As an event planner, take a closer look at the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs for short. Integrating the SDGs into events is an important step on the road to sustainability. With conscious event planning and thanks to sustainable practices, your events can also make an important contribution to solving global problems and at the same time become a role model for sustainability. For this reason, we are presenting "SDG 6 - Clean water and sanitation" to you today.

SDG 6 - Clean water and sanitation

SDG 6 takes into account access to drinking water and sanitation as well as water protection. This includes the

• long-term water availability,
• efficient water use and
• Promotion of water resource management.

What SDG 6 means for events

The sixth sustainability goal of the 2030 Agenda is also intended to encourage you as a player in the event industry to develop more environmentally friendly practices in the use of water and sanitary facilities. In this way, we can work together to achieve the sustainability goals and raise awareness of environmentally friendly practices in our industry.

You as event planners and your service-providing companies can contribute to achieving SDG 6 by focusing on water efficiency, environmentally friendly sanitation technologies and waste reduction.

In addition, enter into partnerships with sustainable organizations and promote awareness-raising measures during your events. As an event planner, you can also promote awareness of clean water. Monitor water consumption at your events, focus on resource efficiency and choose sustainable locations - these aspects also contribute to achieving SDG 6.

These immediate measures at events contribute to SDG 6

Become active. You can actively do this:

Prioritize water efficiency

Locations should analyze water consumption and introduce efficient solutions. For example:

• water-saving, flow-inhibiting fittings,
• Toilet flushing and irrigation systems,
• Collecting and using rainwater
• Use solar technology on roofs and covered parking lots

Optimizing sanitary technologies

As a venue provider, introduce environmentally friendly sanitary solutions such as waterless urinals or dry toilets to reduce water consumption. If you are an event planner, actively ask for such sanitary technologies.

Building partnerships

Cooperation with organizations that are committed to access to clean water can raise awareness and pool resources.

For example, Viva Con Agua, "Water is a human right" and Africa GreenTec provide wells, water supplies and sanitary facilities. In doing so, they help millions of people with their basic and human right to clean water and sanitation.

Or promote Blue Communities, such as the Blue Community Marburg.

Raising awareness during events

Use information stands, interactive displays or workshops to educate visitors about the importance of clean water and sanitation and encourage them to save water.

Collect and analyze data

Monitor water consumption and wastewater emissions to identify potential for improvement. You can also use wastewater heat in locations for heat pumps, for example.

Minimize waste

Limit single-use items and introduce recycling and composting systems. Encourage your visitors to separate their waste and actively reduce the impact on wastewater.

Choose sustainable locations

As an event planner, give preference to locations

• with a good water supply and
• adequate sanitary facilities
• with rainwater harvesting for irrigation and toilet flushing.

Minimize virtual water consumption

Actively increase the proportion of vegetarian products and reduce meat products at your events. In this way, you can significantly reduce your water footprint.

In addition to the measures already mentioned for better handling of the precious resource of water at events, this goal is well suited as an approach for a sustainability strategy - as an offer to the event customer or the organizing agency. Many SDGs are largely dependent on SDG 6.

Industry-specific water issues or corporate innovation strategies can be incorporated into a sustainable event as content, legacy or education.

Events that lead by example

Many events actively promote sustainability, for example:

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (USA)

The festival has implemented water-saving initiatives to reduce water consumption. For example, water-saving toilet flushes. It also promotes the use of reusable water bottles and offers free water refill stations.

Glastonbury Festival (UK)

The festival has successfully taken measures to reduce waste. For example, they have banned single-use plastic bottles and introduced recycling and composting systems.

Green Sports Alliance

This organization promotes sustainable practices in the field of sports and events. They have helped to improve water efficiency in sports stadiums and arenas by optimizing irrigation systems and introducing water-saving technologies.

Rock in Rio Festival

The festival has implemented environmentally friendly sanitation solutions such as biodegradable toilets and waterless urinals to reduce water consumption and wastewater pollution.

Copenhagen Fashion Summit

This annual event, which focuses on sustainability in the fashion industry, has integrated water issues into the discussions. In this way, they have created more awareness of the water impact of fashion production.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020/2021

The organizers have implemented innovative wastewater treatment plants to treat the wastewater from the venues and reintroduce it into the water cycle. This helps to conserve water resources in the region.

These examples show how you as an event organizer can support SDG 6 through concrete measures such as water efficiency, waste reduction, environmentally friendly sanitation solutions and awareness-raising initiatives. Such best practices inspire and contribute to the promotion of a more sustainable event culture.

Conclusion

If sustainable events become the standard, their high reach and variety create enormous potential to change the world in a positive way! This is how - also your? - Events become part of the solution - be an active part of it.

More information

Sabine Böhling, consultant, trainer and lecturer for sustainability and CSR, and Stefan Lohmann, expert for live entertainment concepts and founder of Sustainable Event Solutions, present the 17 SDGs and apply them to events. This series first appeared on tw-media, the meetings industry.

• more about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
• more about the 16 Steps Initiative