SUSTAINABILITY

Prioritising Sustainability

We have always been determined to ensure the sustainability of our 2023 Conference and have worked with event planners, First Event to minimise its environmental impact.

As transport makes up 15% of global CO2 emissions, ameliorating the impact of delegate travel was a priority. We have partnered with Mannok to help offset some of the carbon emissions resulting from these flights.

Mannok’s “Kick the Carbon” live tree-planting programme, which will see the company plant tens of thousands of trees over the next decade/ Trees act as a “biological sink” by taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Mannok won the Best Sustainability Initiative Award at UK Construction Week in 2021, for the first phase of this programme planting trees by their Crievehill Quarry in Northern Ireland. Together with Mannok we will be planting 450 trees – one for each Conference delegate.

The Swissotel was selected both for the quality of its accommodation and its commitment to sustainability, and we have reduced the use of single use materials, for example by using refillable water bottles and glass jugs rather than plastic bottles.

We are also using digital screens wherever possible to reduce printed branding and signage. Where this is not possible, we are using local suppliers and recyclable materials. With no shipping necessary, no extra emissions are created.

Conference Venue

We have selected a venue that is aligned with our sustainability goals. Swissotel firmly believes that successful business and corporate responsibility for sustainable development go hand-in-hand. 

  • Most products used by the hotel are biodegradable.
  • The hotel amenities and toiletries are in biodegradable packaging.
  • Tree planting initiative, a program by Accor, donated 1,026 trees in 2021 and overall 3,373 trees. For the fires that occurred in Turkey in 2021, the hotel donated 10,279 trees to the TEMA foundation.
  • Carbon neutral buildings, water consumption, and energy consumption
    • The hotel burns natural gas to produce their own electricity or uses an externally sourced company that produces energy from windmills.
    • To limit the consumption of water, all areas with sinks, showers, and toilets are implemented with a low consuming piece of equipment that will eliminate excess water usage.
    • They work with a grey water system, all water that is used for the showers and sinks are collected after treatment and utilised for irrigation.
  • Healthy and sustainable food, a program by Accor, aims to maintain sustainability and an eco-friendly environment within its companies. With this program Swissotel, The Bosphorus;
    • Fights against food waste
    • Banned the use of overfished species
    • Offer responsibly produced food
    • Installed an urban vegetable garden
    • Against usage of palm oil
  • The hotel is involved with many community projects:
    • The owner of Swissotel The Bosphorus has his own Non-Profit Organisation called AÇEV. They work with children, parents, and young women in order to build educational programs.
    • SOS Children’s Villages work with communities and state partners to provide children with loving and supportive alternative care. The Swissotel has been partnering with and supporting them for 20 years.
    • They give tennis lessons to children with Down syndrome.
    • During the pandemic, they opened their doors to 2,000 doctors and nurses. Providing free accommodation and food to 4,000 medical staff.
    • They provide leftover food to animal shelters to avoid food waste.