| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.26 |
| Liaison | Karen Oberer |
| Submission Date | Jan. 17, 2024 |
McGill University
IN-18: Green Event Certification
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Does the institution have or participate in a green event certification program?:
Has the institution held one or more certified events in the previous year?:
Does the institution’s green event certification program address the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| Sustainable transportation options, teleconferencing options, and/or carbon offsets | Yes |
| Sustainable catering (e.g., sourcing local and third party certified food and beverages, providing vegetarian/vegan options, using reusable/compostable materials) | Yes |
| Paper consumption (e.g., minimization and recycled/FSC certified content) | Yes |
| Energy efficiency (e.g., equipment and lighting) | Yes |
| Waste minimization and diversion | Yes |
| Communications and/or signage about the sustainable practices | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s green event certification program:
The McGill Sustainable Events certification program is an initiative from the Office of Sustainability that provides consultations, trainings, and resources to encourage and support more responsible events at McGill. The program focuses on events' environmental impact (carbon footprint, waste management), inclusivity (diversity of organizers, programming, and participants), and accessibility (reducing barriers). The certification actions are mapped to the 8 categories of the McGill Climate & Sustainability Strategy 2020-2025. The student Sustainable Events Ambassadors help raise awareness of sustainable best practices for event planners at McGill and help to reduce material waste generated by events on campus.
The certification level is attributed on a points-based model using the following percentages of points obtained:
Bronze: 50-75%
Silver: 75-90%
Gold: 90% or above
Platinum: 95% or above AND at least three of the following five actions:
1 - You calculate carbon emissions related to transportation and purchase carbon offsets.
2 - Only vegan and vegetarian options are available; no meat is served at all.
3 - Event uses only reusable dishware and/or invites participants to bring their own dishware.
4 - Both organic waste and recycling are available, and bins are clearly identified.
5 - The event is zero-waste. No material waste is produced and/or participants are invited to bring their own materials.
Virtual Events: Virtual events receive their Sustainable Event certification when they reach 80% of the available points or above.
How each criterion is addressed:
Travel & Commuting checklist items:
- Ensure that your event location is easily accessible via public transportation.
- Purchase carbon offsets for greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation.
- Allow participation via webconference.
Buildings & Utilities/ Landscapes & Ecosystems checklist items:
- Hold your event outdoors or in a certified green building [Bonus].
Procurement checklist items:
- Work with locally based suppliers and services.
Food System checklist items:
- Ask about dietary restrictions and provide labelled options.
- Provide vegetarian and vegan food and beverage options.
- Provide organic, seasonal, and/or local food and beverage options.
- Provide fair trade food and beverage options.
- If alcoholic beverages are served, offer non-alcoholic alternatives.
- Use sustainable dishware options.
- Reduce food service and food packaging waste.
- Make a plan for the potential of surplus food.
Waste Management checklist items:
- Sort waste at your event with clearly-identified bins for recycling, organic waste, and landfill waste.
- Comply with McGill's single-use water bottle ban.
- Reduce material waste and promotional items distributed at your event.
- Minimize printing and adhere to McGill Paper Policy standards.
Research & Education checklist items:
- Create awareness and/or take action on one of McGill's long-term climate & sustainability goals [Bonus].
Community Building/ Equity, Diversity & Inclusion checklist items
- Hold your event at an accessible time for your audience.
- Offer a flexible pricing model.
- Develop a customized land acknowledgement and practice pronunciation beforehand.
- Ensure your venue is as free from physical barriers as possible.
- Represent voices of populations whose identities have historically been marginalized in your event’s content.
- Encourage attendance from groups that may not usually attend your event.
- Set community agreements at the beginning of your event.
- Select a venue with accessible washrooms.
- Documents and presentation materials follow accessibility guidelines.
Communications & Engagement checklist items
- Communications for your event are bilingual.
- Publicize the accessibility features of your venue (or lack thereof), including information on accessible entrances.
- Publicize information related to the sustainability of your event.
- Collect participant and stakeholder feedback.
- Record your event or provide an event recap to enhance knowledge sharing.
Source: https://www.mcgill.ca/sustainability/engage/sustainable-events
Website URL where information about the green event certification program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.