(GERMANY)
The United Nations Climate Conference (COP23) concludes today with the news that it has been the ‘greenest COP ever’.
Innovators Magazine has been a proud media partner of the Bonn event, which kicked off on 6 November, and has seen firsthand the fantastic planning that has gone into the conference.
And it is now the first COP to be recognised for its eco-friendly performance, having been presented with the eco-management and audit scheme EMAS certificate for sustainable organisation and eco-friendly performance.
“I want to thank the German government, the people of Bonn and my own staff for embracing wholeheartedly the UN climate conference 2017 and its ambition to be the greenest COP ever. We are fortunate indeed to be headquartered in a country that is working towards a determined transition to an environmentally-friendly and ever more sustainable future. That said, achieving the high EMAS certification approval was not a given. But here I think we have together raised the sustainability bar of UN conferences with some 28,800 people participating over the two weeks. I am sure many will look to what has been achieved, within the UN system and beyond, for inspiration on how all events and conferences can play their part in meeting the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Ovais Sarmad, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.
A vast range of initiatives were implemented to combat emissions created by COP23; in areas including waste, food, travel, and lighting. The environmental impact of people traveling to the conference, for example, is being offset via certified emission reduction (CERs) credits, which finance projects in developing countries including solar and wind farms.
