©Vince Vera – Unsplash For many years, sustainability in the meetings industry has sounded better than it has looked.
We have become very good at talking about it. Pledges, commitments and nicely written mission statements are now commonplace. And those statements are important: they signal intent and direction. But what associations and destinations are increasingly realising is that sustainability only becomes meaningful when it shows up in the everyday decisions that shape how events are planned and delivered.
That is where ESG changes from being just an aspiration to becoming a real test.
Environmental impact: progress through practical choices
What encourages me most on the environmental side of ESG is not bold claims or headline initiatives, but the steady shift towards more practical thinking.
However, the data can be uninspiring. ICCA’s own research with Destination Canada, published in 2025, found that while 66% of international associations now rate sustainability as very or extremely important, up from 60% in 2023, consistent implementation is still elusive. Almost a quarter still don’t calculate their carbon footprint, and 19% outsource measurement rather than building internal knowledge and frameworks. And in what is called a “cost paradox,” 63% cite cost as the top barrier to sustainable event planning, yet 46% are willing to pay 5–24% more for sustainable options. This suggest that perception rather than the price is the true obstacle.
Associations are starting to question habits that were once taken for granted. Questions like: Do we really need printed programmes for every meeting? Can staging elements be reused rather than built from scratch each time? Can decisions about catering, transport, and materials be made earlier, when there is still time to choose lower-impact options?
These may sound like small steps, but anyone involved in event development knows how difficult they can be to implement. Budgets are tight, teams are busy, and timelines rarely allow for last-minute changes. Sustainability often loses out not because of resistance, but because of constraints.
This is where destinations and venues can make a real difference. Not by asking organisers to do more, but by making sustainable choices easier by design. Clear waste streams, local sourcing as the default, and infrastructure that supports responsible practices without constant negotiation all help turn good intentions into action. When the system supports the outcome, progress becomes far more achievable.
Social impact: Expectations are rising
The social dimension of ESG is where many associations feel the most confident, and it’s also where expectations are rising fastest.
Events today are no longer judged only on content and networking. Delegates expect to feel genuinely welcome, able to participate fully, and confident that their wellbeing has been considered. Accessibility, inclusion and mental health factors are now being pulled earlier into the planning process, rather than added on as an afterthought.
This is a positive shift, but we should be realistic: it is also one of the hardest areas to get right.
Accessibility is actually a design challenge. It touches venues, budgets, technology, programme formats and timelines. The conversations that are postponed at the start of planning almost always become more complex (and more expensive!) later on in the process.
There is also a broader question emerging around legacy. More associations are asking what their meetings leave behind for the cities that host them. That might involve working with local suppliers, creating space for local voices, or aligning an event’s purpose with community priorities. Achieving this requires strong destination partnerships and local insight.
NZCE & AC Forum: from pledge to common language
A significant structural development for our industry in recent years has been the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative – and the growing momentum behind it.
NZCE is a global industry effort aimed at uniting stakeholders across the events community to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. What makes it meaningful is the practical architecture it is building with that ambition. NZCE structures its work around three central pillars: Measurement, Reporting and Verification; Activation and Adaptation; and Communication and Education.
The measurement piece matters the most. Each signatory of the NZCE Pledge commits to developing a roadmap towards net zero by 2050, collaborating with partners, suppliers and customers across the value chain, and measuring and tracking their Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions according to industry best practices. That kind of regular, structured accountability is exactly what the industry has been missing.
AC Forum’s participation is significant because its member organisations operate largely outside the traditional business events scope, meaning their engagement extends the reach and ambition of NZCE well beyond the meetings industry itself.
In addition to collaborating together on the 2026 ICCA Congress in Panama City, ICCA is working closely with AC Forum on a joint sustainability reporting initiative, aligned with the NZCE framework. The objective is not to introduce another layer of complexity, but to support a shared, practical approach to measuring sustainability in ways that reflect how associations and events actually operate.
By aligning around a common framework, we can reduce duplication, improve comparability, and help organisations at different stages of their ESG journey participate meaningfully. Most importantly, it supports a move away from one-off reporting exercises towards continuous improvement embedded in daily operations. The NZCE reporting model, which is transparent, iterative, and designed to encourage organisations new to measurement rather than penalise them, is a model worthy of scaling.
Progress over perfection
Sustainability in events involves compromise, learning, and at times, uncomfortable conversations. The associations and destinations making the most progress are not chasing ideal outcomes; they are focusing on consistency, transparency, and learning from what does not work.
When ESG shows up in how events are designed, delivered and evaluated, and not just how they are marketed, is when sustainability moves from being notable to becoming normal.