More than ever, the EMD 2023 aims to be as sustainable and carbon neutral as possible.
We count on the participants and exhibitors to help make this happen. The #EMD2023 will be as paperless and as plastic free as possible.
Only sustainable certified catering options will be envisaged by the European Commission and the French partners. Event organisers will apply the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle principle with furniture and promotional material, and commit to offseting the environmental impact of the event.
By applying, workshops' organisers and exhibitors commit to minimising the environmental impact of their session and/or stand, as well as to respecting the paperless and plastic-free guidance received from the event organiser.
Every little step counts, you can be part of it with small actions such as :
- Bringing your own reusable water bottle, water fountains will be available in the venue
- Carsharing your travel to/from the venue by using the car sharing platform in the region of Brest here
EMD - Green conference !
The European Commission apply greener guidelines at the EMD already since a number of years. However, in 2018, a set of guidelines for the organisation of sustainable meetings and events was formally adopted. This was an important step towards the organisation of events at a reduced environmental impact.
The European Commission applies measures to ensure that the events it organises or co-organises are as green and sustainable as possible. We continue on the green path in order to both follow the guidelines in the Green Deal (https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en) and at the same time encourage citizens to learn more on the environmental challenges surrounding us and to take as many environmentally friendly initiatives as you can in your daily life.
The main target is to have plastic-free, and as much as possible, paperless events and minimise/eliminate the single use goods.
Venues
Venues should be accessible for persons with disabilities and well connected to public transport: travel time with public transport to (international) airport/train station: max. 45min.
Preference should be given to venues with environmental certification (e.g. Green Key, EU Ecolabel, Nordic Ecolabel).
Signposting
- For generic content: use re-usable banners, pop ups and umbrella stands (re-usable frames) is obligatory
- For non-generic content: use medium size paper/carton posters and panels is obligatory unless technically unfeasible and after validation by DG Mare
Catering and coffee breaks
- The organisers are required to provide quality food and beverages, as well as any staff, material or services needed. Single-use items (plastic bottles, plastic cutlery, plastic or paper plates, plastic cups, tetrapack bottles etc.) are not permitted.
- Any catering offer should include an explanation of what actions the organisers will take to avoid food waste. For any unavoidable leftover foods or material the organisers will be required to come up with solutions for disposing them in a sustainable way: for example donating to charity if possible or distributing doggy bags for the participants.
- Unless explicitly requested otherwise, the organisers should offer plant-based, gluten and lactose free options as part of any menu. Red meat (especially beef and pork) and cheese platters are forbidden. Preference should be given to local, seasonal and organic food with emphasis/priority to vegetarian, white meat and fish food. No soft drinks or alcohol, just water and natural juices, tea and coffee (all organic or fair trade.
- Water should be served from drinking water fountains, and in real glasses. Other beverages should be fair trade and/or organic, unless explicitly agreed otherwise between Organisers and EUI.
Exhibitions
- To the extent possible, exhibition elements should be sustainable, made by recycled or recyclable materials, using environmentally friendly processes. Cardboard, cork, wood would be good materials to use.
- Promote e-publications via apps, QR codes and web site. Paper publications are not allowed.
Travel and Accommodation, local transportation
- A detailed guide of public transport to reach the event must be available to all participants.
The City of Brest is using a number of buses running on biofuel at this occasion, notably on biogaz (GAZ) and electricity (ELEC) according to the time schedule that you see here.
Identification/registration materials for the participants
- Generic Lanyards recycled materials with metallic hook. To favorise reuse after the event.
Information material/ways
- Avoidance as much as possible of printing information material etc (all the information should be online).
- Programmes should be online and via a mobile APP.
Litter
- It is important to have separate bins for the collection of separate waste streams according to the local legislation.
Read more:
- 7 steps for greener events | European Commission (europa.eu)
- EMAS – Environment - European Commission (europa.eu)
Carbon offsetting : CO2 emissions offsetting
The European Commission aims to reduce the CO2 footprint for the European Maritime Day and to encourage participants to offset their climate impact via green projects delivering value for the environment.
We encourage you to also offset your own emissions via available platforms such as https://co2.myclimate.org/en/event_calculators/new, or as approved by the UN: https://offset.climateneutralnow.org/aboutoffsetting.
Transport
Car sharing
Do you want to chose carsharing your travel to/from the venue?
- Check out the car sharing platform in the region of Brest (ouestgo.fr) here, or
- https://www.blablacar.fr/
Carbon offset by the organisers
As part of the EMD, the organisers (the European Commission, Brest metropolis and the Brittany Region, supported by the Secretariat of State for the Sea and the Department of Finistère) wish to offset the carbon emitted during the conference.
This is why an amount of EUR 3,000 has been made available in order to be able to aim for a replanting of the trees in a recently deforested area (dead spruce, slaughtered last autumn) in a valley that hosts the National Botanical Conservatory of Brest.
The CBN of Brest is the first botanical conservatory created in France and the only one to conduct, beyond its territory of local competence (Régions Bretagne, Pays de la Loire and Normandy) distant international cooperation, especially in island territories with high endemicity. It is home to the world’s largest collection of plants threatened or extinct in nature.
The botanical garden assigned to its activities by Brest metropolis presents some of these plants.
It is in this environment that it is proposed to carry out the replanting. They will be made up of species that can support foreseeable climate changes on Brest. These species are not determined at the moment but will be chosen as elements of diversification of the garden. They can also be enhanced pedagogically by taking advantage of the educational and awareness-raising mission of the Botanical Garden.
Their lifespan will be guaranteed over the long term, in the spirit of a botanical garden, sanctuarised and anxious to let express its plant collections as long as its own existence allows.
Dans le cadre de la EMD, les organisateurs (la Commission Européenne, Brest métropole et la Région Bretagne, soutenus par le Secrétariat d’Etat à la mer et le département du Finistère) souhaitent procéder à une compensation du carbone émis durant la conférence
Voilà pourquoi un montant de 3 000 € a été mis en disposition afin de pouvoir viser une replantation des arbres dans un espace récemment déboisé (épicéas morts, abattus durant l’automne dernier) dans un vallon qui accueille le Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest.
Le CBN de Brest est le premier conservatoire botanique créé en France et le seul à conduire, au-delà de son territoire de compétence local (Régions Bretagne, Pays de la Loire et Normandie) des coopérations internationales lointaines, en particulier dans les territoires insulaires à forte endémicité. Il abrite notamment la plus importante collection mondiale de plantes menacées ou disparues en nature.
Le jardin botanique affecté à ses activités par Brest métropole présente une partie de ces plantes.
C’est dans cet environnement qu’il est proposé d’effectuer les replantations. Elles seront constituées d’espèces pouvant supporter les évolutions climatiques prévisibles sur Brest. Ces espèces ne sont pas déterminées pour le moment mais seront choisies comme éléments de diversification du jardin. Elles pourront également être valorisées pédagogiquement en profitant de la mission d’éducation et de sensibilisation qui incombe au Jardin botanique.
Leur durée de vie sera garantie sur le long terme, dans l’esprit d’un jardin botanique, sanctuarisé et soucieux de laisser s’exprimer ses collections végétales aussi longtemps que sa propre existence le permettra.
