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Best practices: the IACC’s green commitment

The International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) released a rigorous Code of Sustainability to its members. Though it is not a requirement for all members, the code is intended to promote a more sustainable way of doing business. Organizations that agree to sign the policy must already have active green measures in place, or be willing to implement the policy’s recommended practices.

The code consists of 59 tenets within nine areas — education and awareness, waste management, recycling, reuse, water conservation, purchasing, energy management, air quality, and food and beverage — which determine an organization’s commitment to efficient eco-practices.

According to Lois Berg, chair of IACC’s Sustainability Committee, the code will “allow member properties to commit to sustain and support IACC’s Environmental Policy, adhere to at least 75 percent of the tenets of the Code, and join other member organizations that have signed the Code in a global, association-wide effort to strive for greater sustainability.”

Currently, 38 properties have signed the code, which recognizes efforts in three levels: platinum, which requires 100 percent of the code’s tenets to be in place; gold, which requires 85 percent to be in place; and silver, which requires 75 percent to be in place.