Shaping a more sustainable future for meetings and events

BCD Meetings & Events’ Global Sustainability Director, Thiago Araujo, states that planners have a responsibility to guide clients toward responsible choices even when sustainability is not explicitly requested. He emphasizes that sustainability has become a structural transformation rather than a trend, noting that many companies continue to set increasingly ambitious carbon‑reduction targets despite geopolitical uncertainty. With meetings and events closely tied to business‑travel emissions, the sector is expected to face heightened scrutiny, making early‑stage impact measurement tools essential for influencing decisions such as destination selection, venue choice, and event design.

Public expectations for climate‑aligned decision‑making are rising, and surveys show that even companies exempted from EU sustainability reporting requirements intend to continue their efforts. Araujo stresses that better communication is needed to show that sustainable events can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen brand credibility. He concludes that the tools and methodologies already exist; the real challenge lies in changing industry habits and embedding sustainability into every stage of the event‑planning process

“As the 2030 decarbonization milestone nears, the business events sector must move beyond post-event reporting toward a proactive mindset that integrates structural sustainability into every stage of the planning cycle.”

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