Sustainability guidelines

What we are doing to make it a more sustainable event

• We are cooperating with hotels in Estonia that have the Green key label to encourage participants to choose accommodation that has the lowest possible impact on the environment. 
• We are encouraging participants to travel to Estonia "green", if possible, especially people coming from neighbouring countries. 
• Lunches and coffee breaks will be vegetarian (with the exception on Wednesday in the forest where there will be an omnivore option) and where possible, local, organic and seasonal ingredients are used. For the Gala Dinner, there will also be omnivore options but there we will also make sure the food is local and organic. 
• Coffee and tea will be fair trade labelled. 
• We will reduce the amount of packaging wherever possible. 
• The venue is easily accessible by walking or public transportation. 
• There will be no goodie bags or printed materials. 
• Some presenters will join us online to prevent travelling for one presentation. 

Guidelines for participants

We know that travelling for such events and organising them can cause waste and harm the environment. We would therefore like to ask all participants for help to minimise our footprints as much as possible with some very simple steps. It might be helpful to read through this list when you're packing. 

• Pack light and minimize waste
  • Plastic-free toiletries & reusable containers
  • Bring a reusable shopping bag
  • Go paperless for boarding
  • Pack capsule wardrobe
• Walk, bike, use local public transport, or share your ride, to reach the venue - the venues in both Tartu and Tallinn can easily be reached on foot or with a short bus/tram ride. 
• Bring your own bag, pen and paper
• Bring your own water bottle to refill with tap water
• Consider bringing your own reusable coffee mug/thermos
• Consider bringing your own travel cutlery/straw / beeswax food wrap
• Eat more sustainable - use this as an opportunity to try local cuisine with local seasonal ingredients
• Avoid taking goodies or bags that you don’t need
• Return your lanyard
• Stay in a sustainable accommodation
  • Is it energy efficient?
  • Do they ensure that rooms and linen are not overly cleaned?
  • Do they offer veggie/plant-based breakfast options?
  • Good indication for environmental performance: international Green Key

• Comply with all recycling and waste disposal signage at your accommodation and the venue
• Discuss sustainability with other  participants
  • Encourage these discussions in all types of sessions, not just those directly linked to sustainability and climate action
• Provide feedback in post-event surveys on what was done well and what could be improved in terms of sustainability