There are increasing ways to travel by electron rather than fossil fuel. Better, faster & more sustainable – green travel options are gathering pace.
How a client begins and ends an event has a considerable impact on their event experience, as well as sustainability, and events invariably begin and end with transfers. For many European destinations, the choice is between starting with security queues & ending with delayed baggage, or else taking a point-to-point train service and gliding across the glorious and changing plains of Europe. Not all decisions revolve around arrival and departure, transport around the destination can be made more enjoyable and far more sustainable with a bit of planning.
Destination and departure points will influence how clients get to an event, and that will have an impact on the sustainability of the event. So, selecting an event destination is key, both for international and domestic transfers. Sometimes there are no alternatives to air travel, and in that case sustainability decision-making must focus on local transfers, as well as activities and accommodation choices. It is worth bearing in mind, that as sustainability moves to a central place in event planning, sustainable suppliers are offering more and better solutions.
SUSTAINABLE EVENT TRAVEL - WHAT TO EXPECT
SUSTAINABILITY CREDENTIALS
Taking the Eurostar means moving the electric way, and as the power grid surges toward exclusively renewable sources, the carbon impact difference between flying and train travel widens. Carbon considerations aren’t limited to the Eurostar journey itself – the rail hubs are located in city centres, so there is little need for a taxi at either end. Trains are a great, sustainable way to travel, but other means of transport are de-carbonising as well. Ferry routes in Scandinavia are being electrified as are coaches which take delegates between venues. And as investment in public transport grows across Europe, the idea of delegates sitting on gridlocked coaches as congress-bound trams whisk by, becomes increasingly unappealing.
SUSTAINABLE PLEASURES
The reality of train travel to an event is often far removed from the experience of the daily commute. Passengers sit, listen, watch, work and dine, but there is also the possibility to have exclusive carriages and entertainment on train services. Food tasting, art classes, magicians, the options are impressive. Moving by electron is not only more sustainable, but also far more pleasurable. City centre to city centre train trips versus the slog of an airport departure and arrival in the suburbs. Perching atop of a clunking diesel engine versus the tranquil hum of an electric ferry in the Norwegian fjords. The decision to move away from air travel, where possible, is becoming ever more obvious.
WHY PLAN A SUSTAINABLE EVENT?
If your company operates an ESG policy, then travel should be one very obvious area of interest. ESG is concerned with quantifying outcomes and there is a great deal of transparency today in our transport choices. Whether short or long-haul, flights are significant contributors to the overall carbon output of an event. With planning, these carbon footprints can be slashed, and these decisions are not just confined to arrival and departure. Cities right across Europe boast some truly outstanding public transport systems. Tram, train, underground or on water, transport systems move people faster than by road. And where a coach is absolutely necessary, electric coaches are coming on-stream in numerous locations.
On many routes in Europe, both cross-border and domestic, rail travel is the faster option. It is often far more pleasurable, reduces redundant time, and is measurably more sustainable for the environment. As good as alternatives to road are, it’s important to remember how bad road travel can be in popular locations. Gridlocked crawls by road from accommodation to nearby event locations are some of the most uninspiring moments of any event. Taking the road option invariably adds to the problem as well. In terms of sustainability, spending on sustainable transport and public networks invests in their operation, ensuring they are maintained for future generations – sustainability in a nutshell.
MORE SUSTAINABILITY CONSIDERATIONS FOR EVENT PLANNERS
Transport has a huge influence on the sustainability of an event, both reaching the destination and moving around it. That said, transport is just one of numerous sustainability considerations. Event planners don’t have to get one right, to make an event sustainable, they need to address multiple aspects of sustainability.
Social, economic and environmental factors all play roles in sustainability. Are women represented in positions of power in the host destination? Are local supply chains such that income generated in the destination stays there and helps fund a sustainable economy? The main aspects of event sustainability are found below.
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