World Climate Conference sets logistical standards
The Bonn World Climate Conference is to set standards in terms of environmental friendliness. All environmental impacts of the event have been analyzed and negative consequences reduced as far as possible. The basis for this is the internationally recognized EMAS auditing system, which places particularly high demands on the environmental compatibility of services.
The World Climate Conference in Bonn is in itself a major event, gathering around 25,000 people from different countries and cultures under its roof. In addition to urgent environmental policy issues on the environmental protection agenda, the conference participants and employees themselves were also called upon to use resources in a targeted manner.
As the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB for short) announced at the opening of COP 23, the 23rd World Climate Conference, not only the highest federal authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany, but all conference participants will receive predominantly vegetarian catering with a high organic and regional content.
In general, all areas such as mobility, energy and water consumption, recycling, paper consumption, waste generation, as well as accommodation in tent structures will be coordinated. The CO2 emissions that cannot be avoided - for example due to the travel of delegates to and from the event - are to be offset afterwards.
The challenges of all COP contractors and suppliers in detail:
Sustainable procurement
Wherever possible, recycled material or recyclable or reusable material is used. This goal extends to the temporary structures as well as to conference materials from name badges to drinking bottles. The more than 95 suppliers and service providers have been asked to agree to a sustainability code for COP 23 based on a UN code already in use.
In addition, there are sustainability guidelines for exhibitors, pavilion organizers and pavilion stand builders that were developed especially for the COP. Environmental friendliness was also taken into account when equipping the 650 volunteers.
Avoiding waste as far as possible
Nearly 50 free drinking water fountains are available throughout the site. Each conference attendee gets his or her own drinking bottle. This alone saves over half a million plastic cups. The conference also relies largely on electronic documents, thus avoiding the need to print conference documents. The conference also aims to reduce waste when it comes to catering. This includes the use of reusable tableware.
Carpeting and tiles from the tents in the Bonn Zone are reprocessed for the manufacture of clothing, shoes, car floor mats or even felt products, unless reuse is possible.
Climate-friendly catering
The catering for the World Climate Conference is predominantly vegetarian. At least 50 percent of the food on offer is certified organic. Meat and fish are exclusively certified organic. At least 20 percent of the food will be locally sourced. Certain catering products will also be 100 percent fair trade, for example coffee, tea and chocolate.
Climate-friendly mobility
Free electric shuttles will be available to conference participants between the two conference venues in the Bonn and Bula zones. The use of public transport in the Bonn area is free of charge for all delegates and accredited observer organizations as well as journalists during COP 23. The bus fleet includes around 15 alternatively powered buses.
A shuttle in the Rheinaue with smaller electric and fuel cell buses is available to participants between the Bonn and Bula zones. In addition, 600 free-use bicycles can be used for commuting between the zones, traveling to the hotel or even into the city.
Energy supply and energy efficiency
All indoor spaces are to be kept at an average temperature of 21 degrees Celsius and no warmer. Participants and volunteers will be involved and asked to behave in an energy-saving manner. This includes room lighting and the use of information and communication technology - ICT devices, which are to be switched off when not in use.
In addition to maximizing energy efficiency, the COP organizers ensure that the energy used in buildings comes from renewable sources wherever possible. Electricity for the Stadtwerke Bonn electric shuttles is generated using 100 percent renewable energy. For the conference supply, the target is at least 80 percent renewable energy.
Compensation
Unavoidable greenhouse gases, which are mainly produced by travel to and from the event, are offset using high-quality CO2 emission reduction certificates from international climate protection projects. The Federal Environment Agency will be issuing a call for proposals for this purpose today. It is looking for ambitious projects that not only reduce emissions but also have a high sustainability effect in the project country.
As a sign of the partnership with Fiji for the COP, there will be a regional focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) for the purchase of certificates. The German government will then purchase certificates from these projects to the extent that the Bonn conference has generated climate gases.
EMAS certification
The individual environmental aspects of the World Climate Conference are audited by an independent verifier during COP 23. The EMAS certificate was handed over to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the UNFCCC at the end of the conference on November 17, 2017, after the on-site assessment was successfully completed. However, this is followed by an analysis of all the environmental data collected, which will enable a defined target comparison.
Tendering of emission reduction certificates: The tender for the purchase of emission reduction certificates is published on the UBA website with the project number 96539 (formally, this means that the documents have been published for the EU-wide process since November 6, 2017).
