One of the main issues that has slowly become significant in the meetings industry is the need to generate sustainable events, incentives, and experiences. The main goal of reducing pollution and leaving a less damaging impact on the environment is intertwined with energy-saving. However, these two concepts are very general, which makes it difficult to plan a whole detailed event under their guidelines. That's why the use of different tools to work as helpers on corporative processes for every kind of company and also for individual purposes became so popular.

Carbon footprint

This is the denomination used for greenhouse gases, which result from determined human activities. These gases have a very negative impact on the environment because they increase the planet´s temperature, directly contributing to global warming. The most common ones are carbon dioxide (emitted from vehicles, aerosol sprays, factory emissions, and toxic fumes from garbage dumps), nitrous oxide (produced by burning and using fertilizer), and industrial gases (emitted from coolants and solvents).

This is where carbon footprint tracking apps help users understand the emissions they are producing. Additionally, many of these apps offer affordable methods to reduce or compensate for this impact.

To achieve this, the most common option is to calculate the number of trees needed to mitigate the effects. However, some of these apps go a step further: after a certain period of use or upon achieving specific goals, these companies promise to plant as many trees as the users keep unlocking. On the other hand, some companies generate income through ads and donate over half of it to reforestation campaigns, cleaning natural reserves, or sustainable processes such as recycling.

Though this is a relatively recent trend, the industry has already witnessed events beginning to set emission limits and propose new goals, such as yearly reductions in emissions. On an industry level, the general goal is not only to decrease negative impact but also to steer our meetings towards a more positive environmental impact.

If you're interested in learning more about this evaluation and its advantages, you can't miss the Sustainable Mindset Talks , a conference panel that will be part of IBTM Americas on September 13th and 14th at Centro Citibanamex. Sign up here and discover the best innovations from the industry experts.