Supporting the event sector to join the UNFCCC Race to Zero at COP27

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.

Contributing to Race to Zero progress reports

On 21st September, the Pivot Point Report was launched alongside the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience Progress Report. These reports are a product of radical collaboration, with 40+ organisations working on accelerating non-state actor climate action in support of the Paris Agreement, coming together to share findings, insights and perspectives.

Positive Impact has contributed as one of 18 Race to Zero Accelerators and we are referenced on p.33 of the progress report.

The reports present an overview of the current landscape across the voluntary climate leadership initiatives, and emerging standards and regulations, and offer insights on how to dramatically accelerate from voluntary action to the adequate standards, policies and regulations needed to deliver climate action at scale and achieve the mitigation goal of the Paris Agreement - recognising the different circumstances, capacities and needs of different countries. They explore some appropriate enabling environments and outline the wide array of tools available, and highlight key questions to address hereon, providing a thought-piece for dialogue and consideration.

Most importantly, they actively call - indeed urge - non-state actors to:

(a) join the Race to Zero;
(b) dramatically ratchet their policy engagement in line with this report; and
(c) help inform, shape and drive the needed standards, legislation and regulation to get the world back on track to a 1.5C-aligned pathway to achieve a resilient, just net zero world.

Collaborating with Unicef UK to create guidance on the consideration of Human and Child rights and Safeguarding when planning an event

In 2019, Positive Impact Events began a collaboration with The UK Committee for UNICEF (Unicef UK) to produce resources to support an event to be planned with the consideration of Human Rights and Child Rights. This guidance is a consultation draft that will be able to be used as part of an event organiser’s implementation of ISO 20121.

In 2022, the guidance has been now completed and can be used to implement the consideration of human and child rights and safeguarding when planning an event whether it is a conference, sales meeting, festival or sporting event.

You can also download a one-page overview on how to read the guidance.

Sharing progress towards our sustainability goals

In 2019, the United Nations asked for commitments to action to accelerate progress towards the sustainable development goals. This was an opportunity to demonstrate the role of events in accelerating action to achieving the SDGs and not for profit Positive Impact continues to take action on this.

Readers of this sustainability report will gain insight into how engagement* strategies can be used to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and understand how not for profit Positive Impact, an example of a purpose led business, is leading in the transformation of the global event sector and the development of a new narrative which will shape the future of human engagement.

*The term engagement is used to describe meetings, events, exhibitions, festivals, sporting activities. The term engagement is used in the updated 2022 Race to Zero Criteria.

Mobilising critical action on the Sustainable Development Goals

Positive Impact and the UN SDG Action Campaign are joining forces to mobilise millions to take critical action on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Positive Impact’s role as a Global Week to #Act4SDGs mobilising partner provides an opportunity for events to be recognised as amplifying ways to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Event professionals are being encouraged to post, share and pledge their actions and talk about how they flip the script for a more sustainable world.

The #FlipTheScript campaign was launched to show that change is possible when we work together and its key mobilisation moment, the Global Week to #Act4SDGs, takes place 16 to 25 September, during the high-level UN General Assembly debate.

Marina Ponti, Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign, said that the time is now for all stakeholders – organizations and individuals alike – to come together in solidarity.  

“In these challenging times for the world, the power is in our hands to flip the script on climate, justice and peace - which means re-writing the narrative and reclaiming our future. A future with people and planet in focus. The UN SDG Action Campaign and its partners have shown that we are stronger together as we can mobilize millions of people to bring about positive change,” Ms. Ponti stated.  

To #FlipTheScript, the UN SDG Action Campaign calls for a journey of advocacy and action. Taking action means behaviour change at all levels, transforming the way things are done to implement the change. Changing the narrative from events creating waste to events creating opportunities.

Positive Impact CEO, Fiona Pelham, talks about the campaign:

Event professionals can play a part in creating that change in three simple steps.

Start by sharing a #FlipTheScript graphic which illustrates how easy and impactful changing the narrative can be. 

Next, post a picture of your event's positive impact on social media using the hashtags #eventscreatechange #shareapositiveimpact, #FlipTheScript and #Act4SDGs. Positive Impacts can use these posts to capture and reshare your solutions with the global UN SDG Action community.

If you’re unsure whether your example of positive impact fits the bill, check out the other solutions in the Share a Positive Impact library.

Positive Impact also encouraged two global event sector associations to support their communities to share best practice examples.

To stay up to date with how you and your organisation can make a difference, you can pledge to be a Positive Impact ambassador. Ambassadors are supported with materials from collaborations with UN bodies, to lead the transformation of the event sector. In the last 12 months over 1,700 ambassadors have received resources to advance commitments for climate, justice and peace.

Find out more about the UN SDG Action Campaign’s #FlipTheScript campaign.

Outlining 10 essentials for corporate sustainable event strategies

This 1 hour webinar to celebrate World Environment Day delivered fast-paced content which outlined actions and resources for delivering a credible sustainable event strategy including:

• net zero carbon targets

• SDGs

• human and child rights

Date: Tuesday 7th June 2022
Time: 4pm BST

This top 10 was taken from Positive Impact's 24 hour Earth Day #investinourplanet event which included sessions with Unicef UK, The UNFCCC Race to Zero Accelerators, UN Global compact and more.

#onlyoneearth

Supporting events management students and graduates around the world

In response to growing awareness for credible sustainable action, the Event Grads Community and Positive Impact, have launched a pledge which will support events management students and graduates around the world to advance the creation of a sustainable event sector.

Investing in the planet on Earth Day through a sustainable event strategy

This Earth Day, Positive Impact ran a 24 hour global initiative exploring how to invest in the planet and advance corporate sustainability goals through a sustainable event strategy.

This Earth Day event was designed to meet the needs of corporate event planners or corporate heads of sustainability. In this event, they were able to:

• Participate in workshops led by UN bodies, corporate peers and sustainability experts

• Learn how to implement global best practice frameworks (ISO 20121) and make recognised carbon commitments (UNFCCC Race to Zero)

• Gain knowledge on how to deliver a sustainable event strategy which aligns with your corporate sustainability goals

Who attended?

19 Global Corporate Heads of Sustainability or Events registered for Earth Day 2022; these corporates included:

• Deloitte

• Bloomberg

• Amex

• HP

• Bodyshop

• T-Mobile

• Reckitt

• Clarivate

• RSPB

• Interface

• SAP UK

• Pure storage

• Foresight Group LLP

• Shell

What was delivered?

Throughout the Earth Day event; attendees were given the opportunity to attend live panels, networking session and explorations into the future of human connection as well as given access the wider range of pre-recorded workshops and short clips that cover a wider range of sustainability topics which align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Positive Impact delivered the following 5 live panels throughout the Earth Day event to support corporate event planners and heads of sustainability to advance their sustainability goals:

• Investing in a net zero carbon event future: update from Japan - with the Japan Climate Initiative and Cerespo, an event company who is leading in event sustainability in Japan.

• The Future of Events: Investing in a Net Zero Carbon Strategy for Your Event - With Climate Action for Associations, The Race to Zero Accelerator Programme, session facilitated by James Latham founder The Iceburg.

• The Future of Events: How Event Grads are Making a Commitment to Shape the Future of the Event Sector -with Event Grads, session facilitated by Martin Fullard Editorial Director at Mash Media

• The future of events: How you can use event strategy to advance corporate sustainability commitments and the UN SDGs - with UN Global Compact Network UK, Interface and RX.

• The Future of Measurement and Events- with Positive Impact’s Team

Exploring the role of gender equality in creating a net zero carbon future and what this means for your event strategy

To #breakthebias in line with International Women’s Day, corporate event planners were invited to an exclusive salon* on 22nd March 2022, exploring the role of gender equality in supporting their event strategy to advance sustainability commitment and the UN SDGs.

The salon was delivered in collaboration with the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat.

This animated video outlines the importance of UN SDG 5 for sustainable event strategy.

*A salon is a creative, open, honest, confidential conversation. In other words, an excuse to be curious and contribute to the creation of a sustainable event sector.

Breaking the bias on International Women’s Day

The global event sector is a majority female employee sector, yet this year’s International Women’s Day theme of #breakthebias is still one which we have to tackle, as our CEO discoved.

To celebrate International Womens Day 2022 and to empower you to use your voice to #breakthebias in the event sector, Positive Impact created a basic toolkit.

Corporate event planners were also invited to join Positive Impact and the UN Climate Change Secretariat to explore the role of gender equality in creating a net zero carbon future, and what this could mean for their event strategy.

Breaking the bias will advance the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 Gender Equality and if you are inspired to learn and take further action on how events can be used to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, join our global Positive Impact Ambassador community.

Being recognised as UNFCCC Race to Zero Accelerator

Nigel Topping, UN Level Climate Champion for COP26, welcomed Positive Impact as one of 13 recognized accelerator programmes to support action on net zero goals.

Imagining what 2022 could look like for the global event sector

Every year the Positive Impact team look to predict what the year ahead could look like for the global event sector. This audio covers our thoughts on what could happen in 2022.

Making a difference in the world

Read our Participate campaign report to understand the difference that Positive Impact made in 2021.

Enabling conversations to support companies to create a sustainable event strategy

The 2021 Corporate Salon Series provided an opportunity for unanswerable questions to be explored - a vital resource during a period of reinvention for the global event sector.

Positive Impact ran these monthly open and confidential conversations for corporate event and sustainability to:

• Explore different areas of sustainability for your corporate event strategy, each aligned with UN approaches.

• Understand the current gaps for events to advance corporate sustainability commitments.

• Demonstrate leadership by collaborating with Positive Impact to take action on your corporate event strategy.

Communicating our engagement with UN Global Compact key principles

In December 2021, Positive Impact completed our first Communication on Engagement for the UN Global Compact to outline our actions to advance the UN Global Compact key principles: Human rights, Labour, Environment and anti-corruption.

Please see the report presented on the UN Global Compact website to understand Positive Impact’s actions in 2021 to advance the key principles of UN Global Compact and engage the even sector on the UN SDGs:

Supporting the event sector to join the UNFCCC Race to Zero at COP26

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.

Exploring how visit Britain could make a net zero commitment and join the UNFCCC Race to Zero

On 9th November 2021, Positive Impact and VisitBritain held a webinar to explore the strategic importance of events, what the UN Race to Zero is and practical steps on how to make a net zero commitment via Positive Impact’s UN campaign ‘Road to COP26: Event Sector Transformation’.

If you are an event sector SME and would like to make a net zero commitment, you can sign up to the Race to Zero below:

You can watch the webinar here:

Road to COP26: Event Sector Transformation toolkit

Positive Impact also encouraged SMEs who made a net zero commitment via Positive Impact’s campaign to use a toolkit to communicate their commitment on social media.

Anyone who was not an SME was asked to use the toolkit to encourage their supply chain to make a net zero commitment via Positive Impact’s campaign.

Engaging with UN Global Compact on the role of events in achieving net zero commitments

In collaboration with:

On 20th October, Positive Impact and UN Global Compact Network UK carried out a corporate only roundtable to explore the role of events in achieving net zero commitments.

• For Corporate heads of sustainability, this was an opportunity to explore a new angle for achieving the wider companies net zero commitments and an innovative approach for addressing scope 3 emissions.

• For Corporate event planners, this was an opportunity to explore ways to reach net zero carbon events and support how your business connects in a low carbon way with employees, suppliers, and customers.

You can watch the recording from the event here:

Anyone who was part of a corporate event or sustainability team was invited to join future corporate roundtables with Positive Impact in 2021, exploring how they could use their event strategy to advance their sustainability commitments and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The roundtables explored the topic of net zero events and many more.

Invitees were also provided with a toolkit for communicating with their supply chain through Positive Impact’s ‘Road to COP26: Event Sector Transformation’ initiative, which was set up to support the event supply chain to make a net zero commitment with the Race to Zero.

Leading a virtual event for the Embassy in Hungary to support the Hungarian event sector

On the 8th October 2021, Positive Impact hosted a virtual event with the British Embassy in Hungary to support the Hungarian event sector to follow the leadership of the UK government and start making and understanding net zero carbon commitments.

In this webinar, we explored the potential future for the event sector if action is taken before COP26 by:

• Making a net zero commitment aligned with the UN Race to Zero

• Understanding and implementing ISO 20121, the only global standard for sustainable events

• Using the guidelines for planning an event with the consideration of human and child rights, which was created by Positive Impact and Unicef UK.

Positive Impact also provided resources to help the Hungarian event sector start taking action and transform to be sustainable.

This virtual event has provided a blueprint for all UKTIs to support their event sector and demonstrate the UK government’s leadership.

Exploring the role of human and child rights in event planning and strategy

Positive Impact and corporate event planners explored the role of human and child rights in event planning and strategy to advance SDG 16: peace, justice and strong institutions.

Aligned with the 2021 theme of the UN International Day of Peace, a select community of global corporate event planners joined an experiment to explore the role of human interaction in progressing SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

On Tuesday 21st September (International Day of Peace), over 24 hours, they took part in facilitated networking, experiments, roundtables with UN bodies and engaged with over 20 hours of content. This included reports on previous human interaction experiments.

There was a £150 (approx $210 or €170) overhead per person that we could not avoid. Therefore in addition to the requirement to be a corporate event planner to attend this event there was a minimal administration fee.

What was included?

A roundtable with a Unicef UK to explore the role of human and child rights in event planning and strategy, and three experiments to explore how events can enable inclusion and participation through consideration of human and child rights.

These experiments were:

• An experiment into the accessibility challenges and how event planners might address them.

• An Academic experiment into inclusion and participation using the hat theory.

• An experiment exploring stakeholder engagement for planning an event with the consideration of human and child rights.

Explore was an impactful event series. Don’t take our word for it, hear from previous attendees:

“At Explore, I learnt new and innovative ways of transforming myself and my organisation to connect, alongside providing input into these explorations too. I think being innovative and explorative is important to keep up with the digital pace of the event industry that is highly affected by the Covid 19 situation”

— Elena Staszak, Partner Communication & Event Lead, Microsoft

FAQ

The following FAQ was included on the event registration page:

What is the agenda? 

The agenda will continue to be updated until the day before the event and will be found in the LinkedIn private group that will be launched before 21st September. You can understand more about the content of the day above. To understand what the Explore #5 agenda will be like, view the Explore #2 agenda. The Explore #5 agenda structure will be similar to this.

Why am I paying £150? 

Positive Impact is a not for profit, this means every penny spent with us is used to make a difference. Following each Explore, a report is created and shared with the wider industry. To understand the exact breakdown of how your registration fee will be spent, watch Bec’s experiment in transparency from Explore #1. 

Will this help me progress my career? 

Yes. Both the content created and how this content is delivered is done with the intention of empowering and enabling you to have a strategic conversation with your CEO so you can demonstrate the value of your role in terms they will understand.