Media Information
TOP GREEN GRADING FOR EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
Edinburgh, Scotland, 3 November 2008 – Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), the first purpose built congress venue to achieve a Gold Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), the world’s leading green grading organisation, is also first in its class to retain a top level grading under new broader assessment criteria.
In its auditors report GTBS said of EICC:
“The centre provides a quality of experience second to none in Scotland for conferencing with a strong green ethos. It is a pioneer in green meetings and if its example is followed by others Edinburgh has great potential to become the greenest business tourism destination in the world”.
Commenting on the new criteria Gold Award achievement EICC’s Sandy Maxwell-Forbes said:
“Holding the highest independently assessed green grading is a vital component of our forward business strategy. With European governments committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 every association and corporate meeting, booking now, is mindful that they have a role to play in achieving this target.”
Echoing the sentiment GTBS managing director Andrea Nicholas said:
“Social accountability is a growing feature of business decision making and particularly in the business tourism market segment we are seeing more inquiries from companies looking for credible and recognised endorsement of their products and services.”
Welcoming EICC’s new green grading award Robin Worsnop, managing director of Rabbie's Trail Burners and Edinburgh Tourism Action Group champion of Sustainable Tourism Strategy said:
"It is fantastic to see the Edinburgh International Conference Centre demonstrating great leadership in the city's efforts to beafront runner of sustainable tourism destinations in the world. Suchachievements enhanceEdinburgh's profile and give us competitive advantage in today's ever challenging business environment."
The Green Tourism Business Scheme’s new criteria for assessment includes over 150 individual measures focussed on ten operational areas, ranging from energy and waste efficiency to social involvement and communication.
EICC’s client facing sustainability programme is branded Plan-it Green and includes a unique carbon calculator that gives conference organisers a CO2 rating for planned meetings and a certified carbon sequestration option to offset environmental impacts. The programme uses a carbon sink of new native woodland, across the south of Scotland.
Ends
Notes to editors:
- EICC is one of only two congress venues in the world to be accredited with the ISO 14001 environmental management standard
- Information on EICC’s Plan-it Green sustainability programme can be found at
- Information the Green Tourism Business Scheme new grading criteria can be found at
- EICC is a company with a single shareholder, City of Edinburgh Council
- Green Tourism Business Scheme is the world’s largest green grading organisation with almost 2000 members
Issued on behalf of EICC by Metropublic Communications Consultants. For further information please contact:
John GerrieSandy Maxwell-Forbes
+44 (0) 131 338 6878 (Direct)+44 (0) 131 519 4093 (Direct)
+44 (0) 7876 216850 (Mobile)
ICC Marketing
Metropublic, Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland
Visit EICC on the web at
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