859 wheelie bins of waste, 5,355 cars of CO2 and 1,363 households of energy saved
After more than a decade of sustainable practice, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has achieved coveted Gold Certification from EarthCheck, the world’s leading sustainable benchmarking organisation.
Since joining the EarthCheck Certified program in 2007, MCEC has minimised energy consumption by 31.8%, and in total saved enough to power 1,363 typical Australian 4 person households. Greenhouse Gas Emissions were reduced by 36.7% for the same period, saving 15,958t of CO2 which is equivalent to taking 5,355 cars off the road each year. Waste sent to landfill has been reduced by approximately 103,000 litres or 859 wheelie bins.
Mr. Stewart Moore, EarthCheck Founder and CEO said MCEC’S achievement was impressive for the variety of sustainability practices the venue routinely incorporated in running large-scale events.
“MCEC goes well beyond the ‘tick-box’ approach, implementing unique and innovative sustainability measures which benefit both the environment and local community, and we know this helps them win major events for whom sustainability is a key performance indicator,” he said.
MCEC is the first public building in Australia to have a privately-funded grey water treatment plant, treating rainwater for re-use in the building.
Solar panels provide 100% of public amenity hot water requirements, and multiple streams for waste management including full composting facilities of food waste, a closed-loop recycling system on site that clients can use free of charge, renewable energy purchasing options for clients and support of Victorian charities.
During its ten years enrolled in the EarthCheck Certified program, MCEC has gained a reputation as one of Victoria’s most sustainable meetings venues, regularly working with organisers to achieve maximum sustainable, recycling and localised sourcing even for multi-million dollar exhibitions with thousands of delegates.
A recent example was the 2014 Engineers Australia Convention, a $4.35 million event with more than 2000 delegates, which placed event sustainability as one of the highest pre-requisites in its search for the right venue.
MCEC worked with the event organisers to minimise negative environmental, social and economic impacts, and exceeded all sustainability KPIs set, achieving 100 per cent electronic, recyclable or reusable signage, 93 per cent Victorian-supplied food, and 89 per cent of waste diverted from landfill. Four local charity organisations benefited from the event, and a mobile app developed for the event reduced paper use and the need for custom-made satchels.
“The innovation and dedication shown by MCEC positions it as an Australian, and indeed world-leader in sustainable meetings and events,” Mr. Moore said.
“We believe what’s good for the planet can also be good for business, and we are thrilled to release such positive data-based evidence of resource savings for MCEC,” he said.
Leighton Wood, MCEC’s Chief Operating Officer, thanked the EarthCheck team for their ongoing support and said the venue was delighted to have achieved Gold Certification, an achievement made possible through collaboration with its Public Private Partnership (PPP) partners Plenary Group, BrookfieldGIS and IKON, and the contribution by motivated employees.
“The EarthCheck Certified program has buoyed up our commitment to environmental sustainability and positive community contributions, and seen MCEC become the venue of choice for some of the largest conventions and exhibitions in Australia,” Mr Woodsaid.
“What we’re achieving at MCEC is a lot more than just providing a ‘green option’ for our valued customers—the events industry must do its part to reduce its impact on the planet, and we are proud to be recognised as leaders in this area,” he said.
EarthCheck Certified is the world’s most rigorous and scientifically accurate program to help the tourism industry benchmark environmental, social, energy, legal and community performance and the design aspects of hotel buildings and their operations against peers in their sector, region and climate zone. Specific global benchmarking standards include sustainable development policy, water and energy utilisation, waste management, paper usage, chemical usage, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
EarthCheck certification complies with the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 14064 range of standards for greenhouse gas accounting.EarthCheck Certification, has helped clients in 70 countries realise over $500 million in operational savings while reducing their footprint on the environment.
About MCEC
The internationally renowned Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) brings people together to deliver world-class events and create memorable visitor experiences.
Leading technology capabilities, award-winning food made in-house and exceptional customer service are just the beginning at MCEC.
Hosting over 1000 events each year, MCEC spans more than 66,300 square metres including exhibition bays stretching almost half a kilometre, 52 meeting rooms and the venue’s centrepiece, Plenary.
Located on the banks of the iconic Yarra River in South Wharf, MCEC is surrounded by some of Melbourne’s best bars, restaurants and shopping precincts, and only a short walk to the city centre.
For more information on MCEC’s Green Approach visit www.mcec.com.au/plan-an-event/why-choose-mcec/
