What does "Going Green" mean? How can urologists play their part?

Going green has become a familiar expression in many organizations and communities, but what does this mean and, more importantly, does this make an actual difference to the global community?

 Going green simply means adopting practices and policies that reduce environmental impact and waste. With a majority of scientists in agreement that global warming is caused by human activity¹, many are looking for ways to work toward a cleaner future. This is especially the case for those in healthcare, who may even witness firsthand some of the negative health impacts of global warming².

Large events or gatherings, like educational congresses, can cause significant damage to the environment³. This is why SIU has committed to gradually changing our operations to use products, work with suppliers and follow sustainable practices to reduce our negative impact on the environment. This initiative is supported by representatives of global events, tourism and sustainability bodies and was launched in 2019 to "guide event organisers worldwide to embrace and implement sustainable practices."

Here are some of the ways SIU has committed to going green:

• Ceasing production of the large final programme to reduce paper use, environmental impact of production and shipping. The programme will instead be available digitally and SIU will replace with an enhanced programme-at-a-glance booklet and a more comprehensive Congress app.
• Reducing the amount of shipping related to promotional and printed items and other materials.
• Congress Lanyards will now be made of 100% recycled materials.
• Green eco-friendly badge paper will be used.
• The SIU will do its best to purchase locally, wherever possible
• The SIU will donate leftover supplies to local charities/schools
• Emphasize working with onsite suppliers with green initiatives already in place (hotels, decorators, shipping/freight suppliers)
• Encouraging suppliers to evaluate their environmental footprint
• Selection of "green venues" such as this year's Conference Centre: https://congresmtl.com/en/convention-center/sustainable-development/
• Future initiatives: digital certificates for attendance, presentation and accreditation

With the increasing shift in priorities to ensure sustainability, the SIU is confident that there will continue to be new and innovative ways to move forward on the journey to a sustainable event, without detracting from its educational value.

Have you seen other approaches at events you have attended? Do you have other ideas on changes that can be made? Let us know: [email protected]

 

 

1https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
2https://reliefweb.int/report/world/lancet-climate-change-injuring-health-children-worldwide-and-threatening-lifelong
3http://www.eventimpacts.com/impact-types/environmental