Sustainability at the Meeting

Sustainability Initiatives – Environmental Quality at SETAC Events

SETAC’s mission is to support and facilitate the development of principles and practices for the protection, enhancement and management of sustainable environmental quality and ecosystem integrity.

As an organiser of large-scale events, we believe that sustainability should be at the heart of our actions and that SETAC can play a role in contributing to more sustainable practices and initiatives within the meeting industry. While our influence may have its limits, we believe that every step is important. 

Sustainable events balance environmental, social, and economic responsibilities. Our objective is to organise events that minimise potential impact on the environment while maximising positive contributions to society.

Austria Green Meeting logo english text

This year, we are proud to work towards achieving the Austrian Ecolabel for Green Meetings and Green Events. This recognition reflects our commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of our event. From eco-friendly practices at the venue to thoughtful resource management, sustainable travel options and more, we are striving to meet the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility.

When considering your journey to Vienna, we invite you to think about both the ecological footprint of your travel and the ecological handprint of your participation. Our collective actions at the meeting will leave a positive legacy, from advancing global sustainability solutions through collaboration to supporting the local economy in Vienna. Together, we can create meaningful progress for a sustainable future.

Sustainability Practices for the SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting

(Set in place by SETAC, as well as in accordance with the Guideline of the Austrian Ecolabel for Green Meetings and Green Events).

Destination (& transport)

We advise all participants to take direct flights, if possible, to decrease the impact. To reduce your environmental footprint, make sure you plan additional meetings during your stay in Vienna to reduce decentralised travel during the year.

Vienna has extensive train connections across Europe, with options like night trains and express services arriving at Vienna Hauptbahnhof and Westbahnhof. Both are directly linked to the ACV via public transit. The Austria Center Vienna (ACV), as well as all major tourist areas, are easily accessible by a range of sustainable and convenient transport options.

Please have a look at the Venue and City or the Travel to Austria webpages for more detailed information on transport options within and to Vienna.

Venue

With its commitment to sustainability, the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) is a premier venue for international conferences. Having obtained the Green Conference Centre certification in 2014 and being the first country to do so, the ACV is committed to its environmental and social responsibilities and takes numerous steps to impact its environmental footprint. 

The Austria Center Vienna proudly communicates its actions on its website. Additionally, you can download a sustainability report for 2023, explaining what they have achieved and which goals they set for the future. 

Catering

MOTTO Catering (the ACV’s exclusive catering partner) is certified in accordance with the Austrian Ecolabel for event catering. With a clear focus on regional and seasonal dishes, as well as vegetarian and vegan variations, they tick all the boxes when it comes to sustainable events.

Additionally, the following practices are in place:

  • The SETAC Europe Annual Meeting is a full vegetarian meeting. Only vegetarian and vegan options are served.
  • The focus lies on seasonal and local food to reduce the impact on the environment and stimulate the local economy.
  • Where possible, Fair Trade-certified products are served.
  • Organic, biodynamic food from farmers that are committed to animal welfare, MCS- or ASC-certified seafood.
  • Numerous initiatives are taken to avoid food waste.
  • Mineral water is provided (please bring your own reusable bottle!).
  • Non-disposable cutlery (biodegradable cups and dishes) is used to avoid all use of plastic.

Accommodation

  • We encourage participants to choose an environmentally certified hotel (Austrian Ecolabel, EU Ecolabel, EMAS, etc.). We will list some labelled certified hotel options for you, closer to the meeting. Stay tuned. 
  • Additionally, we recommend all participants to check whether a hotel is Green Key-certified. See more at the Green Key website (Green Key - The International Ecolabel for Tourism).

Socials

  • To avoid unnecessary printing, we don’t print tickets for our social events but instead include the tickets in the QR code of each participant.
  • When choosing the menus for our social events, we always request sustainable and local food.

Delegate Materials

  • When asked about requiring a conference bag, 85% of our participants indicated that they like to receive one. We have, therefore, kept our bags but we ensure their reusability at other SETAC events by not printing any meeting logos, destinations, or dates on them. Bags that are not used are given to local schools and/or charity organisations.
  • On the high demand of our attendees, we remain committed to printing a programme book. However, we have considerably reduced the number of pages of the programme book and continue to lessen unnecessary printed information by providing some information on the virtual platform instead. Additionally, the programme book is printed on recycled paper.
  • All meeting announcements and invitations are electronic.
  • Any eco-friendly notebooks not used at the meeting are donated to local schools and/or charity organisations.
  • Badges are eco-friendly and the lanyards are reused at future meetings.
  • Flags and banners are reused every year.
  • We use as much digital signage in the congress centre as possible and keep any printing fabric at a minimum.

Exhibition

  • Prior to the meeting, exhibitors will receive instructions encouraging them to reduce waste as much as possible, including a message of reconsidering their policy regarding gadgets, etc. SETAC’s policy on sustainability will be integrated into the exhibitor’s manual.

As a participant, you can also contribute to making a difference! Here are some ideas:

  • Reduce the number of flights and use public transport for your home – airport travel. 
  • Choose an environmentally friendly mode of transport or carpool in Vienna
  • If you have to drive or fly, you can offset the related CO2 emissions through compensation payments.
  • Find a sustainable hotel in the area through: www.green-key.org or choose one of the environmentally certified hotels (Austrian Ecolabel, EU Ecolabel, EMAS, etc.) that we have labelled on our website. 
  • Support your hotel’s environmental protection efforts (on-demand exchange of towels and bedsheets, etc.).
  • Turn off all lights and electronic equipment (TV, air conditioner, heating, computer, etc.) when you leave your hotel room.
  • Reuse to protect the environment: opt for beverages served from bulk containers or on tap, food served on tableware, milk and sugar that are not individually packaged, etc.
  • Bring your own bottle to refill with tap water
  • Use the waste bins in the correct way. Separate your waste (PET, glass, paper, metal, batteries, etc.) and dispose of it in the respective containers available at the venue.
  • At the end of the event, leave your badge and lanyard in the recycling bins or return them at the registration desk
  • Opt for online registration or digital materials instead of printouts/handouts whenever possible.
  • ……… and so much more!

If you have any ideas on how we could improve our efforts in organising a more sustainable meeting in the future, please contact the SETAC office ([email protected]).