Events industry sustainability body isla has launched an action-focused guide to support meeting and event venues in the transition to Net Zero.

The guide encourages venues to review their sustainability progress, develop short to mid-term sustainability goals and set a realistic but ambitious target to reach Net Zero by 2050 at the latest.

Sustainability in Practice: A Pathway for Venues was created in partnership with VisitBritain Business Events and supported by three leading industry associations: the Association of Event Venues (AEV), the Meetings Industry Association (mia) and beam.

It aims to help venues develop a successful sustainability strategy covering five key areas: Company Operations, Commitments & Communications, Event Deliveries, Measurement & Reporting and Value Chain Engagement. The framework acts as a practical toolkit, brought to life by industry case studies and written drawing on isla’s extensive event industry expertise.

isla CEO & co-founder Anna Abdelnoor said: “Against the backdrop of the climate crisis, venues understand, and acknowledge, the part they must play in creating a Net Zero future. This Pathway gives venues of all sizes the guiding light they need to get there, in a way that is practicable, actionable and transformative for the industry.

VisitBritain head of business events Paul Black added: “This new Pathway will be a valuable tool to support our event venues to identify the key areas to address and implement in their progression to Net Zero, especially during the next critical decade.”

Manchester Central chief executive Shaun Hinds continued: “Sustainability is an ever-increasing part of venue operations, and we can’t afford to take our eyes off the Net Zero target.

“Yet despite its significance, as an industry, we are still grappling with a lack of clarity and understanding as to how to make meaningful, impactful change to help us get there. The isla guide is a useful tool to help us harmonise our thinking and take steps in the right direction, together.”