership regarding their carbon emissions. Discover how we have supported the sector to have a net zero carbon commitment and join The Race to Zero.
This article published in 2024 (three years after COP26) repeats the concerns raised in 2021 by Positive Impact.
Facilitating a roundtable on how the event sector could #buildbackbetter before COP26
Positive Impact facilitated a #buildbackbetter roundtable with COP26 leaders, UK Government and the UNFCCC on how a climate action framework with quantitative carbon reduction targets and a measurable reduction path could be created before COP26.
Positive Impact facilitated a #buildbackbetter roundtable with COP26 leaders, UK Government and the UNFCCC on how a climate action framework with quantitative carbon reduction targets and a measurable reduction path could be created before COP26.
Exploring what COP26 could mean for the event sector with UNFCCC
Positive Impact joined UNFCCC for a session at IBTM Virtual exploring how the event sector could utilise the COP26 opportunity to #buildbackbetter. This session was shared widely for maximum impact including with the Japanese event sector.
Positive Impact joined UNFCCC for a session at IBTM Virtual exploring how the event sector could utilise the COP26 opportunity to #buildbackbetter. This session was shared widely for maximum impact including with the Japanese event sector.
