Customers are increasingly choosing events from companies that prioritize eco-friendly practices. Especially this time of the year, the need to plan sustainable events makes even more sense.
Despite being associated with joy and happiness, holiday celebrations have a significant environmental impact. In the UK alone, households are expected to create around 12 million tons of plastic waste during Christmas. Companies that think smart know how to turn this challenge into an opportunity by planning events with sustainability in mind.
ESG-friendly celebrations do not necessarily mean helping the environment. Supporting green companies has been on the mind of most customers, so now event teams are looking at how to cut down their event’s environmental footprint.
The following guide is a helpful reminder to ESG teams that search for practical ways to organize holiday events that positively impact not only the environment but also boost social value.
Organizations need to link their environmental and social values with event planning to create truly eco-friendly holiday celebrations. ESG-compliant events show a company’s steadfast dedication to global sustainability efforts and corporate social responsibility at both personal and industry levels.
Success in sustainable events starts with knowing what an organization values most, so learning about your company’s specific ESG standards puts you ahead of the majority of organizations.
A holiday event planning should identify ESG elements that match the company’s corporate mission. It is suggested to focus on one or two ESG ideas at first instead of trying everything at once. To name just one example, a company might reduce food-related carbon emissions by choosing local vegetables over imported options.
Setting clear sustainability goals creates accountability after priorities are set. Toby Usnik, author of The Caring Economy, suggests exploring success through a “triple-bottom-line” measure: growing your people, making money, and helping the planet. Clear, measurable targets provide ways to evaluate success. This means tracking carbon emissions from transportation, energy consumption at venues, the percentage of locally sourced materials, or food waste reduction percentages.
It is vital to make environmental effects a priority from the start, instead of adding them later. This can happen through the setup of systems that measure water, energy, and paper use along with waste output to collect accurate ESG data.
What matters in these sustainability efforts is how authentic a company can be. Nearly 78% of consumers stop buying from companies that mistreat the environment, employees, or community. Holiday events should reflect the organization’s genuine commitment rather than superficial “greenwashing” attempts.
Planning sustainable events during holidays requires careful planning from the start. Every decision should incorporate green initiatives from the outset, rather than adding them later.
The right sustainable venue can cut an event’s environmental footprint significantly. Explore spaces that have earned certifications like LEED, BREEAM, or Green Seal. These venues come equipped with energy-efficient systems, waste reduction programs, and eco-friendly features that make your green event easier to run. Before finalizing any booking, ask about the venue’s sustainability policy and past event metrics. Key features to think over include the use of renewable energy sources, on-site recycling and food waste programs, public transportation that is easily reachable, and natural lighting that consumes less energy.
The Seattle Convention Center, for example, in the United States, holds LEED Platinum certification and sets high environmental standards.
A complete waste management strategy aims to minimize an event’s effect on the environment. Beginning with a waste audit can help spot potential waste sources. Recycling and composting throughout the venue should be clear with multiple marked stations. The venue staff should be in cooperation with the sustainability team to ensure proper waste handling. Many sustainable events reach “zero waste” status by diverting at least 90% of materials from landfills through smart reduction, recycling, composting, and reusing.
Choosing strategic partners plays a great role in an event’s ecological footprint. Working with vendors who have clear sustainability policies and goals is important. For food service, caterers who use local, seasonal, and organic ingredients and offer plant-based options should be considered. It is wise to discuss with potential vendors about their waste reduction plans, packaging choices, and whether they’ll take back or recycle materials after the event. Building strong relationships with sustainable suppliers creates lasting environmental benefits for all the future events.
All employees are invited to participate in successful ESG implementation, as their role is important. Employees, usually from Gen Z, prefer working for companies that share their values. Sustainable events during holidays provide excellent opportunities to strengthen everyone’s commitment to green practices.
Holiday volunteering builds meaningful community connections while supporting ESG goals. Companies can organize environmental cleanups at local parks or beaches to restore natural habitats and build environmental awareness. Teams can deliver flower arrangements to nursing homes or take leftover food to shelters after holiday events. These charitable activities showcase company values and create lasting team memories. Some holiday-specific volunteer opportunities include creating care packages with essential winter items or gift-wrapping services to raise funds for the community.
Educational workshops help employees learn practical knowledge and skills to implement green practices. These sustainability workshops help bridge the gap between corporate goals and individual actions. Some popular topics include zero-waste office organizations and sustainable holiday celebrations.
Teams can develop future sustainability plans and assess experimental actions through follow-up sessions after the original workshops. This method creates lasting behavioral changes that continue beyond the holiday season.
Transportation remains a major source of emissions, and sustainable commuting becomes more important during busy holiday periods. Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by creating commuting challenges where employees try alternatives like biking, public transit, or carpooling.
Public transit gives people valuable time to read or rest while someone else drives. Companies can boost participation by offering transit passes or bike gear as rewards for top performers. Internal sign-up sheets or corporate intranets make it easy to organize ride-sharing when driving is needed.
Employee participation in ESG efforts creates a workplace culture that values sustainability beyond seasonal celebrations. Small individual actions add up to make a big environmental impact.
Sustainable events’ ESG cycle ends with measuring and reporting its impact. Good intentions become tangible proof of environmental commitment through effective measurement.
Complete data collection makes sustainable event management work. Tools like TRACE and the Green Events Tool (GET) help collect emission and waste information arranged with global standards such as the GHG Protocol.
Setting a baseline and reducing emissions over time will give a meaningful measure. The Paris Agreement recommends a 50% reduction target by 2030. Companies’ progress against their baseline provides the most accurate picture of improvement. Per-attendee metrics can mislead if your event grows each year.
Stakeholder trust demands zero greenwashing in your ESG communications. Set clear, practical, and quantifiable sustainability targets that show genuine environmental commitment. Every claim needs verifiable data to back it up. Vague buzzwords like “eco-friendly” without evidence signal greenwashing immediately.
Credibility grows through transparent reporting. Authentic commitment shines through regular communication that shows both positive outcomes and challenges. Sustainability achievements after your event—such as pounds of food donated or gallons of compost created—prove real green measures.
The core team stays motivated through effective stakeholder communication. This sets priorities and improves operations continuously. Your internal stakeholders become part of the solution when they feel informed and involved in sustainability efforts, rather than having change forced upon them.
Ultimately, sustainable events during holidays aren’t about chasing perfection. They are mostly about making a few high-impact choices that align with the company’s ESG priorities and can be repeated year after year. When teams set clear targets, choose responsible partners, engage employees, and measure results honestly, celebrations become more than a seasonal moment: they become a practical way to build trust, reduce impact, and strengthen culture. Starting small while documenting what worked can help to use each event as a stepping stone toward a more credible, data-driven ESG approach.
