WE’VE BEEN GOING GREEN TOGETHER!
One year on from our Green Levy Launch!
Together, we’ve embraced sustainability through our ‘Going Green Together‘ initiative, launched last Earth Day. Spearheaded by our dedicated team, the Green Smarties of Smart Group, this campaign introduced the innovative Green Levy, a 50p charge applied to all new business proposals since May 1st, 2023. This optional levy empowers our clients to contribute towards offsetting the carbon footprint of their events.
Today, on Earth Day 2024, we’re thrilled to announce that 137 clients across our group have opted to support this charge, demonstrating a shared commitment to creating a greener future. The total raised through the Green Levy stands at an inspiring £27,184.50, contributed by the 55,000 guests we’re servicing.
WHAT HAS THE GREEN LEVY ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR?
Over the past year, in partnership with you, Smart Group has made a tangible impact both globally and locally, positively affecting the environment and improving lives.
On a global scale, we have created over 30,000 impacts, whether this be through site visit initiatives whereby we’ve automated our giving, or through B1G1’s engagement tool which allows tasting attendees to pick a cause, they’ve all added up! You can track our B1G1 impact in real time via our real time tracker.
Locally, we’ve participated in two carbon-offsetting activities: canoe litter picking and tree planting, supplemented by a donation to Rewilding Britain and volunteer days as picked by individual Smarties.
The Green Levy represents one aspect of our offset pillar, the third pillar in our journey for change. We acknowledge that offsetting must work hand in hand with both measure and reduce, our other pillars.
MORE ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT
Smart Group is fully aligned with the Global Race to Zero campaign. Our aim is to achieve carbon-neutral status by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
To realise this vision, we pledge to annually reduce our group’s total carbon emissions and footprint by at least 5%. This commitment is supported by three pillars: measure, reduce, and offset.
Measure
We employ various policies to measure our environmental impact, including Chef’s Eye for food waste, TRACE for tracking event carbon footprints, and Planet Mark for monitoring transport and energy consumption.
We know waste across the events industry is inevitable, but we’re determined to do the best with the waste we produce. Our efforts in waste management have yielded promising results. Across Evolution, Last Supper, and Moving Venue, 177 tonnes of general waste were converted into energy, powering local communities. Additionally, 26 tonnes of food waste were processed for anaerobic digestion, generating green energy and natural fertilisers for sustainable farming. We achieved an 8% reduction in waste diverted from landfills compared to 2022, resulting in a saving of 237.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to removing approximately 50 cars from the road for a year or planting 5,000 trees.
REDUCE
Through education and proactive measures, we’re empowering our clients to reduce their environmental footprint. Our sales and planning teams advise on minimising food waste by opting for seated dinners and selecting sustainable, seasonal menu options. Soon, we’ll provide carbon footprint information for each dish on our menus, enabling informed decisions. Moreover, we’re implementing measures to discourage late menu changes, as these often lead to additional deliveries and waste.
On the agency side of our business and at Evolution London, our teams are advising clients’ on how to reduce their impact, whether this be by advising on best transport methods to arrive at the venue whilst only working with suppliers with similar sustainability credentials.
