Taipei Main Station Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Richie Chan
Actions speak louder than words when it comes to sustainability,
something that Meet Taiwan – as Taiwan’s convention and visitor bureau –
is deeply aware of and committed to.
With the vision to spur industry stakeholders towards the path of
sustainability as part of Taiwan’s plan to achieve net-zero emissions by
2050, MEET TAIWAN leads the charge towards the sustainable development goals
by encouraging all MICE industry stakeholders to adopt sustainable
practices through education, incentives, and industry-wide standards.
William Wu, economic division director at the Taipei Representative
Office of Singapore, emphasised Taiwan’s active response to the global
imperative of sustainability during his opening remarks to a
sustainability panel discussion at The Meetings Show Asia Pacific 2024
in Singapore. He highlighted various strategies, including energy
consumption reporting and carbon reduction goals, set for the period
from this year to 2030.
“We aspire to leverage our influence within the MICE industry to
address broader social and environmental issue,” he added. “As the
proverb goes, actions speak louder than words. Our commitment extends
beyond advocacy; we also take tangible actions.”
ICC Tainan, a major convention centre in Taiwan. Photo Credit: ICC TainanSetting the bar
Rosa Liu, director of the Taiwan MICE Project Office of the MOEA (MEET TAIWAN), underscores the CVB’s pivotal role in driving sustainability MICE strategies.
Tangible assistance comes in the form of financial support as well as
expert guidance to facilitate the MICE sector’s transition towards
net-zero emissions, along with certification initiatives through the
Meet Taiwan programme to validate efforts in Taiwan’s MICE community.
Awareness and education are vital in engaging stakeholders, starting
with collaboration between Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, KPMG, and
the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) to publish the
“2022 Taiwan MICE Sustainability White Paper”. This document serves as a
reference template, followed by demonstration events showcasing
sustainable practices.
Pursuing sustainability certifications and attaining MICE
sustainability awards will be MEET TAIWAN’s next steps. “Through this
systematic approach, we aim to empower our MICE industry and develop
robust sustainable capabilities among our stakeholders one step at a
time,” said Liu.
Taichung Liuchuan Canal Waterfront. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Richie ChanBest green practices
Recognising that business events are generators of waste themselves,
MEET TAIWAN is taking active steps to help conferences and exhibitions
adopt greener practices and reduce carbon emissions, while incorporating
inclusivity and diversity principles.
“We all know that these bright and bustling business events end up
with tons and tons of garbage. Yet all these exhibitions, conferences,
meetings and business events also hold significant importance in areas
like products showcasing, networking, training, and knowledge
exchanging,” said Liu. “Our challenge is to find the right balance
between business needs and environmental sustainability.”
At the 64th Annual Meeting of the Ophthalmological Society of Taiwan,
inclusivity and sustainability took centre stage. The conference
provided specialised visual aid equipment for visually impaired
attendees, while charity NGOs showcased products made by the visually
impaired, promoting environmental awareness to the medical and
industrial communities.
Our goal is to steer the entire MICE industry stakeholders towards sustainability and low carbon emissions. We deeply believe that together we can move towards a net-zero future.
Rosa Liu, director, Taiwan MICE Project Office of the MOEA (MEET TAIWAN)
Exhibitors at SEMICON Taiwan 2023 embraced sustainability by
upcycling canvas banners into lunch bags for children in rural
communities. Beyond innovation, this collaboration with a local charity
minimised waste and promoted social impact within a community,
showcasing how exhibitions can integrate circular economy principles for
a more meaningful event.
On the ground, industry players like GIS Group, which operates
convention venues like ICC Tainan and POPOP Taipei, are actively playing
their part to commit to sustainability goals.
“For SDGs, we aim to use local farmer’s products and talented young
chefs to present the food and drinks for business events participants.
Indigenous artists and the minority in our community are invited to
present their artwork and performance,” said Jason Yeh, CEO of GIS
Group.
Collective power
Lunch bags were upcycled from canvas banners at SEMICON Taiwan 2023.MEET TAIWAN is spearheading initiatives to empower the industry to
take concrete steps towards reducing environmental impact. Last year,
MEET TAIWAN established the national standards for event-based public
reporting, known as PCR (product category rule), and introduced an
online carbon regulation tool for the MICE sector.
Currently, the carbon calculator is only available in Mandarin
Chinese, but the beta version of the official English website will be
launching mid-2024.
Since last year, MEET TAIWAN has assisted 85 MICE industry players,
including PCOs, PEOs, suppliers and venue operators to implement carbon
reduction improvements, resulting in a total carbon reduction of 148
tonnes.
Stressing the importance of collective action, Liu stated: “No one is an outsider.”
The article first appeared in M&C Asia April-June 2024 issue.Click here to view the issue.