The BestCities Global Alliance is taking bold steps to redefine sustainability in the events industry. As a signatory of the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge, the alliance is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. By integrating innovative strategies and measurable goals, their Global Forum is setting new standards for sustainable event management.Setting Our Commitment: The Path to Net Zero
The BestCities Global Alliance is actively shaping a sustainable future for the events industry through its participation in the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge. As a signatory, the alliance has formally committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
We are using our annual Global Forum as a practical and influential platform to set new standards for sustainable event management, integrating innovative strategies and measurable goals to drive meaningful change. This report details our latest progress on this critical journey, showcasing transparent data and key learnings from our most recent gathering.
Emissions Inventory Global Forum Melbourne 2024
The Emissions Inventory was as follows:
Event Space Emissions
Total Emissions: 71.47 tCO₂e
Venue Areas:
– Level 2 Foyer, MCEC: 18.02 tCO₂e (19.3%)
– Boundary Line: 14.70 tCO₂e (15.8%)
– Horizon Room: 12.56 tCO₂e (13.5%)
– Aerial: 11.23 tCO₂e (12.1%)
– Others: 15.96 tCO₂e (17.9%)
Attendee Travel & Stay Emissions
Total Emissions: 53.76 tCO₂e
– Air (Long Haul): 44.64 tCO₂e (83.0%)
– Hotel Stay: 6.35 tCO₂e (11.8%)
Meal Emissions:
Total Emissions: 1.71 tCO₂e
– Mixed Buffet: 1.44 tCO₂e (84.6% of meal emissions)
Waste Management:
– Waste Generated: 433kg
– Waste Emissions: 0.5% of total event emissions.
Building on Our Benchmark: The 2025 Global Forum in Dublin
The 2025 Global Forum in Dublin represents our first opportunity to implement targeted strategies based on the Melbourne benchmark, including optimizing the event duration and selecting a location with different logistical advantages. Building on the foundation established at the 2024 Global Forum, the Dublin event marks our first annual review and a direct implementation of key learnings. This iterative process of measurement, analysis, and improvement is central to our strategy.
The key sustainability metrics for the Dublin event are as follows:
• Event: BestCities Global Forum 2025
• Location: Dublin
• Duration: 3 Days
• Attendees: 59
• Total CO2 Emissions: 74 tn
• Total Trees Planted: 450
This overview provides a high-level snapshot of the event’s environmental footprint. The following section offers a detailed emissions inventory to ensure full transparency.
Dublin 2025: A Transparent Emissions Inventory
A detailed emissions inventory is essential for maintaining transparency with our partners and for strategically identifying the most impactful areas for future reduction efforts. This section provides a comprehensive breakdown of the total carbon footprint from the Dublin Global Forum, categorized by the primary sources of emissions.
Travel and accommodation consistently represent a significant portion of an international event’s carbon footprint. The primary sources within this category were:
• Air (Long Haul): 75.4%
• Air (Medium Haul): 9.6%
• Air (Short Haul): 7.2%
• Hotel: 6.6%
• Other: 1.2%
Food and beverage choices have a direct impact on an event’s emissions. For the Dublin forum, the breakdown was as follows:
• Mixed Buffet: 81.2%
• Beer: 6.3%
• Tea / Coffee: 5.8%
• Wine: 3.0%
• Soft Drinks: 2.7%
• Other: 1.1%
The energy consumption of venues and the management of waste are key operational factors in our emissions calculation.
• Wicklow Hall CCD: 28.4%
• Croke Park: 12.5%
• Exam Hall TCD: 12.3%
• Liffey Corner EPIC: 2.5%
• Higgins Suite: 2.0%
• Robinson Suite: 2.0%
• Waste: 40.3%
The lifecycle of promotional materials contributes to the overall footprint.
• Clothing: 89.6%
• Lanyards: 10.4%
While promotional items were a minor contributor to our overall footprint, this category represents a change from our 2024 benchmark event, where no promotional items were produced. We will evaluate the impact and necessity of such items for future forums.
Understanding this detailed inventory allows us to formulate a robust and credible compensation strategy to address these unavoidable emissions.
BUILDING ON OUR BENCHMARK: THE 2026 GLOBAL FORUM IN GUADALAJARA
The 2026 Global Forum in Guadalajara marked the next milestone in our annual benchmarking process. Each host destination provides measurable insights that strengthen our pathway toward Net Zero by 2050.
The Key Global Forum Data are:
• Dates: 5–8 February 2026
• Primary Venue: JW Marriott Guadalajara
• Number of Attendees: 58
• Total Emissions: 155.07 tCO2e
• Trees for Compensation: 945
• Total Compensation Cost: US$2,362.50
• Climate Contribution: US$40.73 per delegate
For transparency, waste (457 kg) and event space (5,725 m²) figures are based on industry averages and serve as estimated benchmarks.
GUADALAJARA 2026: A TRANSPARENT EMISSIONS INVENTORY
A detailed breakdown of emissions enables us to identify impact concentrations and implement targeted reduction strategies for future forums.
- Teatro Degollado: 64.41 tCO2e (80.5 percent of venue emissions)
- JW Marriott meeting spaces: 9.05 tCO2e
- Hacienda del Carmen: 2.58 tCO2e
- Other sites (including Tolsá Chapel and Velaria JAPI): 3.13 tCO2e
The disparity between historic and modern infrastructure highlights the influence of venue energy systems on overall carbon intensity.
- Long-haul air travel: 65.27 tCO2e (91.6 percent of travel emissions)
- Medium-haul air travel: 3.23 tCO2e
- Car travel: 1.94 tCO2e
- Other local transfers: 791.07 kg CO2e
International aviation remains the most significant structural contributor to overall emissions.
- Total F&B emissions: 2.16 tCO2e
- Mixed buffet format: 81.2 percent of F&B footprint
The inclusion of red meat and bottled water continues to drive carbon intensity within this category.
Lifecycle emissions were calculated for all produced items:
- Lanyards: 543.51 kg CO2e
- Water: 185.29 kg CO2e
- Bags: 66.70 kg CO2e
Tracking these impacts supports more responsible procurement decisions in future host cities.
The BestCities Global Forum Guadalajara inventory reinforces two critical insights for future forums.
First, venue infrastructure plays a decisive role in overall carbon intensity, as demonstrated by the significant contribution of Teatro Degollado.
Second, long-haul aviation continues to represent the most substantial structural challenge within international gatherings.
These findings reinforce the importance of continued measurement, transparent reporting, and data-led decision-making as BestCities progresses toward its 2030 and 2050 milestones.
Our Compensation and Mitigation Strategy
Our sustainability strategy follows a dual approach: we compensate for unavoidable emissions from our events while actively developing strategies to reduce them in the future. For the Guadalajara Global Forum, we have compensated for a total of 155.07 tonnes of CO2. This is achieved through direct investment in high-impact United Nations Certified Emissions Reduction (CER) programs, ensuring our contributions are verified and effective.
The specific project we supported is a renewable energy initiative in China, which features 48 wind turbines that produce 49.9 megawatts of clean energy. This investment directly displaces fossil fuel-based energy production, contributing to global decarbonization efforts.
In addition to carbon credits, we embrace reforestation as a complementary, long-term climate solution. Through our partnership with Trees4Travel, we plant trees to help rewild our planet. This approach combines immediate, certified carbon offsetting with a tangible investment in future ecological health, ensuring we take comprehensive action on both immediate and long-term climate goals. To quantify the impact of these evolving strategies, the following section provides a direct comparison between our Dublin 2025 event and our Melbourne 2024 benchmark.
Measuring Our Progress: Guadalajara vs. Dublin vs. Melbourne
Tracking emissions year on year allows BestCities to benchmark performance across host destinations and assess progress toward our 2030 and 2050 targets. While each Global Forum operates under different geographic, infrastructure, and travel conditions, comparing key metrics provides critical insight into carbon intensity, operational efficiency, and compensation impact.
The table below outlines the core performance indicators for Melbourne 2024, Dublin 2025, and Guadalajara 2026.
| Metric | Melbourne 2024 | Dublin 2025 | Guadalajara 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 4 Days | 3 Days | 4 Days |
| Total Attendees | 55 | 59 | 58 |
| Total CO2 Emissions (tn) | 149 tn | 74 tn | 155.07 tn |
| CO2 Emissions per Attendee (tn) | 2.71 tn | 1.25 tn | 2.67 tn |
| Total Cost for Compensation | US$2,265.00 | US$1,125.00 | US$2,362.50 |
| Compensation Cost per Attendee | US$41.18 | US$19.06 | US$40.73 |
The comparison illustrates the complexity of decarbonising international events. Dublin achieved a significant reduction in total emissions and emissions per attendee, largely influenced by event duration and travel patterns. Guadalajara, while similar in duration to Melbourne, recorded higher total emissions primarily due to venue energy demand and the continued dominance of long haul air travel.
These annual benchmarks strengthen our ability to identify impact concentrations, refine mitigation strategies, and maintain transparency as we progress toward our commitment of a 50 percent reduction by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.
Our Unwavering Commitment to the Future
The year-on-year comparison across Melbourne, Dublin, and Guadalajara demonstrates both measurable progress and operational complexity in decarbonising international events. Dublin achieved a significant reduction in per-attendee emissions, supported by shorter duration and the efficiencies of a compact host city.
Guadalajara, by contrast, illustrates how venue energy demand and increased in-destination transportation can influence overall carbon intensity, alongside the continued impact of long-haul aviation. These variations reinforce an important reality: host city infrastructure, geography, and mobility patterns materially shape event emissions.
These findings are not setbacks, but essential insights. They validate the importance of detailed measurement, transparent reporting, and continuous refinement of our sustainability strategy. Each forum strengthens our understanding of where emissions concentrate and how targeted operational decisions can drive meaningful reduction.
BestCities remains firmly committed to the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge and our target of a 50 percent reduction by 2030, on the pathway to net zero emissions by 2050. We will continue to innovate, collaborate across the global meetings ecosystem, and lead with accountability.
BestCities Global Alliance is a proud support of the Net Zero Carbon Pledge for the Events Industry.
The BestCities Global Alliance action plan breakdown and annual reporting grid can be found here.
