A free carbon calculator, tailored specifically to the unique needs of event producers and organisers, has been launched at the International Event Management Summit run by the Australian Centre for Event Management (ACEM) in Queensland this week (6-8 July.)

The free ACEM Carbon Calculator will enable event managers to measure the carbon impact of events, and will also offer guidance on the steps that can be taken to reduce carbon emissions, providing a valuable resource for anyone working in the Australian events industry.

Developed in association with the Carbon Reduction Institute, the easy to use online calculator will allow event managers to calculate the carbon footprint of events held anywhere in the world.

The service will provide practical advice on the changes that can be made to events in the planning stages to reduce their overall impact in the areas of catering, transport and energy use and will link to an optional payment gateway, giving organisers the choice of offsetting their carbon footprint once it is calculated in order to create a carbon neutral event.

The International Event Management Summit, taking place this week in Surfers Paradise, is an example in low impact event management, taking positive actions including sourcing all food for the conference dinner from within a 100 mile radius, in line with Slow Food principles.

“Although creating a sustainable events industry is generally seen as important across the whole sector, we’re still finding that many event managers put reducing an event’s environmental impact in the ‘too hard’ basket,” said ACEM director, Rob Harris.

“This new ACEM Carbon Calculator is a free service we’re offering to the industry, in the hope that it increases the number of event managers taking positive action to reduce the carbon footprint of the projects they’re running.”

“The new system will be a key tool for event organisers, not only enabling them to create low impact events, but also offering an option to save details of events for future reference and year on year impact tracking,” Harris said.

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