International Convention Centre (ICC Sydney) has revealed the impact of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme executed at Sibos, the world’s premier financial services event.
The show, which took place in October at the venue, exceeded ambitious sustainability targets.
In a record result for an event of its size and scale, a waste diversion rate of 62.5% was achieved, including 88% of materials being diverted from landfill during the event bump out and 15,200 plastic water bottles being saved.
ICC Sydney’s partnership with OzHarvest and Mathew Talbot hostel resulted in 855kgs of food being saved across a one-week period, representing the equivalent of 2,564 meals being donated to community members in need and 1,120 tonnes of fertiliser being produced from organic waste matter.
The multi-faceted programme was designed by ICC Sydney’s dedicated CSR team in partnership with event organisers, SWIFT, to reduce the ecological footprint of Sibos at all stages of event delivery as well as support community engagement. This included organic waste and recycling processing initiatives, minimisation of plastic water bottle consumption, excess food donations and the establishment of the first ICC Sydney Charity Market Day.
Sibos exhibitors collectively donated 150 items to seven local charity organisations to be repurposed for their communities, from astro turf to umbrellas and potted plants.
ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy (pictured) said the results are a key example of driving best practice and showcasing both ICC Sydney and the entire city as a sustainable destination.
“Hosting Sibos at ICC Sydney was an operational triumph in all respects including meeting the event’s sustainability targets. It required meticulous planning for many months and we are delighted to report these targets were exceeded.
“With our Legacy Program in place, and our strong partnership with BE Sydney, we have the tools, connections and frameworks to support event organisers to deliver on their social, environmental and economic goals and drive meaningful results, just as we have at Sibos 2018.”
Head of Sibos, Chantal Van Es said supporting the host city’s local communities and environment is an essential part of the Sibos philosophy.
“Every year we strive to create a positive legacy that lasts for generations to come.”
“The ICC Sydney team have done an outstanding job helping us to realise this vision and connect us with local charities and businesses.”
“As an industry, we have more work to do and we are looking forward to collaborating with partners, clients and delegates to collectively reduce the footprint of our operations year-on-year and make a positive contribution to the broader community beyond the city’s borders,” Donaghy added.
