ICC Sydney achieves EarthCheck Certification

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is building on its commitment to sustainability by achieving the prestigious Silver Certification by EarthCheck
International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is building on its commitment to sustainability by achieving the prestigious Silver Certification by EarthCheck

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is building on its commitment to sustainability by achieving the prestigious Silver Certification by EarthCheck – the world’s leading environmental certification and benchmarking program for the travel and tourism industry.
 
The Silver Certification recognises ICC Sydney’s commitment to driving positive environmental outcomes though its sustainability initiatives. Benchmarked against the sector, EarthCheck places the venue above best practice for energy consumption, water consumption, emissions and waste.
 
The certification is the latest endorsement of the venue’s sustainability achievements. In June ICC Sydney’s waste reduction program won the UFI Sustainable Development Award 2020. Aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption, the venue’s refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and recover waste methodology resulted in a 58% landfill diversion rate in 2019-20.
 
To target single-use plastics, ICC Sydney also became a signatory to City of Sydney’s Single-Use Pledge and in 2018 the venue joined the ‘Sydney Doesn’t Suck’ campaign. The combined effort has removed 520,000 individually wrapped mints from meeting rooms each year, prevented 88,000 straws from entering landfill annually and coffee cup lids have been replaced by an opt-in system at kiosks, which saw a 93% reduction in coffee cup lid purchases.

ICC Sydney’s CEO, Geoff Donaghy, said the certification recognises the venue’s commitment to operating in a socially and environmentally sound manner.
 
ICC Sydney is proud to have achieved the EarthCheck Silver Certification. As the recognised global benchmark for standards in sustainable travel and tourism, this is an important endorsement of our efforts to drive best performance across energy consumption, water use, GHC emissions and waste.
 
“Sustainability is a key priority for ICC Sydney and embedded across our organisation. We have implemented rigorous KPIs and work hand in hand with our clients, suppliers and wider communities to track the impact of events and ensure these leave a positive legacy.”
 
ICC Sydney’s Corporate Social Responsibility Executive, Katie Boone, said the certification is the culmination of years of proactive investment and property management at ICC Sydney.
 
To reach EarthCheck’s standard, which adheres to the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, we’ve integrated sustainability into every part of the ICC Sydney business. This new milestone is a fantastic acknowledgement of the programs we have in place to give back to our local communities and better preserve the environment.”

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Acknowledgement
of Country

There are more than 476 million Indigenous Peoples, found in all regions of the world, from the Arctic to the tropical forests. They make up more than 6 per cent of our global population.

 

In the spirit of reconciliation, EarthCheck acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout the world and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous Peoples today.

 

EarthCheck acknowledges that Indigenous Peoples are guardians of the forests and biodiversity hotspots we all depend on. Research shows that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples, with secure rights, experience lower deforestation rates, store more carbon, hold more biodiversity, and benefit more people than other lands — including protected areas.

 

We recognise and support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration is a positive document that maps out a path for Indigenous Peoples to be free from discrimination and secure in their identities and life choices.

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EarthCheck Certified: Aligned globally

EarthCheck science and products were developed by the Australian Government Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre (STCRC) over ten years. Our science is reviewed annually to ensure that it meets international standards relative to greenhouse gas protocols, responsible tourism, and certification.

EarthCheck products and services are built on the Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and aligned to the SDGs.

EarthCheck Certified provides a framework for organisations to achieve the desired outcomes for sustainable development as set out in the final report of the World Summit for Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.

EarthCheck Certified complies with the Mohonk Agreement (2000), which outlines the guidelines and principles for an international sustainable tourism certification program. It is also a Recognised program of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

EarthCheck Certified is a verification standard accepted by CDP. It is also an approved program of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA), London & Partners, the Mexican Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR) and the City of Sydney.

EarthCheck Certified is an approved program for meeting the EU Energy Directive for the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle – BAFA) in Germany and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy) in the Netherlands.

EarthCheck partners with international research organisations to maintain the currency of EarthCheck science and our benchmarking systems.

The EarthCheck brand signifies scientific excellence, better environmental, economic, and social performance, improved community interactions, and savings through more efficient use of resources. It provides recognition and promotional support to a global consumer market.