zkipster and event sustainability

The carbon emissions we have accounted for with The Change Climate Project to date (1,065 tCO₂e) are equivalent to:
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• Carbon sequestered by 1,068 acres of U.S. forests in one year
• Greenhouse gas emissions avoided by 90,352 trash bags of waste being recycled instead of sent to landfill
• Greenhouse gas emissions from 248 passenger vehicles driven for one year

Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

There are six main GHGs (greenhouse gases), so it’s helpful to count them with a single unit: tCO₂e. tCO₂e stands for tonnes (t: metric ton, or 2,200 lbs) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent (e). “Carbon dioxide equivalent” is a standard unit for counting greenhouse gas emissions regardless of whether they’re from carbon dioxide or another GHG, such as methane.

The Change Climate Project is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that leads a global movement of individuals and companies to eliminate carbon emissions. One of its programs is The Climate Label, the leading independent climate action label that empowers consumers to find brands that are funding the climate transition.

The Climate Label is a trusted mark of corporate climate leadership. Companies that earn The Climate Label have been evaluated as meeting high standards for climate performance, transparency and accountability by reporting emissions, setting reduction plans and funding projects that cut emissions and mitigate carbon.

In the Paris Agreement of 2015, nations pledged to limit the global rise in temperature to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C. Reaching net zero - reducing GHG gas emissions as close to zero as possible and balancing remaining emissions with removals - by 2050 would make it possible to limit warming to 1.5°C, but the world is not on course to meet this target.
While the global outlook is sobering, we believe every action counts. Every organization and individual can make conscious decisions and play their part in contributing to a more sustainable - and liveable - future for us all.

A carbon credit is a standardized unit representing one tonne of reduced, avoided or removed greenhouse gas emissions. One credit equals one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). Carbon credits are generated through a variety of projects and technologies, ranging from reforestation initiatives that sequester CO₂ to solar micro-grids that replace fossil fuel with clean energy sources.

Carbon credits do not cancel out or erase emissions, but they help companies to be financially accountable for residual emissions: that is, the emissions that remain after a company has done all it can to reduce its carbon footprint. High integrity carbon credits also mitigate climate change by facilitating immediate investment in projects that help the global net-zero transition and support sustainable development.

The following parameters are widely used to evaluate a carbon credit’s emission reduction performance: permanence, additionality, verifiability, enforceability and realness. The Change Climate Project only accepts carbon credits that satisfy these factors and are verified under the scientifically rigorous methodologies from one of the following trusted third party programs:

• American Carbon Registry
• Climate Action Reserve
• European Biochar Certificate
• Gold Standard
• Verified Carbon Standard

Sustainable event management entails planning and delivering events that minimize negative environmental, social and economic impacts; ideally generating positive impacts in these areas instead. To run more sustainable events, event planners should take a long-term, holistic approach and aim to reduce waste, conserve resources, and integrate more eco-friendly practices. There are also ethical considerations: events should promote social responsibility and engage with and support the local community to leave a positive legacy.

Sustainable events incorporate climate-positive measures such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, and sustainably and locally sourced materials. Sustainable event management encourages responsible consumption and sustainable travel for attendees, minimizing carbon emissions and reusing, recycling and repurposing wherever possible.
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At zkipster we help our clients tackle event sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of their events by providing best-in-class, cloud-based, paperless event planning software that maximizes efficiency and minimizes waste.