Sustainability is now a key part of the EFP’s mission and underpins the EuroPerio10 congress that will take place at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen on June 15-18.
Following last year’s launch of the its Sustainability Manifesto, the EFP and its professional conference organiser Mondial Congress & Events have sought to turn EuroPerio10 into one of the world’s most sustainable congresses.
The sustainable goals established for EuroPerio10 include:
- Reducing CO2 emissions: (1) All speakers who need to take a plane to attend the congress will carbon-compensate their flights. (2) All EuroPerio10 attendees will receive public-transport tickets as part of their registration, enabling them to get around Copenhagen.
- Reducing printed materials: The aim is to reduce the number of printed materials for the congress by 50% and all printed materials will be made from recycled paper. The message is “we think before we print” and are mindful of digital alternatives so that only essential materials will be printed. The congress lanyards will be made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and many of the congress signs will be based on cardboard, which can easily be recycled. As a result of all this, the overall waste produced by the congress will be significantly reduced.
- Local food: Adopting the motto “sustainability goes through the stomach”, the EuroPerio10 coffee breaks will feature only food that is sourced locally, as close to the Bella Centre as possible. And there are plenty of organic and otherwise sustainable restaurant options in the city of Copenhagen for EuroPerio10 attendees to enjoy, which are outlined in the “Sustainability at EuroPerio10” section of the EFP website.
Copenhagen is one of the most sustainable cities in the world and has set the goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025. It has a great public transport system and is very much a frontrunner in terms of green solutions.
As the mission statement in the EFP’s Sustainability Manifesto declares: “Sustainability is more than an environmental issue – it is a broader challenge that affects everything and everyone on the planet […] We believe passionately that sustainability is a critical component of our portfolio and mission, and the future of long-term prosperity.”
The EFP encourages EuroPerio10 attendees and all members of its national societies of periodontology to help spread the word on sustainability via social media using the hashtag #EFPlanet.