In line with its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, ITU is undertaking efforts to make PP-18 as "green" as possible. 

Travel

To achieve the overall goal of a climate neutral conference (which has become standard practice for the United Nations events), the amount of GHG emissions generated in connection with the sessions will be reduced to the extent possible. Yet, certain emissions - such as those associated with travel, which is responsible for the lion’s share of the overall footprint - remain unavoidable and will therefore be offset.

ITU has purchased carbon offsets for the travel of staff to service the Plenipotentiary Conference and strongly encourages all delegates to do the same where possible.

Emissions generated by air travel can be calculated using ICAO's official calculator.

Emirates Airlines has one of the most modern, quietest, lowest-emissions fleets in the world, with an average age of just over 6 years.  More information may be found here.

Accommodation

The Host Country has made great efforts to ensure a choice of hotels with good sustainability credentials and which are close to the metro stations.

  • If possible, choose a hotel that operates in an environmentally responsible manner (e.g. sustainable energy management and reuse of towels and linens).
  • Choose a hotel close to public transport.

Paperless

  • All official documents, including the Final Acts, can be downloaded from itu.int/pp/documents.
  • The schedule of meetings may be found on the PP-18 website. 
  • The calendar of all social events will also be posted on the website and on electronic screens at the Conference.
  • To reduce the amount of GHG emissions generated in connection with the Conference, and with a view to further reducing paper usage and wastage at the Conference, participants are strongly encouraged to send any campaign brochures to ppelections@itu.int in order to be posted on the PP-18 website.
  • Consider eliminating the use of paper business cards. Many smartphone apps support sharing digital business cards that are automatically updated in case of changes, or scanning and storing personal information received from others. 

Energy

  • As per past practice, the target average temperature for all indoor areas of the official venue will be 22 degrees Celsius. It should be noted that, due to the dimensions of the Conference and the nature of the different buildings and structures, it may not be possible to avoid certain variations between different buildings/rooms and in the course of any given day.
  • Most of DWTC halls and public areas have now been equipped with LED lighting fixtures. The lighting and air conditioning operating hours are strictly controlled and the operating hours depend on the time of year and the event hours.
  • Participants are requested to turn off room lights and ventilation as well as ICT equipment when not in use, enabling energy-saving features both in conference and hotel rooms.

Food and Beverage

  • Water dispensers available throughout the conference venue may be used with reusable bottles.
  • DWTC is committed to reduce the food waste and, in conjunction with that initiative, all excess and leftover food items that are still in good condition are given to Food Bank – Charity Organizations. DWTC has signed a MOU with Food Bank – Dubai Municipality to support this initiative.
  • The UAE Food Bank is a non-profit charitable organization launched 14 January 2017 under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). It is committed to distributing food to those in need while eliminating food waste by collaborating with local authorities as well as local and international charities to create a comprehensive ecosystem to efficiently store, package and distribute excess fresh food from. It is the first Food Bank in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Municipality oversees the criteria used by the UAE Food Bank to ensure that food hygiene and safety regulations are adopted in all steps of the process, including collecting, storing, and distributing the meals. It also oversees the management and operation of the Food Bank. Food collected by the Food Bank is distributed to the poor and needy people through the approved Charity Organizations.
  • Re-usable flatware/tableware will be used in all dining functions.
  • Table decorations will be re-usable or compostable.

Transport

Individual transportation arrangements, such as rental of cars or vans, are strongly discouraged. Individual local transportation contributes to higher GHG emissions, air pollution, resource use, land use for roads and parking, and traffic congestion with the resulting aggregate loss of productive time and increased stress levels of all affected. During peak hours, individual traffic hardly brings any reduction of commuting times – on the contrary it may lead to additional delays. Instead, transportation by bus and metro is strongly recommended.

Recycling waste

  • Every effort should be made to avoid the generation of waste in the first place. All unavoidable waste will be strictly separated at source, to enable the highest possible quality of recycling. Participants are asked to actively participate in the waste management initiative and support waste avoidance and waste separation as much as possible.
  • Separate waste bins are available throughout the conference venue.
  • DWTC will use re-usable exhibition carpet square tiles.
  • DWTC has an efficient recycling system sorting cardboard, plastic HDP plastic, PET, LDP plastic, paper, news print, magazines, aluminum, wire, and cables.
  • Re-usable signage – free standing structures will be reused and banners and vinyl printing will use solvent free methods. Digital screens will be used as much as possible.

Gifts

  • Take the time to source an original, sustainable/reusable gift which has been produced using ethical and fair practices.
  • If you are shipping gifts or other packages, please firstly consider using a supplier in the region (email greenpp@itu.int for the list of suppliers).