Eureka! Triumph for Carbon Neutral Events

Events, whether large or small, impact the environment; they consume a lot of resources and produce excessive waste. You can make any event carbon neutral by measuring its footprint and offsetting the impact of this through the purchase of carbon offsets.

The Carbon Reduction Institute offers carbon audits for all types of events. The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes has partnered with the Carbon Reduction Institute to deliver a carbon neutral event.

To achieve NoCO2 carbon neutral certification, a carbon audit was conducted which covers all of the emissions sources related to running the event including fuels and electricity used, services and materials consumed, transport and waste. The total impact is offset through the purchase of verified carbon credits. In 2010, 210 carbon credits were purchased to offset the climate change impacts of running of the 2010 Eureka Prizes.

Carbon reduction measures are also integrated in the planning and implementation of the event where possible. By encouraging guests to share taxis, using recycled paper for invitations, sourcing organic, local foods and wines, using reusable cups and plates sanitised in low grade detergents and donating all leftover food to OzHarvest, The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes provided a great example of how easy it is to make small changes to reduce our footprint.

Ponder this: How can we ensure that more events are NoCO2 carbon neutral certified? Should large event venues require hosts to obtain certification for their events?

You can make your next event carbon neutral; just go to the Carbon Reduction Institute’s website to find out how: www.noco2.com.au