IAPCO Destination Partners share updates on their commitment to UN SDGs

With IAPCO focussing its attention on 4 of the UNSDGs including #17 Partnerships for the Goals, this session brought together our Destination Partners to address what, collectively, IAPCO and its 8 Destination Partners can do as a collective group.

The Destination Partners session at the IAPCO Annual Meeting in Jerusalem tackled the increasingly important topic of sustainability, and how each of the eight IAPCO Destination Partners is moving forward and aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For SDG 17 and Partnerships for the goals, Athens has created a groundbreaking partnership in the meetings industry at the national level - the Greek Meeting Alliance, formed by the City of Athens via This is Athens CVB, HAPCO (Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers) and Thessaloniki Convention Bureau. At the national level in Greece, this important partnership has enabled unique strategic synergies to develop, where working together for the greater good is the key. This has allowed the main stakeholders to align on strategy and priorities, working together on advocacy and outreach, education - training and upskilling as well as sustainable development. This has led to the development of a Climate Action Plan for 2030, with seven clear goals and actions, ranging from Energy upgrade and production and Renewable Energy Sources (RES) to completing the transition to a green and digital city.

In the UAE, there are rising levels of obesity with 1 in 5 of the UAE’s population diabetic. An encouraging response to promote healthier lifestyles is the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which has the simple goal of encouraging exercise, by completing 30 minutes of activity every day for 30 days. This challenge ties in perfectly with Health as one of the 7 key sectors in the UAE’s National Strategy for Innovation. Response

to Goal 7 - access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all included largest single-site solar park in the world - the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park as well as the Green Hydrogen Project. Other noteworthy implementations have been the Hatta Dam, with a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours and a lifespan of up to 80 years as well as the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the first multi-unit operational nuclear plant in the Arab world, which will prevent 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions, when fully operational.

From an image of congested city traffic, dispersing pollution into the air and into our lungs, the stark contrast, presented by Hamburg was then the image of a modern self-driving vehicle, clean, efficient and future-ready. Climate-friendly catering, concentrating on radically reducing waste, pollution and packaging was also discussed.

To tackle Zero Hunger goal, we were introduced to the Food Angel Programme, which is an initiative that rescues surplus food from different sectors of the food industry which otherwise be disposed of as waste. It was launched in 2011 with the mission of “Waste Not, Hunger Not, With Love”. Following strict safety protocols, the rescued food items are prepared to make delicious meals that are then distributed

to underprivileged communities in Hong Kong. SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities, touched upon the Asia World Expo, and the Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention in Hong Kong. The Asia World-Expo’s many initiatives to promote social inclusion through extensive training and employment opportunities. An important initiative through the SRACP (Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention) was to help the unemployed and ex-offenders reintegrate into society by helping them get back their all-important self-esteem. This collaboration between Asia World-Expo and SRACP, extending job opportunities to Bright Services, and was recognized with the Benevolent Employers Award.

JNTO introduced a digital brochure Explore Deeper with a QR code for all to access immediately, which includes 50 sustainable travel experiences on the theme of nature and culture. Highlights were shared of some of the exciting experiences to be explored on the islands of Japan across their wide-ranging geography, from north to the south, all in a sustainable manner. Beginning with ‘Experience 1,000 years of history on the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route’, by reconnecting with nature in the national park, supporting the protection of Japan’s magnificent black bears through the

Picchio Wildlife Research Centre, or simply gaining insight into Japanese beliefs by experiencing the life of Buddhist monks in a deep mountain retreat.

With the clean water Goal 6 in mind, we heard how the Yarra River or Birrarung in the local language of the Wurundjeri, who are the traditional owners of the land on which the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is built, is a wonderfully unique ecosystem that runs for 242km throughout Melbourne. It is an extremely important natural resource supplying 70% of Melbourne’s piped water and is home to a great variety of wildlife. However, over the years, urban development, pollution, and unhealthy river flow have worsened the condition of the river. The Yarra Riverkeeper Association and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre have partnered to create stronger community connections, to act upon, and protect the Yarra Birrarung River, conserve its precious water, and protect its biodiversity. Another objective in place is to achieve a swimmable Yarra Birrarung by 2030. Melbourne also outlined how investing in world-class infrastructure supports together continued economic growth for its growing population is addressing SDG 9 on Innovation and Infrastructure.

RCB introduced the Enabling Environment, highlighting four interrelating areas - political will at the highest level, genderresponsive policies and programmes, gender-responsive legal and institutional frameworks and strategic partnerships. Women’s participation in decision-making positions at different levels was discussed, as well as the adoption of gender-responsive laws and policies, promoting accountability to gender equality across sectors. Increased access to ICT devices for women is helping them engage in small-scale businesses and access finance and e-learning systems. When it comes to Safeguarding Our Planet (SDG 13), Rwanda has worked incessantly over the last 10 years to put in place the legal frameworks, policies, strategies and institutions to enable the transition to climate-resilient green growth. A great example is that Rwanda recently exempted electric vehicles, batteries and charging station equipment from import taxes, excise duties, and VAT. Also, ending the manufacturing, importation, and use of plastic bags. Rwanda’s Climate Action Vision for 2050 is a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient economy, with a 38% reduction in emissions by 2030, with 14 action programmes to support this vision.

We discovered how deep below the scenic Lake Ontario’s surface is Toronto’s most valuable source of renewable energy - its cold water. A very successful deep lake water cooling (DLWC) system provides refreshing temperatures to a considerable number of Toronto hospitals, campuses, government buildings and commercial and residential buildings. Rather than focusing on energy-intensive compressors to dissipate heat from buildings, DLWC uses the water from Lake Ontario to remove the warmth, this is a system which is sustainable, and low-carbon which in addition is also energy-sharing. On a closing note, Destination Toronto concluded with Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), announcing that 90% of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) is produced in the Niagara and Ontario region, and 65% of all meat, fish and dairy is also local, which is another step towards reducing gas emissions.