Université Laval
IN-5: Green Event Certification

Université Laval has created a certification for eco-responsible events to encourage their holding on campus. This certification brings credibility to the approach. Moreover it is simple to apply and free. To this end, the university has developed an Eco-responsible Events Guide (PDF in French only: https://www.ulaval.ca/fileadmin/developpement_durable/documents/GuideEvenementEcoresponsable-UL.pdf). The purpose of the guide is to help event organizers plan and hold events in keeping with sustainable development principles. The guide draws on reference works, websites, news monitoring, and experience acquired over the past several years. The solutions presented were chosen because they are applicable to the Université Laval campus. The minimum conditions to meet for an event to be certified eco-responsible are: - Encourage participants to use a mode of transport other than single-occupant vehicles - Optimize waste sorting with the help of a support team - Use washable dishes for meals and breaks (plates, bowls, glasses, cups, containers, and utensils) - Use the Internet and email for registration, document mailings, and communications between guests and participants - Choose at least six additional measures, taking inspiration from suggestions in the guide There are numerous additional measures proposed in the Guide. Among them, it is recommended to - Minimize and reduce at source the amount of waste generated by the event; - Offer vegetarian or vegan menus; - Use reused, recycled, reusable or recyclable decorations; - Quantify the greenhouse gases emitted during the event - Take advantage of the communications sent to the participants to explain the measures implemented to get the eco-responsible events certification.