How to level up sustainability in MICE? Taiwan has a white paper on that

To assist local MICE suppliers with stepping up their green MICE practices, Taiwan's Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) has published the 2022 Taiwan MICE Sustainability White Paper in collaboration with the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI).

The white paper was recently launched on 28 December 2022 at the Taiwan MICE ESG Day, an event organised by the BOFT and which also included a ceremony to issue ISO certifications to MICE suppliers counselled by Taiwan's MICE Promotion Program (MEET TAIWAN). 

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Said to be the first and most complete MICE Sustainability document in Asia, the white paper is a reflection of the ongoing efforts that the BOFT has been rendering to the Taiwanese MICE sector in pursuing their green goals.

These include collaborative efforts by the BOFT with KPMG and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) to establish SIRCO (Sustain & Integrate Resources and CO-operate for mutual benefits and sustainability), providing MICE suppliers with a clear guideline of green MICE practices.

Referencing the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the BOFT's Green MICE Guideline and Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 205 published by the National Development Council, the 2022 Taiwan MICE Sustainability White Paper covers an entire range of details and scenarios. It also takes MICE industry and stakeholder features into consideration.

Combining five factors (sustainability, impact, resilience, collaboration and ownership) and comprehensively considering the life cycle of the MICE industry, the SIRCO cooperative serves as a standard not only for carbon reduction and governance practices, it also extends the positive impact from Green MICE to other industries, utilising the MICE industry as an important driving force for sustainable development.

In 2023, the BOFT will launch a Sustainable Empowerment Counselling Service for Taiwan MICE events by applying the 2022 Taiwan MICE Sustainability White Paper, providing customised services, and working with industry players to achieve event sustainability.

Accompanied by MEET TAIWAN, the BOFT also assists MICE venues with achieving sustainability goals. In 2021, BOFT assisted Hilton Taipei Sinban to complete their ISO 50001 Energy Management System, and counselled Big Dome Event Rental Service for publishing the first-ever sustainability report which was made spontaneously by Taiwanese MICE supplier.

Last year, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centers I and II were the first venues to accomplish the Greenhouse Gas Inventory according to the ISO 14064-1: 2018 standard. The International Convention Center in Tainan, which opened in April 2022, has acquired the ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management Systems standard, whereas the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center is the only venue in Taiwan which is GBAC STAR certified.