Sustainability at WSSFN 2024
Going Green Together
WSSFN is committed to integrating sustainable meeting practices and initiatives that go beyond slogans and result in useful achievements.
We firmly believe that we all have a part to play in preserving our future for generations to come, both locally and across the globe.
Therefore, we are organising our 2024 World Congress with sustainability in mind – for our planet and environment, as well as for everyone involved with the event: from the organizing team and committees, through our partner chain, all the way to the delegates we welcome.
The WSSFN 2024 host city of Chicago and the Swissotel where our Congress will take place are also aligned with our vision of improving our environment and society’s impact.
The WSSFN 2024 World Congress and the Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, also known as the Global Goals) are 17 goals with 169 targets that all UN Member States have agreed to work towards achieving by the year 2030. They set out a vision for a world free from poverty, hunger and disease.
We at WSSFN want to do our part to promote the achievement of these goals in our value chain. The SDGs that we support and work towards are:
Contributions you can make as a WSSFN 2024 Delegate:
As individuals, as well as a community, each of us can and should contribute towards maintaining the natural ecological balance in the environment and preserving the planet and its natural systems and resources. Here is what we invite you to do as part of the WSSFN 2024 Congress:
- Use the mobile app to inquire about the program details, venue information, sponsorship and exhibition, attendees and speakers profiles, plus more.
- Use more sustainable ways of travelling to and around Chicago.
- Sort your waste in appropriate bins at venues, hotels, and around the city.
- Keep waste items with you if there are no visible garbage or recycling bins at an event or during your tourism outings.
- Opt for reusable mugs and bottles and refuse single-use plastic.
- Do not print booking confirmations and boarding passes; instead, provide digital copies of these documents.
- Provide an alternative to business cards – QR codes to LinkedIn or e-card.
- Opt for a vegetarian meal option when available and possible.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages:
- Option for meatless/vegetarian meetings. Or option for 1 or 2 no-meat lunches. We can offer vegetarian, vegan, fish, and gluten-free options.
- Signs at the venue to avoid waste.
- Change of practice –have more healthy breaks -to choose healthy options for coffee breaks (fewer cookies and more fruits for example).
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Tips and recommendations on how to implement sustainability in your daily life and well-being.
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ALVEOLE HONEY BEE PARTNERSHIP – During the warmer months, guests can discover the world of urban beekeeping and once the honey is produced and collected on the property, their culinary team incorporates it into their food & beverage menus.
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all:
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Special Workshops to learn, meet & interact with seasoned professionals.
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Practical, hands-on experience for early-career professionals.
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WSSFN Travel Grants: The Travel Grant programme aims to support talented early-career researchers and young investigators from diverse geographical areas who wish to participate in the WSSFN Congress, by aiding with registration fees, transportation & accommodation.
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Presentations of basic and clinical research findings, encouraging audience participation and collaboration.
- High-quality scientific program, ensuring long-term education for everyone in the field.
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls:
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Aim for and monitor gender equality and equal access among our delegates, presenters, and committee members.
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Make our meeting a welcoming, inclusive space for people of all ages, genders, and abilities.
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Maintain an environment that is free from discrimination and where attendees are treated fairly and with respect, making sure that everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and perspectives.
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Do the utmost to increase and invite more diverse speakers, performers, and attendees and create a more inclusive environment.
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Make sure the event is accessible and this includes a fully accessible venue and exhibition with ramps, providing accommodations for people with disabilities (Swissotel is equipped with various features to ensure comfort, safety and ease of access for all clients and guests. Wheelchair ramps and wheelchair-accessible elevators can be found throughout the hotel)
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all:
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Energy Consumption – Approximately 80% of lighting is from energy-efficient products such as LEDs. Guestroom thermostats are connected to an energy management system (Inncom) that reduces usage. Meeting space HVAC systems are connected to a building management system that provides energy waste reductions and improved efficiency.
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Carbon Emission – In December 2019, Accor joined the Science-based Targets initiative (SBTi) and committed to set carbon reduction targets in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2021 Accor’s targets were validated and published by the SBTi Accor is committed to reducing absolute emissions 46% by 2030 compared to the 2019 baseline Accor is the first international hotel group to make a long-term commitment to reach netzero carbon emissions by 2050. The Group is thus aligning itself with the most ambitious objective of the Paris Agreement, namely to limit global warming to 1.5ºC Ability to use a Net Zero Carbon Hospitality Tool Calculator for programs/events on property. The use of Swissôtel’s Food Digester (Freddy) helps to combat carbon emissions.
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development:
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Water consumption – One of the first hotels in Chicago to install low-flow toilets in every guest room; 1.6GPF toilets (50% reduction vs. standard 3.5GPF toilets). Public Area Sinks; low flow aerators (0.5GPM), providing 60% reduction vs. standard sink GPMs
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Waste generation – Culinary team utilizes an Eco-Digesting machine that breaks down food waste and returns tens of thousands of gallons of water to the ecosystem per year. The digester also reduces the need for trash bags, preserving valuable landfill space
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Linen Reuse Program – Swissôtel’s laundry reduction program, “Earth Day Every Day”, allows guests to opt out of daily service. The banquet team utilizes linen-less tables for events, further promoting laundry reduction
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Single-Use Plastic – The Swissôtel has eliminated all single-use plastic in both guest rooms and meeting spaces. Accor joined the UN Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and is committed to removing all single-use plastic items in the guest experience by the end of 2023.
Carbon Emissions Offsetting Program
As a participant caring for sustainability and climate change, we are offering you the option to offset your air travel carbon emissions by calculating them and donating the compensation sum. Learn more about how to participate and what causes will your donation support below.
LEARN MORE ABOUT:
SUSTAINABILITY IN CHICAGO AT: www.chicago.gov
SUSTAINABILITY AT SWISSOTEL: www.swissotel.com