Athens Signs the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge

The City of Athens is joining forces with the global events industry by signing the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge.

The initiative launched by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) is helping to build the momentum required to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Athens signed the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge through the City of Athens Development & Destination Management Agency (ADDMA) and the Greek Meetings Alliance (GMA). The Greek capital and the national coalition of events industry professionals joined more than 600 leading conference and events industry organisations that have signed the pledge since its launch at Cop26. 

By signing the pledge, Athens and GMA committed to support the goal of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and to actively promote and advocate for the adaptation of the industry locally and internationally. These commitments include:

•    to publish a roadmap before the end of 2023 that details strategies to achieve net zero by 2050, with an interim target to reduce global GHG emissions by 50% by 2030.
•    to collaborate with partners, suppliers, and customers to promote change across the value chain.
•    to measure and track Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions according to industry best practices.
•    to report on their progress at least every two years. 

“The City of Athens has been investing in the future of Athens through a comprehensive strategy based on the principles of sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity. We are prioritizing sustainable tourism and event practices that can help to build a strong and revitalized city. Athens aims to reach the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and deliver prosperity for all by 2030. In 2021, Athens joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) as a destination member to further support our effort to orient the local tourism sector toward our sustainability goals,” remarked Alexia Panagiotopoulou, Head of Strategy at ADDMA.

“Becoming part of the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative was the next logical step to accelerate our efforts to address the climate crisis and protect our future. We are looking forward to exchange knowledge with our partner organisations and to build momentum towards our common goal,” said Panagiotopoulou. 

Founded in 2021, the Net Zero Carbon Events published a roadmap toward net zero at the end of 2022 (Full Report and Executive Summary) and “Best Practices for Decarbonisation Pathways” that provides actionable insights and strategies that can be implemented immediately. A complete guidance document is set for release in December 2023 during Cop28.

The Net Zero Carbon Events initiative aims to bring together a wide range of industry stakeholders to communicate strategies for tackling climate change. The project develops methods for measuring the industry’s direct, indirect and supply chain greenhouse gas emissions, establishes an industry-wide roadmap towards net zero by 2050, fosters collaboration between stakeholders, and establishes common mechanisms for reporting progress and sharing best practices.

Net Zero Carbon Events is open to all organisations involved in events and registration is free of charge. For further information, please visit: www.netzerocarbonevents.org