5 tips for successful green meetings that are culturally appropriate

The guide outlines five strategies for implementing 'green meetings' in Asia, focusing on overcoming cultural barriers where offering less can be seen as 'poor'. Key recommendations include engaging leadership early, reforming travel cultures to reduce flights, supporting local communities through sustainable tourism, eliminating single-use plastics and disposables, and using digital tools like event apps to reduce printing and encourage participation.

• Organizing sustainable meetings in Asia is complicated by cultural settings where reducing offerings or resources can be interpreted as being "poor" or demonstrating a "lack of respect".
• Air travel is often the only viable option for meetings in Asia due to poor infrastructure; for example, a trip between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City takes 5.5 hours by car but only 50 minutes by flight, with no train option available.
• To reduce the carbon footprint of travel, the author suggests implementing flexible "claiming systems" that allow for combined trips and multiple stops to eliminate unnecessary flights, alongside providing minimal per diems aligned with local expenses.
• To combat 'throwaway culture' and the use of disposable mugs and plastic bottles, organizers should be specific with venues about requiring natural light, china plates, and non-disposable serviettes.
• Digital tools and event apps can reduce the environmental impact of printed materials and help overcome cultural barriers to open questioning during meetings.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2019). 5 tips for successful green meetings that are culturally appropriate. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/5-tips-for-successful-green-meetings-that-are-culturally-appropriate/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. 5 tips for successful green meetings that are culturally appropriate. 2019. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/5-tips-for-successful-green-meetings-that-are-culturally-appropriate/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=5 tips for successful green meetings that are culturally appropriate |date=30 September 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/perspectives/5-tips-for-successful-green-meetings-that-are-culturally-appropriate/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2019tips, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{5 tips for successful green meetings that are culturally appropriate}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/perspectives/5-tips-for-successful-green-meetings-that-are-culturally-appropriate/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }