Talk to an Inntel expert
Inntel’s ESG Executive, Ellen Mutimer, examines the challenges of measuring the environmental impact of meetings and events and why greater consistency, transparency and collaboration are needed across the industry.
Bringing people together has a value that’s difficult to measure. It’s the conversations over a cup of tea, the unexpected connections, the ideas sparked in a room and the little things that you simply can’t replicate virtually.
At a time when human connection and collaboration are more important than ever, I don’t believe the answer is to simply hold fewer face to face events to avoid their environmental impact. Instead, we need to think about how we can make these experiences count, not just for the people attending but for the planet too. And I think that starts with understanding the footprint of bringing people together.
The UK meetings and events industry was valued at £68.7 billion in 2025, according to UK Events Report 2025. That’s a huge contribution to our economy, supporting businesses, jobs and communities. But alongside that economic value comes an environmental impact that we can’t afford to overlook.
While some UK businesses are legally required to report their carbon emissions, many others are choosing to do so voluntarily, including measuring their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. However, when it comes to meetings and events, there is still a significant gap.
Unlike business travel, meetings and events don’t have a dedicated category within the GHG Protocol’s 15 Scope 3 categories. While emissions from delegate travel, catering, venue hire and other event activities can potentially be captured across existing categories, there is no single, consistent approach to measuring the overall impact of an event.
As a result, organisations are often left to navigate this themselves, with many relying on spend based estimates. While these can provide a useful starting point, they don’t necessarily reflect the actual environmental impact of an event.
For example, a sustainably certified venue might use only renewable energy, source local food and invest in nature restoration. Its higher price could result in a higher estimated carbon footprint when using spend based calculations, despite its potentially lower environmental impact.
This raises an important question. If businesses are already working hard to reduce their reported emissions, what incentive is there to voluntarily include additional event emissions when there is little specific guidance on how to measure them accurately?
But just because measuring these emissions isn’t mandatory for every organisation doesn’t mean it isn’t important. If we’re investing in events to bring people together, build relationships and achieve business objectives, shouldn’t we also understand the environmental impact of making them happen?
After all, how can we improve if we don’t know where we’re starting from?
When we think about an event’s environmental impact, it’s easy to focus on the venue. But the picture is much bigger than that.
Delegate travel can account for a significant proportion of an event’s emissions, alongside accommodation, catering, energy use and waste. Understanding the contribution of each helps us identify where we can make the greatest difference.
Travel is particularly interesting. Public transport can offer a lower carbon alternative to driving or flying and it’s encouraging to see organisations exploring ways to make it a more accessible choice for delegates. Of course, it’s not always convenient, and delays can be frustrating, but understanding travel emissions can help organisations identify where there’s room for improvement.
Having visibility of travel emissions, alongside the other elements of an event, allows organisations to make more informed decisions. It can help strengthen business travel policies, inform venue selection and identify opportunities to reduce waste.
It can also help organisations set realistic reduction targets and track whether their efforts are making a difference over time. Without a clear starting point, it’s difficult to know what progress actually looks like.
Ideally, we’d have actual data for every part of an event, from delegate travel distances to venue energy use. In reality, that’s not always possible and estimates can provide a useful starting point. What’s important is being transparent about what’s being measured, where estimates have been used and where there are gaps. We don’t need perfect data from day one, but we do need to understand its limitations.
One of the biggest challenges with event carbon measurement is that no single organisation holds all the information. Event planners, venues, accommodation and catering suppliers and clients all have a part to play.
We also need greater consistency in how emissions are calculated and reported. Different methodologies and carbon calculators can produce different results, making it difficult for organisations to compare data and confidently demonstrate progress.
This was one of the key themes at the BTA Planet Plan event earlier this year. During a panel discussion, clients from different industries shared their sustainability priorities when working with travel management companies and suppliers.
One thing that stood out to me was the appetite for better carbon data, alongside a clear need for more consistency across the industry. Clients need reliable information to support their decisions, and procurement teams need to be able to compare suppliers and understand their environmental commitments.
Through my involvement in the BTA Planet Plan, it’s encouraging to see these conversations taking place. But we need to keep that momentum going. Greater consistency and transparency would make it easier for everyone involved to understand their impact and identify where improvements can be made.
There’s no one size fits all approach to environmental sustainability. Every organisation has different priorities, resources and challenges. But that doesn’t mean we can’t work towards a more consistent approach.
Ultimately, carbon measurement should be about more than producing a number for a report. Its real value lies in how we use that information to make better decisions.
At Inntel, we partner with specialist event carbon measurement providers, including EVENTsmart and TRACE by Isla, giving clients access to tools to help measure event emissions and better understand their environmental impact. Where actual data isn’t available, appropriate estimates can help build a more complete picture.
But technology alone won’t drive change. We also need organisations to ask questions, challenge existing ways of working and work more closely with their suppliers.
We don’t need to have all the answers today, nor do we need perfect data from the get-go. What matters is being willing to start, being honest about the challenges and using what we learn to make better decisions.
The value of bringing people together isn’t going anywhere and nor should it. But if we’re going to keep investing in meetings and events, we need to give their environmental impact the same consideration as their financial and social value.
Measuring that impact is an important first step. What matters next is what we choose to do with it.