The green event approach undertaken by ICLEI entails hosting events in a responsible fashion taking into account environmental, social and economic decisions to minimise the impacts of the large numbers of people. A green event aims to reduce those negative impacts, increase awareness regarding the importance of sustainable development and leave behind a positive greening legacy.

Waste Reduction and Resource Conservation

Green Stick – a data stick will be provided to all delegates containing information on the program details, speaker bio's, sponsor information and pre-conference session summaries & resources. This will eliminate the need to print all of these items. This is in lieu of providing a satchel containing paper resources.

Other minimising approaches utilised by conference team include:

• The marketing approach for the conference has focused on electronic communication to minimise the use of paper.
• Where paper based products are produced to promote the conference, such as the DL flyer and registration brochure, 100% recycled papers are used.
• ICLEI-A/NZ offices use only Recycled paper in printers and fax machines. Standard signature blocks encourage people to consider limiting printing of email messages.
• Conference Committee meetings have created approaches that reduce print outs of spreadsheets and other documents.

Sustainable Transport and Emissions Offsets

• A $20 fee is included in all conference registrations for the specific purpose of offsetting emissions from transport to and from the conference by participants. This amount is based on the estimated aggregate of travel and, for simplicity, divided evenly and applied to each registration (included in price). These offset fees will go toward an approved renewable energy initiative through Climate Friendly. www.climatefriendly.com
  
• To make the most of the face-to-face part of the conference, an Online Collaborative component has been set up to begin the discussions on the topics of the conference sessions. One of the intentions of this endeavour is to have the inevitable emissions resulting from the travel to the conference be as worthwhile as possible. For more information click here
  
• Public Transport options are provided for delegates to minimise the impact of local transportation to the conference.
  
• The conference venue, the Grand Hyatt, was chosen in part due to it's accessibility and proximity to major public transit routes.
  
• The Gala Dinner venue, the National Gallery of Victoria, was chosen in part due to it's proximity to the Grand Hyatt, being walking distance as well as highly accessibly by tram. 

Venue Highlights

• The Grand Hyatt is a participant in the program that is Greening Melbourne Hotels, “Savings in the City”. The program had the Hyatt among 15 Melbourne hotels achieve Waste Wise Certification in 2005.  This process resulted in a 15% reduction in waste going to landfill.  A recycling program is in place and an efficient lighting and appliance conversion is well underway.
  
• The National Gallery of Victoria, Gala Dinner venue - a portion of their power is “Green Power”, has recently installed waterless urinals, and uses recycled water for water features and for watering gardens, 90% of staff commute using public transport.