GovEnergy 2011 Offsets Event Emissions through the Cleaner and Greener® Program

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Madison, Wisconsin - August 9, 2011 - Leonardo Academy announced today that the GovEnergy 2011 Workshop and Tradeshow attained Cleaner and Greener® Platinum certification through the quantification and offset of emissions related to both climate change and human health. GovEnergy 2011 also promoted event sustainability by offering exhibitors the opportunity to assess the sustainability of their exhibiting process by filling out an Exhibitor Sustainability Scorecard. GovEnergy 2011 is being held at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, from August 7-10.

Leonardo Academy’s Cleaner and Greener® program calculated the emissions resulting from energy use for the facilities, travel, meals, and lodging associated with the event and four planning meetings. This year GovEnergy, which is an annual conference for federal energy professionals, drew about 2,500 national and international attendees. The approximately 5,171,793 air passenger miles and 115,919 vehicle miles associated with the event and planning meetings made travel the largest source of event emissions.   In order for an event to earn Cleaner and Greener® Platinum Certification, 100% of greenhouse gas emissions and emissions that affect health must be offset. GovEnergy exceeded this requirement by offsetting 138% of event greenhouse gas emissions, and over 600%, 200% and 500% respectively of sulfur dioxide (SO₂₎, Nitrogen oxide (NOx) and mercury (Hg) emissions.   GovEnergy, has been calculating and certifying its event emissions since 2004. Platinum certification was first achieved in 2010. In 2011, GovEnergy continued its efforts to reduce the event environmental impact of the event by offsetting more than 100% of greenhouse gas emissions and emissions that affect health.   About 11% of the exhibitors at GovEnergy 2011 completed the Exhibitor Sustainability Scorecard developed by Leonardo Academy. The purpose of the scorecard is to raise awareness of the sustainability issues of exhibiting, give exhibitors the opportunity to assess their exhibit’s sustainability, and provide exhibitors ideas for improving their sustainability in the future.   The GovEnergy Workshop and Tradeshow provides a venue for federal agencies to explore ways to meet their mandated sustainability goals at an event that minimizes its own negative impact on the environment by offsetting the emissions associated with it.   Michael Arny, President of Leonardo Academy, said, “The GovEnergy Workshop and Tradeshow is demonstrating its leadership by offsetting both the greenhouse gas emissions and emissions that affect health caused by this event and by encouraging exhibitors to reduce the environmental impacts of their exhibits. Leonardo Academy believes these actions are core components of sustainability good practice for conferences, organizations, companies and government agencies.”   LA15946