Posted on July 16, 2024
Blog
Conferences
Event Management
Driving sustainability at Cliftons
Cliftons takes a multi-faceted approach to our ESG goals, and as a result, we're proud to be awarded the IACC Green Star Certification recently. In particular, our Sydney venue has been awarded the Platinum ranking, the highest level of accreditation, making us one of only six IACC member venues globally to achieve this level and the only Australian venue.
Across our portfolio, we've made changes across venues and our food and beverage services to focus on sustainability and help clients reduce the carbon footprint of business meetings and events.
Making green the default colour for our venues
Many factors go into making an event sustainable, and Cliftons recognises that there's a lot we can do to take the pressure off our clients by ensuring our spaces help tick a lot of boxes to reduce the environmental impact. With this philosophy in mind, we've made several choices and changes to make our venues more environmentally responsible. Here are some examples.
Convenient locations
All Cliftons venues are in CBD locations, just a short walk from public transport hubs. Keeping our venues easily accessible helps to reduce carbon emissions, with no need to drive or take a taxi.
Smart energy controls
We've installed smart controls for lighting, temperature, and even elevator management in our venues, which help reduce energy consumption with automated sensors that turn things off when not required. Across our portfolio, we have an average NABERS rating of 4.5. We are actively working with our building owners to increase this rating by championing improved energy efficiency, building-wide recycling programs, and water and waste reduction.
Cliftons Brisbane won our energy savings competition across all our venues in 2023! Watch their video here.
Prioritising green energy
Across our venues, we're transitioning to green energy, progressively increasing our use as we move towards 100% green energy by 2027.
Encouraging paperless
We've worked to reduce the amount of paper used in our teams by using digital solutions and encouraging clients to do the same. Our suite of event management platforms means we can support you with digital documentation, registrations and signage. In addition, all meeting rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, reducing the need for delegates to be provided with pen and paper. These remain available upon request but are no longer provided at each place setting.
Fresh, sustainable and local catering to lower your impact
With internal food and beverage teams, we've also focused on how conscious event catering can greatly impact your event's carbon footprint. Our team has taken a holistic approach to ensure our food and beverage service supports the sustainability goals both for ourselves and our clients. Here's some of what we're doing.
Sustainable sourcing of fresh and local produce
We've designed our menus to use seasonal ingredients to reduce the carbon impact of travel. We prioritise buying locally to support our communities, focusing on sustainable and ethical products where available. For example, our chefs have recently been using locally caught whiting, which is a well-stocked fish that is sustainably caught, and incorporating native ingredients, which also helps to provide revenue streams to Indigenous growers.
Eliminating single-use plastic
We've worked to reduce the amount of packaging and single-use plastics in our venues through various means. Our initiatives include the following:
- Serving water, juice and other drinks from refillable bottles with self-serve glassware rather than individual plastic bottles
- Phasing out bowls of wrapped mints and sweets, replacing these with a range of delicious self-serve sweet and healthy options in our breakout and café areas
- Prioritising using permanent crockery and serving ware, and when disposable goods are required occasionally, opting for compostable or biodegradable containers and utensils.
Smart portioning to reduce food waste
At a kitchen level, sustainable menu design allows for the crossover of produce in multiple dishes to reduce waste. In addition, crockery and equipment selection help manage waste. For example, while event delegates are welcomed and encouraged to enjoy all the food Cliftons offers, medium-sized plates help reduce food waste. Instead, guests can return for more, ensuring less food ends up in our bins.
Energy-efficient cooking
We've equipped our kitchens with energy-efficient appliances, including using multiple medium-sized ovens to avoid running large pieces of equipment when we only have small volumes to cater for. Our kitchen teams are also trained on cooking techniques to minimise energy consumption, for example, ensuring ovens are full and only run for the required period, cooking in batches, and properly maintaining equipment.
Book your event with sustainability in mind
Our IACC Green Star certification means you can book knowing that Cliftons is there to help you reduce the environmental impact of your event without compromising on quality. Our premium venues tick all the boxes for comfort and functionality, while our food and beverage choices are delicious and nourishing – all while prioritising sustainability. To start planning your next event, reach out to our team for a no-obligation discussion about your goals and how we can bring your event to life.
About Cliftons
Event Solutions
If you’re ready to start bringing your event plans to life, talk to our
team to discuss your goals.
Start with a no-obligation chat about what you want to achieve, and our team can guide you through the services we offer.
In the spirit of reconciliation Cliftons Event Solutions acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
What are you looking for?
