At Sibos, we’re committed to protecting the environment, caring for the community and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. We recognise these issues are also fundamental to the business strategies of Sibos participants and exhibitors. Working closely and collaborating with the Sibos community, our long-term aim is to be one of the most sustainable global events and lead much-needed change across the industry.</em></p> Working together to #LeadTheChange</strong></p> Sustainability was again front and centre at Sibos 2023. Following its successful launch in 2022, our sustainability strategy #LeadTheChange was visible throughout the conference and exhibition, including the Lead the change village, our dedicated sustainability space in Toronto.</p> Sibos 2023 included a wide range of sustainability initiatives such as support for WWF-Canada’s Seed Orchard Program and giving back to the local community through our 2023 charity partner SickKids Foundation, the fundraising arm for the Hospital for Sick Children, Canada’s largest centre dedicated to improving children’s health.</p> The Sibos Pledge</strong></p> We also invited Sibos 2023 participants to come together and drive positive change through the new Sibos Sustainability Pledge. Exhibitors and participants were asked to commit to at least five specific actions, ranging from choosing a meat-free lunch and supporting our charity partner to attending conference sessions addressing diversity in the workplace. Nearly 1,000 participants and 43% of exhibitors took the Pledge and made a positive difference at Sibos 2023.</p> 2023 achievements</strong></p> We wanted to establish 2023 as the sustainability benchmark for future North American Sibos events.</p> To this end, we conducted a full carbon footprint assessment achieving great results, as well as extending our diversity, equality and inclusion commitments:</p> Over 90% of all show waste was recycled or transformed into energy, and more than 100 pieces of furniture were donated to local charities</li>All Sibos-managed event features were designed and delivered as sustainably as possible, with over 40% of exhibition and conference materials rented or repurposed</li>Four out of five staff hired by Sibos and our suppliers were from the local area</li>We served more than 26,000 meals during Sibos week, with less than 10% food waste</li>80% of food served was local and seasonal, and 45% of the menu offering was vegetarian or plant-based</li>8,692sqm of carpet material was saved by only carpeting the gangways (saving 214 t CO2e)</li>Donations from the Sibos community raised more than 16,000 CAD for SickKids Foundation, in support of the Garry Hurvitz Centre for Brain & Mental Health</li>More than 35 sessions were focused on sustainability, diversity & inclusion, and 43% of speakers on the conference programme were women</li></ul> More to come in 2024 and beyond</strong></p> For 2024, we will be providing support to WWF’s Living Yangtze initiative in China, which seeks to restore the river’s delicate ecosystem, strengthen its adaption to climate change and fight pollution. The Yangtze is the world’s third longest river and provides water, food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people in China. It is also home to incredible biodiversity, from giant pandas and snow leopards to more than 400 species of fish and the world’s only freshwater porpoise.</p> We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants and exhibition partners for their contributions to our sustainability efforts in 2023. The Sibos pledge will be back in 2024 and we encourage all members of the Sibos community to join us as we continue to #LeadTheChange and deliver the most sustainable event possible.</p> Sibos 2024 takes place in Beijing from 21 – 24 October. Registration will open in March, follow us on </em>X</a> , </em>LinkedIn</a> and </em>Instagram</a> for all the updates.</em></p>