ACC Liverpool has become the first large-scale conference venue in the UK to join isla as it continues its commitment towards sustainability in the events sector.
The waterfront venue has become the latest organisation to become a member of the independent industry body created to support the events sector’s transition to a net-zero future.
isla aims to accelerate sustainable practice in the events, venue and related sectors through expert-led training programmes, dedicated tools centred on reducing and reporting on industry carbon emissions including Proseed and TRACE as well as peer-to-peer knowledge sharing at regular member and sector-specific forums.
isla will work with ACC Liverpool to share best practice and provide guidance and training to support the organisation’s journey towards Carbon Net Zero 2050. Faye Dyer, managing director of The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “We are fortunate to work in an industry which is focused on people meeting to share knowledge, ideas and ultimately to make a difference.
“It is all of our responsibilities to consider how we can use this as a platform and to make the necessary measures needed to implement changes.
“It is with this in mind that we launched our Social Value Impact Plan which focuses on five key areas – community; environment, sustainability and climate action; procurement with purpose; event industry impact and people.
“isla is very much aligned with our own commitments and we are excited to see how the team’s expertise will support our own environmental objectives, enable us to collaborate and above all make positive change in the industry.”
Femke Millership, isla membership manager, added: “We’re delighted to welcome ACC Liverpool into the isla community as a venue member. Venues have a crucial role to play in ensuring that the events industry is future-fit and can meet the demands of an ever-changing sustainability and climate change landscape. We look forward to working with ACC Liverpool to support our mutual aims and meet global net zero goals.”
The ACC Liverpool Group also recently achieved the Green Meetings Silver award provided by Green Tourism. The organisation underwent an assessment process at the end of 2022 that examined all areas of the business involved with delivering conferences and exhibitions.
As well as ACC Liverpool’s commitment to support the delivery of the government’s pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, it aims to maintain zero to landfill status and support the development of super low carbon events.
The multi-purpose event complex is also working towards delivery of the second year of its Social Value Plan. Current commitments include installing LED lights across the campus – which also includes M&S Bank Arena and Exhibition Centre Liverpool – in addition to the team striving to achieve ISO150001. It aims to reduce single-use plastics across the site and implement a food composting system.
ACC Liverpool recently hosted the Travel Counsellors Global Annual Conference and worked closely with the event organisers to make it as sustainable as possible. The venue’s catering partners Sodexo Live! used Vegware and eGreen for smart packaging and tableware. Leftover sandwiches were donated to a local homeless charity, Victory Outreach, who work with struggling and vulnerable communities within the Liverpool City Region. The event’s carbon footprint was measured throughout the conference by ACC Liverpool’s operations team, with Travel Counsellors pledging to offset its output via funding global sustainable projects.
Dyer added: “We’re pleased to have achieved Green Meetings Silver which is a really positive achievement and gives us a clear roadmap to hopefully progress to gold in future years."
“Wherever possible, we encourage and aid sustainable behaviours and practices within the events industry, and can support and assist our clients to build a social value element or objective into their events.”
Click here to discover more about hosting an event at ACC Liverpool.