COP28 “For BestCities and our 13 member cities, sustainability and legacy aren’t just aspirations – they’re at the core of everything we do. Across the global meetings industry, we’re seeing a clear shift: host destinations working in partnership with associations to go beyond reducing environmental impact and contribute meaningfully to local communities. This evolution reflects a broader industry standard, where sustainability isn’t optional, but essential for long-term success.”
Loren Christie, Managing Director of BestCities
Raising the Bar Together
Through initiatives such as the BestCities Commitments, the Alliance sets high expectations for environmental and social responsibility across its destinations. Each year, all 13 partner cities are audited against these commitments, assessing progress in areas including legacy, sustainability, and community engagement, ensuring that sustainability remains a continuous journey.
Introduced at the 2021 Global Forum, the Madrid Challenge calls on destinations and associations to integrate sustainability, inclusivity, and impact into every aspect of conference planning. The Challenge reframes success beyond economic metrics to include community benefit, knowledge exchange, and inclusion.
Knowledge-sharing is what makes this process work. At the 2024 Global Forum in Melbourne, BestCities brought sustainability into the delegate experience through its Engage for Good challenge. By participating in sessions and networking activities, attendees collectively unlocked a donation to OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation. The result was meals redistributed to those in need and less food waste.
Building on this model, the 2025 Global Forum in Dublin once again placed sustainability directly into participant engagement. Through the Engage for Good challenge, delegates collectively raised USD $2,500 for the Solas Project, an organisation empowering children and young people at risk of marginalisation in Ireland. This contribution was matched by the Dublin Convention Bureau, bringing the final donation to USD $5,000 and demonstrating how delegate participation can create immediate, place-specific social impact.
BestCities continues this dialogue throughout the year via Community Cafés, Impact Masterclasses, and its Global Forum, connecting association executives with sustainability experts and change-makers around the world.
Cities Leading the Change
Among BestCities’ 13 partners, sustainability takes many forms, from national climate goals to grassroots initiatives.
In Singapore, the MICE Sustainability Roadmap aligns with the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and the UN SDGs, setting ambitious targets for achieving recognised sustainability certifications by 2025 and net-zero emissions by 2050. This comprehensive framework supports venues and suppliers in integrating green operations across the entire business events value chain.
In Tokyo, the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) has established a detailed set of sustainability guidelines for business events and operates a Sustainable Event Support Desk to help organisers implement tailored strategies aligned with the city’s broader sustainability agenda.
Copenhagen, ranked 3rd globally on the 2024 Global Destination Sustainability Index, has become synonymous with innovation in sustainable events. Its Copenhagen Legacy Lab received both the GDS Innovation Award and the #Meet4Impact Award for its social and environmental contributions. It provides organisers with a Sustainability Guide that calculates CO₂ emissions across six categories and supports a roadmap toward Net Zero.
Dubai’s hosting of COP28 in 2023 showcased what large-scale climate dialogue can achieve. “Hosting COP28 was a defining moment for Dubai and the UAE, reinforcing the city’s role as a global convening point for dialogue, innovation and collective action,” said event organisers. “Beyond the scale of the conference itself, COP28 showcased the city’s capability to bring together governments, industries and communities to drive meaningful progress.” Drawing 85,000 participants and more than 150 heads of state, COP28 reaffirmed the UAE’s ambition to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, while leaving a legacy of collaboration that extends far beyond the conference halls.
In Melbourne, sustainability is intertwined with energy innovation. The city hosted the Asia Pacific Offshore Wind & Green Hydrogen Summit in 2023 and, building on that success, the Asia Pacific Wind Energy Summit in 2025. These events strengthened Melbourne’s position as a regional leader in renewable energy, shaping policies and best practices that support sustainable infrastructure and green technology investment.
In Madrid, the PLUS Platform enables planners to manage the sustainability of their meetings in real time. Using this digital tool, organisers can generate event-specific sustainability reports and access guidance aligned with the UN SDGs, ensuring that every meeting contributes positively to the city’s social and environmental fabric.
And in Guadalajara, Mexico’s creative capital, sustainability has become an organising principle for major events. The city recently launched a Low Emission Zone and committed to net-zero public buildings by 2050. Its flagship fashion event, Intermoda, is a standout example. “Intermoda represents not only Mexico’s most important fashion trade show but also a symbol of Guadalajara’s leadership in creativity, innovation, and sustainability,” says Ernesto Hernández, General Manager of Intermoda. “Working hand in hand with the Guadalajara Convention & Visitors Bureau allowed us to align our efforts with its environmental goals: reducing waste, promoting ethical production, and strengthening local circular economies.”
The impact is tangible: recyclable carpets now line the exhibition halls, single-use plastics have been replaced, and waste separation and recycling systems have been upgraded. As Hernández notes, “Responsibility and creativity can thrive together.”
The sustainability journey across BestCities’ global network demonstrates what collective action can achieve. Each city’s progress contributes to a larger movement where sustainability, inclusion, and legacy reinforce one another. As Loren Christie emphasises, “Sustainability and legacy aren’t separate goals; they are two sides of the same coin. The real progress happens when we treat every meeting as an opportunity to build something lasting – for people, for place, and for the planet.”
Want to know more about how your next event can create lasting legacy through sustainability? Contact BestCities Global Alliance at www.bestcities.net or email Loren Christie at loren@bestcities.net to start the conversation.