Sustainability Mandate
Prioritizing sustainability is critical to the BUILDEX team, and parent company Informa as we understand the environmental impact of the events industry. BUILDEX strives to identify, understand and address these impacts to achieve continual improvement year after year.
Not only are we committed to running our events in an environmentally and socially responsible way, but we also strive to go further and inspire the sustainable development of the industry we serve, and the community we foster. BUILDEX Alberta is powered by renewable electricity, helping us in our journey towards Net Zero.
Learn More
Our Progress
- Successfully partnered with Habitat For Humanity at BUILDEX Vancouver 2022 to collect building material donations for reuse. Read more here.
- Eliminated printed show guides from the event
- Removing the aisle carpet from all annual BUILDEX events.
- Tracking all wastage and energy use from our events.
- At BUILDEX Vancouver 2022 we increased our diversion rate to 57%, 12% higher when compared with our 2020 event.
- Purchasing renewable energy to offset our carbon emissions for each BUILDEX event.
- Reducing materials and giveaways (“swag") ordered for the event.
Goals
Here at BUILDEX we have a lot of goals, some short-term whilst others are looking forward into the future. Over 80% of our attendees say it is important that our event is run in a sustainable way, and we agree.
This year, BUILDEX Alberta will focus on three fundamental goals:
- Improve Waste Diversion:
Reduce single-use plastics through the use of refillable water stations located on both the show floor and in session rooms. Please bring a refillable water bottle with you! - Increase Representation:
Our goal is to guarantee a balance of different genders, races, ages, ethnicities, abilities, and educational backgrounds across the conference speaker faculty. - Create Greater Local Impact:
Establish a new impactful partnership to support wellbeing, equality, accessibility, and respect for all through a local community organization in Calgary.
Venue Support
- Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) is a LEED silver certified facility.
- Housing an array of solar panels, reducing the draw on fossil fuels by more than 10,000 kWh per year.
- The first building in Alberta to be certified by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Go Green, the CTCC has shown its commitment to sustainability for over 25 years.
- The CTCC has also received the Clean Air Award in 2019 and in 2021 by the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA.)
- The CCTC uses responsible environmental practices. By utilizing advanced building management systems and HVAC controls, operating extensive recycling and composting programs and using energy efficient lighting and low-flow toilets and urinals.
- The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre is the first Rainbow Registered Convention Centre in Canada. The CTCC meets a stringent set of standards to ensure LGBT+ customers feel safe, welcomed, and accepted.
TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN HELP!
Attendees
- Travel to BUILDEX using public transit or carpool.
- Bring a reusable water bottle to refill.
- While on-site please use the waste/recycling/composting bins correctly.
- Scan the QR codes onsite to access the online show planner.
- Support our community partner.
- Attend the content based around sustainability.
Exhibitors
- Reduce physical handouts, opt for a QR code instead.
- Reuse and recycle your booth and signage. Create signage without dates so it can be reused.
- Avoid materials such as foam, plastic, and chemicals or adhesives.
- Use energy efficient LED lights whenever possible to highlight areas and products within your booth, while keeping energy consumption minimal.
- During Move-In/Move Out ensure you utilize the cardboard & hard/soft plastic recycling bins. If elements of your display cannot be recycled — consider donating re-usable material to companies like Habitat for Humanity.
Carbon Footprint
At Informa, we are reducing our carbon footprint by increasing our efficiency, making and purchasing renewable energy, and making smart choices in how we travel. To compensate for emissions we can’t yet avoid, we help others reduce their emissions through carbon offset projects. Our work with Natural Capital Partners supports a range of certified, audited projects around the world that absorb or avoid greenhouse gases being emitted. Read further here.
FasterForward to Zero
FasterForward is Informa’s approach to sustainability, moving faster to become a zero waste and net zero carbon business.
A series of activities and commitments carried out between 2020-2025 will ensure our events become ever more sustainable, delivering a truly positive impact to the markets we serve. We will also actively help our partners, customers and wider markets to achieve the same.
Our FasterForward commitments include:
- Become carbon neutral across our events by 2025
- Halve the waste generated through our events by 2025
- Embed sustainability inside 100% of our events by 2025
See the full list of commitments and find out more
DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY AT BUILDEX
For BUILDEX to remain relevant for the next generation of leaders, we must push diversity hard at every turn, changing established thinking. And giving access to opportunities where you can learn more about each other and topics that drive change is our goal. Everything we do goes towards creating the ultimate experience: making a safe, inclusive space for people to gather and celebrate together.
TREATY NUMBER 7
BUILDEX Alberta is taking place in the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre which is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Iyarhe Nakoda.
Calgary is situated on land where the Bow River meets the Elbow River, and the traditional Blackfoot name of this place is “Mohkinstsis”. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.