Net Zero Carbon Events Roadmap

Montgomery Group is a signatory to the Net Zero Carbon Pledge which was launched at the COP 26 conference in Glasgow in November 2021 and further developed at the COP 27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022. The Pledge commits Montgomery Group to:

Publish the organisations pathway to achieve Net Zero by 2050 at the latest, with an interim target in line with the Paris Agreement’s requirement to reduce global GHG emissions by 50% by 2030.
Collaborate with partners, suppliers, and customers to drive change across the value chain.
Measure and track our Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions according to industry best practice.
Report on progress at least every two years.

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Joining 400 other signatories, Montgomery Group is committed to meeting the emission reductions in line with the Paris Agreement, collaborate with suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure reductions throughout the supply chain, and share common approaches and best practices to align reporting throughout the industry.

Montgomery Group has partnered with G13+, a sustainability consultancy, and Trace by Isla, a platform designed to measure and minimise carbon emissions in events, to build relationships with suppliers and ensure emissions are being properly accounted for and reduced. Collaborating with the expertise and resources from G13+ and Trace, Montgomery Group is committed to contributing to develop a collective low carbon roadmap for our events. Logo, company name

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Our event teams are already working to reduce GHG emissions with the aim of achieving improvements year on year.  These cover the entire show cycle and include:

Collecting data for waste, energy, and water from venues and where this data is not available work with venues so that the collection of data becomes possible in the near future.
Work with contractors and venues, ask questions and where possible encourage the use of renewable energy, LED lighting, water stations for bottle refills, zero to landfill policies, reusable stands and furniture, lower quantities/ reusable/ recyclable carpets, source locally, use zero waste materials, reusable/ recyclable signage and eliminate use of single use plastics.
Make available recycle stations at our events and donate any unused food and drink samples to charities.
Encourage contractors to reduce journey emissions by consolidating as much as possible, use eco-friendly vehicles and encourage visitors and exhibitors alike to cycle, walk or use public transport when commuting to and from our events.
Reduce direct mail wherever possible.
Replaced paper show guides with pocket planners wherever possible.
Remove dates from signage wherever possible.
Request that media partners restrict to a maximum of 500 magazines per partner on site wherever practical.
Reduce volume of promotions bags at each event, audit waste and ensure they are made from sustainable materials.
Continue to monitor technological developments in digital badging, do not use plastic wallets and increasing use of inhouse lanyards which can be reused.

Carbon Reduction Plan

Energy

Food & Food Waste

Travel

Production & Waste

Freight & Logistics

Whilst Montgomery Group prioritises reducing internal emissions, there remain unavoidable and residual emissions throughout the journey to net zero. Carbon offsetting mitigates the impact of carbon emissions by reducing, avoiding, or removing carbon from the atmosphere. Financing emission reduction or avoidance activities elsewhere means that even if internal reductions are limited, there is an opportunity to support certified climate solutions to reduce global emissions. Certified projects provide communities with social and economic benefits that contribute to additional United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SGDs).  

Montgomery Group follows the Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting1 published in 2020 and outlines how offsetting needs to be approached to ensure it helps achieve a net zero society:

Cut emissions, use high quality offsets, and regularly revise offsetting strategy as best practice evolves.
Shift to carbon removal offsetting (i.e. offsets which result in the removal of carbon from the atmosphere as opposed to offsets which result in emissions reductions).
Shift to long-lived storage (i.e. where carbon is stored permanently
with minimal risk of re-release).
Support the development of net zero aligned offsetting (i.e. creating demand for carbon removal and long-lived storage, promoting the principles, and supporting the development and restoration of ecosystems).

All carbon offsets purchased by Montgomery Group meet the minimum threshold of quality as outlined by the Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting.