Sustainability Policy
COP28 UAE EVENT SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
The host of the 28th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP28) will be the United Arab Emirates (UAE). COP28 UAE will provide a milestone opportunity for the world to come together, course correct, and drive progress to keep 1.5C within reach.
COP28 UAE will be a transformational moment for the world to unite around tangible climate action and deliver realistic solutions. Achieving this requires collaboration across civil society, governments, industries and sectors. We will ensure that this is reflected in everything we do at COP28 UAE, from the catering suppliers we use, to the transport options available to participants.
Ensuring COP28 UAE is a sustainable event will be pivotal to its success. COP28 UAE is committed to implementing a sustainable event management system, certified to International Standards for Event Sustainability Management Systems (ISO20121:2012) for the event, as well as ensuring that the Blue Zone will be carbon neutral, complying with PAS 2060 - the international standard for carbon neutrality.
The organizers will ensure the event is delivered with transparency, stewardship, integrity, and inclusivity at the heart of all operations and aligned with the UNFCCC Code of Conduct. To support this, COP28 UAE has adopted six core Sustainability Governing Principles (SGPs) that are designed to ensure the event is responsibly planned and delivered in a holistic and integrated way.
Our principles are to:
- Promote sustainable behaviors.
- Deliver a carbon neutral Blue Zone.
- Design and produce a safe, inclusive event.
- Ensure all event operations adopt sustainable practices.
- Provide a sustainable experience.
- Create lasting legacies.
The SEMS will cover a range of policy areas:
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KEY ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
- the preparation, hosting, and dismantling of the event;
- international and national transport by participants of COP28; and
- all other emissions directly associated with hosting COP28 as defined in the carbon management strategy.
- promoting leasing and reuse of materials for overlay, design for disassembly and reuse of new temporary structures and overlay;
- actively supporting the segregation and diversion of waste from landfill incl. food waste; and
- discouraging the use of single use plastics and other materials that are difficult to recycle.
- careful management of water across the venues; and
- encouraging visitors to use refill facilities and reusable bottles, thereby also reducing packaging waste.
- including a 1.5C aligned menu that is nourishing and tasty;
- promoting use of local suppliers where practical; and
- by catering for the needs, requirements, and tastes of our visitors.
KEY SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
- Create a safe, accessible environment for all participants and visitors during their stay in the UAE.
- Adhere to the UNFCCC Code of Conduct within the COP premises.
- Support the well-being of participants and visitors, especially those with specific needs and requirements.
- Offer a high quality and comfortable experience to all participants and visitors to COP28.
- Provide all participants and visitors with accessible, comfortable, and affordable accommodation and transport options during their stay through:
- working with hotel providers to ensure there are a range of hotels to meet different needs;
- ensuring there are a range of transport options that are affordable, accessible, convenient, comfortable, and sustainable for traveling to and from the COP28 site.
- Treat all our workforce well, ensuring they receive a fair wage and good working conditions and ensure suppliers adopt similar approaches and comply with all legal standards.
- Promote the use of local suppliers of products and services, especially small and medium sized enterprises.
- Offer training and support to our workforce and supply chain to ensure they understand the principles and practice of sustainable event management and operations.
The above policies have been developed in consultation with relevant parties and are designed to create a framework which maximizes positive impact from the event.
We are committed to complying with all the requirements of the ISO standard, as well as legal and other requirements, and to continually improve system effectiveness in the run up to the event. The scope of certification will be for the planning, delivery and post event disassembly of COP28.
COP28 UAE will work with its supply chain, partners, and sponsors to help deliver our sustainability objectives, sharing sustainability policies and practices as part of our SEMS.
We are committed to ensuring COP28 UAE is the most sustainable event delivered in the region to date. Lessons learned from hosting a carbon neutral and ISO 20121 compliant event will be shared with other events in the UAE - and beyond - as part of our commitment to leave a positive legacy.
Communication is critical to the delivery of our sustainability strategy, and we will seek to engage, listen, satisfy and where possible, exceed expectations. Our staff and people working on behalf of COP28 are our ambassadors and the COP28 Presidency will work to ensure their understanding, engagement and delivery of our strategy to meet the objectives set out in this document.
We will make this policy available to all relevant stakeholders and it will be reviewed periodically leading up to the event.
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