For those responsible for sustainability in an event business, the fact that simply caring about sustainability isn’t enough anymore is probably a fact you have made peace with.
In order to make meaningful change, you need budget, resource and leadership support.
In order to get those, you need to be able to position sustainable event practices in the language of the people you’re trying to convince; risk, revenue and regulation.
This is a practical guide to building that case, using data from the events industry to back it up.
Why values alone won’t unlock leadership buy-in
The events industry is not short of good intentions. 86% of event professionals cite ethical and moral responsibility as their primary motivation for improving their sustainability performance.
While that is a strong foundation, industry data makes it equally clear that ethical motivation doesn’t always convert into action, budget or measurable process.
That’s not to say the leaders within your organisation don’t care. The reality is that caring alone without structure, a dedicated budget, and a carbon measurement process in place doesn’t produce results that are visible, auditable, or defensible to clients and regulators.
The regulatory pressure is already here
Sustainability reporting for events is no longer a future concern. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) already mandates large companies who operate in the EU to disclose Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
By 2027, any non EU company generating over €150 million EU turnover will also be bound to comply with the regulations.
The CSRD has also introduced regulations that mean that listed SMEs with 1,000 or more employees will face mandatory reporting enforced in 2028. Event activity operates within a client’s Scope 3 emissions which means that businesses that run or supply events are already receiving data requests from clients who are obligated to disclose their emissions.
This applies even if your organisation isn’t itself required to report under CSRD or similar regulations. If your larger clients are required to report they’ll still need your data, and not being ready to provide it puts you at risk of losing business.
Not having this data available creates a commercial friction point between event organisations and clients subject to these requirements, and that friction will only increase as reporting thresholds expand.
The Green Claims Directive (GCD) (EU) and the UK Green Claims (UK) add further exposure by banning vague labels and unsubstantiated claims. Businesses found in breach of these regulations now face legal risk, with fines of up to 10% of turnover for non compliance. For leadership teams focused on reputational and legal risk, that is a specific and immediate concern.
Having a strong measurement practice in place positions your business to be able to discuss your progress and commitments with data-led clarity and to ensure public claims are backed with evidence and confidence.
The client demand argument
Brand reputation is a significant motivator for event professionals, with 71% claiming that was the main incentive for improving sustainability performance.
This is already a commercial argument. Clients, sponsors, and partners are putting more pressure on event companies to demonstrate their sustainability qualifications, influenced by their own reporting requirements under frameworks such as the CSRD.
Consumer expectations are shifting rapidly. A 2024 Eventbrite report found that 70% of attendees felt more satisfied and happier after attending sustainable events, and 74% were willing to pay extra for them. For event businesses driven by customer satisfaction and repeat businesses, attendee preference is a crucial yet straightforward revenue consideration.
As the client demand for sustainability grows, the opportunity for businesses is also a source of exposure. Unsubstantiated claims are not just a risk for your businesses, but also for clients who are subject to CSRD and Green Claims Directives regulations. Therefore, clients are increasingly wary of partnering with suppliers whose sustainability claims can’t be verified as these suppliers may be seen as ‘greenwashing.’ The introduction of a measuring practice is not just about compliance, rather it is about ensuring that your sustainability claims can be backed up by data and evidence.
The cost benefit of sustainable event practices
This is often the section that shifts leadership conversations. The ROI of sustainable event practices is increasingly well evidenced, and it goes beyond compliance.
81% of event businesses that have a dedicated sustainability budget have transitioned from early stage event carbon measurement to making meaningful and measurable progress. In contrast, 38% of organisations without a dedicated budget remain in the early stages of their sustainability journey.
A budget is not peripheral to progress. It is the difference between starting and stalling through acting as a financial roadmap, allocating resources and ensuring direction is not lost.
Real world examples from within the industry show where the financial return is most tangible. BMA House, one of the UK’s leading sustainable conference venues, shifted from bespoke catering menus to a standardised set menu approach as a part of its sustainability program. The result: significantly reduced food waste, lower procurement costs, and a day delegate rate of £95 versus £105 for bespoke options, a saving passed directly to clients.
Internal cost analysis highlighted that chicken based menus, which replaced higher carbon red meat options, also delivered a stronger gross profit margin despite being priced lower. Sustainability and commercial performance moved in the same direction.
In terms of energy, transitioning from diesel generators to battery energy storage systems connected to the mains creates a possibility to achieve emission reductions of between 80% to 100%, while also cutting generator rental expenses by around 50% and potentially eliminating fuel costs entirely. For events that have substantial energy budgets, this represents a significant decrease in costs.
The cost of not acting also compounds. Businesses that delay sustainability investment face what the industry describes as “late costs”. “Late costs” include: reactive spend at higher costs, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage that takes longer to recover from than it does to prevent.
The talent and culture argument
The talent picture is relevant for leadership teams thinking about long term business health. Organisations that embed sustainability into job roles across their business are significantly more likely to attract and retain employees, particularly in reference to younger talent acquisitions who factor values into career decisions.
The data is specific; businesses that include sustainability responsibilities in all job roles are three times more likely to consider themselves leaders in sustainability, twice as likely to be measuring their full carbon footprint, and twice as likely to have set carbon reduction targets. The embedding of accountability drives capability, which therefore drives progress.
Your competitors are already moving, don’t get left behind
38% of leading event businesses are already measuring emissions, embedding sustainability into job roles and establishing dedicated sustainability committees, despite only 17% being legally required to report.
These businesses are making a deliberate, strategic choice, which is building competitive advantage in the process.
The question to raise to your leadership team is not whether carbon measurement is necessary. It is whether your organisation wants to lead that shift or spend more catching up with it later.
What you’re actually asking for
When you bring this conversation to your leadership team, be specific about what you are asking. Credible event carbon measurement does not require a large loan or significant upfront investment. It requires a clear methodology, consistent data capture processes embedded into event planning and delivery, and a solid commitment to improving data quality over time. We have a full blog post on where to start, here.
The first year is about establishing a baseline. That baseline is what makes every subsequent conversation with clients, regulators and internal stakeholders more credible while also providing your leadership with the clarity required for informed decision making.
Getting Started
If you are building the case for event carbon measurement, the Event Carbon Measurement Bundle is a practical resource covering what to measure, how to approach data collection and how to integrate consistency into your reporting from the beginning.
