July 7, 2006—The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has been awarded the gold level of the Environmentally Responsible Meetings Award at IMEX 2006 for the USGBC’s Greenbuild 2004 convention.
The IMEX award recognizes organizations that minimize environmental impact through efficient practices, green purchasing, and commitment to conservation in the planning of travel, meetings, and events. The accolade was presented by the International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) and the Green Meeting Industry Council in Frankfurt, Germany.
With the assistance of Meeting Strategies Worldwide, a conference management firm based in Portland, Oregon, USGBC focused on five key areas in their greening strategy for Greenbuild 2004: energy, air quality, water usage, solid waste, and toxic materials.
Some of the practices included:
- Greenbuild 2004 diverted nearly 50% of solid waste (20,040 lbs.) from landfills to recycling facilities;
- Greenbuild reused carpet and signage from the 2003 conference;
- Leftover office supplies donated to Roosevelt High School;
- Local and organic produce used to minimize transportation impacts and to support the local economy;
- Hotels within walking distance selected to reduce unnecessary transportation; and
- Comprehensive recycling and emission offset programs implemented for all conference-related activities.
In addition to the IMEX accolade, Greenbuild was a catalyst for change within the city of Portland, the site of Greenbuild 2004. The Doubletree Hotel, the conference HQ, developed and implemented an Earth Care rooms initiative and also institutionalized a Green Team to explore innovative ways for the hotel to become more environmentally friendly on an ongoing basis. The Embassy Suites is also in the process of formalizing some of the new programs started for Greenbuild 2004, including participation in a food donation program, using more bulk products, and providing in-suite recycling.
