 Reports on the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) abound in the meetings industry media, some declaring it essential for suppliers to develop appropriate policies, others stating that demand for socially responsible events is not as high as some would have us believe. Dublin and its meeting industry suppliers appear on the whole to be adopting the view that CSR and environmental awareness are here to stay – and will not only become increasingly important to clients in the future but will also offer considerable long-term cost savings, opening up new or niche markets while allowing clients to do their part to preserve the global environment and its resources.
As a destination, Dublin was recently awarded the title Fairtrade capital city, following a two-year campaign to attain the coveted status. Council staff, retailers, schools and universities joined the city’s campaign, and around 120 shops and 60 catering outlets across the capital have signed up to sell Fairtrade products. Fairtrade is a growing worldwide movement that promotes the payment of a fair price for products from developing countries in a bid to fight poverty and inequality.
 Some of Dublin’s best-known conference and banqueting venues – such as Trinity College Dublin, the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) and the Guinness Storehouse – are leading the way in terms of CSR approaches. Not only was Trinity awarded with a Certificate of Fairtrade College Status in late 2006, it is also one of four Dublin-based universities that have been working with the e3 Bureau to reduce energy consumption – resulting in total savings over three years exceeding €1million. Dublin’s oldest university also runs an annual Green Week, celebrating nature and providing a forum for staff and students to share ideas on how to protect the environment within and outside college.
One of the innovative measures introduced by the RDS is the installation of a woodchip burner to heat part of the building, helping Dublin’s largest conference venue reduce its carbon footprint and minimise energy costs. The Guinness Storehouse Greening Project involves assessing each department on the three key areas of energy consumption, waste management and recycling practices, with a view to reducing waste outputs by 16%, increasing levels of recycling by a further 13%, and reducing energy consumption by 10.5% in 2008. The venue’s environmental team has already successfully raised €1500 for the development of a new roof garden at the Robert Emmet Community Project, which provides educational, sports and support groups for all members of the local community.
 Hotels were among the first suppliers in the meetings sector to develop comprehensive environmental policies. Dublin hotels across all classifications – such as the five-star Four Seasons Hotel, the Westin and the K Club properties, the four-star Gresham Hotel, and the three-star Jurys Inn Christchurch – implement extensive recycling, energy saving and purchasing measures which benefit their clients, the hotels themselves and the environment as a whole.
O’Callaghan Hotels, which operates three four-star and one three-star property in the Irish capital, entered into partnership with Dalkia Energy Management Services in 2004 which has resulted in the reduction of electricity import by 15%, gas import by over 36% and heat demand by over 36%. O’Callaghans are currently introducing a more in-depth recycling programme in order to reduce domestic waste by up to 50%.
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