Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ page – your ultimate resource for finding answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Planet Positive Event tool, the methodology, standards, the technical instructions, and more.
General Questions
Does the final event report comply with ESRS?
16 Planet Positive Event evaluation forms cover all 12 ESRS Standards. Our forms also include regenerative effects, which go beyond the event’s direct impact. Our tool also follows the principles of ESRS, including assessing double materiality (event organisers must report on sustainability matters that are financially material in influencing business value and material to the market, the environment, and people). In addition, Planet Positive Event demands that event organisers report on their entire value chain.
Can we enter data into the Planet Positive Event web app ourselves, or do we require external help?
Our service includes access to the online Planet Positive Event app, where you enter data for the carbon footprint measurement and answer questions that help us calculate the event’s sustainability rating. All data you enter is audited by an external assessor. Based on their confirmation, the final report is generated automatically. You can also contact one of Planet Positive Event’s partner companies for the entire evaluation process.
Does the online app automatically calculate the final sustainability rating and carbon footprint?
Indeed, the sustainability rating and carbon footprint calculation are automatically generated by our online app. You will be granted access to the online app before the event so that you can prepare data for the calculation.
What does the final sustainability rating report look like? Is it generated automatically?
The final report about the sustainability rating is generated automatically, comprising all data needed to comply with the ESRS Standard. At the client’s request, the report can be designed following the holistic graphic image of the client’s brand. Further graphic design work is charged additionally. You can see an example of the final sustainability rating report at the following link: CONVENTA REPORT.
In what ways is your tool transformative?
We see event organising as a transformative process. Our tool aims to direct event organisers to leave a positive imprint on the planet. The final sustainability rating shows how successful we are en route to regenerative events. Every step counts on our path to organising events that will be more responsible to the environment, society and attendees.
Do you offer clients consultancy services in sustainable event organising?
Planet Positive Event is a holistic platform that provides inspiring knowledge you cannot find elsewhere. To make a sustainable transformation of your events, we will connect, encourage, educate and impress you with the help of our partner network, which you can see at https://planet-positive-event.eu/.
The Planet Positive Event team and partners offer consultancy services in the following fields:
- Preparing a green pledge for your event
- Preparing a sustainability policy for your event
- Preparing a regenerative plan for your event
- Preparing an action plan for your event
- Establishing and educating a green team
- Establishing systems to measure and track progress
- Creating handbooks for sustainable events of various types
Who created Planet Positive Event?
The project came to life as a result of close cooperation between companies Artctur d.o.o. and Toleranca marketing d.o.o., two leading companies in their field in Europe. The web app was developed by Arctur, a pioneering technological company that has been setting standards in processing data and using AI with the help of its supercomputer.
The content part of the project came to life as the result of 16 years of sustainably transforming the international trade show Conventa, the central event for the regional meetings industry. Toleranca marketing’s aspirations have been recognised internationally. Among the agency’s accolades is the award for the world’s most sustainable event, received at the BEA World Festival, a competition considered the Oscars of the meetings industry. Both companies pledge to reduce the negative impact of their events on the environment and society. The project’s vision and mission are a testament to both companies’ sustainability pledges.
Where can we find trustworthy suppliers of sustainable gifts for attendees? Will you also evaluate and certify suppliers in the future?
Already in the summer of 2024, we will establish a certification scheme for sustainable suppliers of Planet Positive Event. The suppliers will have to demonstrate that they meet strict criteria and include the carbon footprint of their products.
Using the App
Do you organise an educational course before we start entering data into the web app?
Before you start entering data into the online tool, we organise a brief educational course for your team. We also recommend a one-hour educational meeting with the event suppliers, who will have to send you data to calculate the carbon footprint. To better understand, here is an example of a form hotels must fill out: FORM FOR HOTELS.
Can all criteria be exported in an Excel sheet or PDF format?
Our tool is a web app that will help you check if your event complies with ESRS Standards, help you measure your event’s carbon footprint and learn how to organise sustainable events. Our tool does not support exporting individual criteria in pdf or Excel format. Regardless, using the web app will familiarise you with criteria relevant to your event’s size and complexity.
How to register into the PPE web app?
See our YouTube tutorial at: https://youtu.be/yRaA_oXDkCM?si=kAN31dpsH1Q96nnX.
How to submit basic data about our event into the PPE web app?
See our YouTube tutorial at: https://youtu.be/ID_3zDfl4Bw?si=jujUp4y1v2LbrfEL.
How do we choose suitable criteria for our event?
See our YouTube tutorial at: https://youtu.be/L9npQcN4l3g?si=kTaFhtIOZtUfs0nY.
Calculating the Carbon Footprint
How can we collect data from suppliers to calculate the carbon footprint? Do you have a solution for this problem?
We are particularly proud of our forms to calculate the carbon footprint. They are the first of their kind in the world. Our forms render the process of collecting information straightforward. You can find the forms on Planet Positive Event’s website: LINK.
Does your carbon footprint calculation comply with the GHG Protocol? Does the final report include calculations for GHG Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions?
Our calculations adhere strictly to the GHG Protocol standards. The final report includes the following emissions:
Scope 1: Direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organisation.
Scope 2: Indirect (GHG) emissions (all purchased energy that is spent on event equipment or activity)
Scope 3: Indirect (GHG) emissions that arise in the value chain of an organisation (transport of employees from and to work, business trips, services, etc. - matters not owned by an organisation, yet have an indirect impact on the organisation).
Does your carbon footprint calculator follow the ISO 14064-1 standard?
We adhere to the ISO 14064-1 standard for calculating the carbon footprint, which means we follow and report on all aspects of event organising. In other words, we calculate the event’s entire lifecycle, including communication and marketing. Thus, the carbon footprint of attendees includes the time from their arrival at an event until their arrival back home. That timeframe represents an event’s lifecycle
Who verifies and audits the carbon footprint measurement?
The carbon footprint calculations are independently audited by external assessors of Planet Positive Event. The assessors helped prepare the methodology of the calculator and emission factors. They will prepare an independent overview and write a final report and calculation for your event. You will receive their comments in written form.
Which forms are used to calculate the carbon footprint generated by F&B vendors at music festivals?
Vendors of food and beverages must fill out the form for catering. All vendors must report on key figures, most notably about the structure of meals they serve, energy and water use, and waste management.
Sustainability Rating
What is the difference between one and three stars in the final sustainability rating?
THREE STARS = PRO PPE Organiser: rating from 4.21 to 5.00
Leading organisers of sustainable events
TWO STARS = MASTER PPE ORGANISER: rating from 3.41 to 4.20
Excellent organisers of sustainable events
ONE STAR = ADVANCED PPE Organiser: rating from 2.61 to 3.40
Good organisers of sustainable events
ZERO STARS = PPE BEGINNER: rating below 2.60
Beginners with an elementary knowledge of sustainable event organising
What do the additional marks in the final sustainability rating mean?
In each category, we award additional marks based on the number of achieved points. These marks help us further position events. We subdivide events as follows:
AAA (4.76-5.00) AA (4.49-4.75) A (4.22-4.48)
BBB (3.95-4.21) BB (3.68-3.94) B (3.41-3.67)
CCC (3.14-3.40) CC (2.88-3.14) C (2.61-2.87)
How long does it take to collect and enter all data into the Planet Positive Event tool on average?
The amount of time needed to collect and enter all data depends on the complexity of an event. In our system, the complexity depends on the number of selected criteria. From experience, you can see an approximate estimate of hours needed to enter all the data based on the packages:
Package S (4) 4 obligatory criteria segments
Smaller conferences, workshops, educational programmes, press conferences, seminars
Estimated time needed to enter the data: 1.8 hours
Package M (4+3) 4 obligatory criteria segments plus three additional segments
Relatively demanding conferences, congresses, openings, social events, incentive events
Estimated time needed to enter the data: 3.3 hours
Package L (4+6) 4 obligatory criteria segments plus six additional segments
Multi-day congresses, festivals, conferences, cultural events, exhibitions
Estimated time needed to enter the data: 4.7 hours
Package XL (4 +9) 4 obligatory criteria segments plus nine additional segments
Demanding events, trade shows, trade fairs, festivals, sports events
Estimated time needed to enter the data: 6.1 hours
Package XXL (4+12) 4 obligatory criteria segments plus twelve additional segments
Highly complex sports events and festivals
Estimated time needed to enter the data: 7.5 hours
Why are some criteria obligatory and others recommendable? How does this impact the sustainability rating?
The final sustainability rating is calculated as the average mark of the percentage of achieved obligatory and recommendable criteria. An event must meet at least 70% of the obligatory criteria to acquire the certificate. In other words, obligatory criteria contribute 70% to the final score, whilst recommendable criteria contribute 30%. We thus recommend you devote most of your efforts to meeting obligatory criteria.
What is the threshold to acquire a positive sustainability rating?
The sustainability rating of an event ranges from 1 to 5, with 5 representing the highest possible mark. The threshold to acquire a positive sustainability rating will be an overall score of 2.61, and the condition that the event organisers measure their event’s carbon footprint following our methodology.
How do you regulate the external assessment? Who is responsible for the work of external assessors?
The external assessors conduct their assessment in compliance with the Policy and Procedure Manual for External Assessors, which follows the ISO 9001:2015 standard. In accordance with the Policy and Procedure Manual, their work is audited by a supervising committee.
What are the criteria and values of external assessors?
An external assessor is an expert specialising in various fields of event organising or is a sustainability expert. External assessors assume the role of “critical colleagues” of event organisers during the external assessments. In practice, that means they must be:
- External (from another institution or organisation) and independent (have zero personal or institutional interest in the evaluation)
- Work in a similar environment or have organised events independently
- Are proven experts in their field (with similar values, professional competencies and approach, language proficiency, etc.)
- Can bring specific know-how about event organising into the evaluation and pair it with an external view of someone who comes from a different organisation ("external insider")
External assessors conduct their work adhering to the following values:
- Objectivity and impartiality
- Respecting the achievements of event organisers, regardless of their level of knowledge in sustainability, and understanding the circumstances that lead to an event’s results
- Respecting business ethics
- Openness to novelties and learning
- Accepting different approaches (different solutions, approaches to work, etc.)
- Motivating event organisers to make improvements
Commonly used abbreviations and terms
What does the abbreviation ESRS stand for?
The abbreviation ESRS stands for European Sustainability Reporting Standards. The standards identify and specify the information companies must share and report about. The information includes a company’s impacts, risks and opportunities related to environmental, societal and governance aspects of sustainability. The European Commission accepted ESRS on 31 July 2023. Companies in the ESRS framework must start writing reports between 2024 and 2028.
Find out more at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=PI_COM%3AC%282023%295303.
What does the abbreviation CSRD stand for?
The abbreviation CSRD stands for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The directive specifies the gradual implementation of standards concerning the types of companies obliged to write sustainability reports. Companies will have to start writing sustainability reports based on their size:
1 January 2024 - large organisations with over 500 employees trading on the stock market, banks and insurance companies are obliged to report according to the NFRD Directive from 1 January 2024 onwards.
1 January 2025 - companies not included in the current NFRD Directive
1 January 2028 - large organisations from developing countries
Find out more at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022L2464
What does the ESG abbreviation stand for?
ESG = E – environment, S – social, G – governance
What does the NFRD abbreviation stand for?
NFRD stands for Non-financial Reporting Directive, which was in force until the new directive, known as the CSRD Directive, replaced it.
What does the CSDD abbreviation stand for?
CSDD stands for Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
Find out more at: https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en
What does the ESAP abbreviation stand for?
ESAP is a joint EU database about sustainability that will begin operating at the end of 2027.
Find out more at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2859/oj
What does ZERO WASTE mean?
Protecting all natural resources through responsible production, consumption, reuse and use of products, plastic and matter, without incinerating matter or generating emissions that could impact the soil, water or air and thus harm ecosystems or humans.
Find out more at: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/
What does CARBON NEUTRAL mean?
The essence of carbon neutrality is that you can compensate for your emissions by offsetting carbon emissions elsewhere. Such compensation can be achieved by investing in renewable energy sources, forestation projects or supporting a third party to reduce their emissions.
What does NET ZERO mean?
Net Zero is all about doing our best to reduce our emissions. With Net Zero, offsetting is used only to compensate for remaining emissions.
What does CARBON ZERO mean?
Carbon zero refers to a product or service that emits no carbon emissions. In other words, from the beginning of its use, zero carbon is emitted. That is why no carbon footprint needs to be offset or captured.
What does CARBON NEGATIVE/BALANCED mean?
Negative carbon emissions are achieved when the activities of an organisation exceed net zero carbon emissions and create benefits for the environment by removing or capturing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
General questions about sustainable event organisation
What is the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative?
The abbreviation ESRS stands for European Sustainability Reporting Standards. The standards identify and specify the information companies must share and report about. The information includes a company’s impacts, risks and opportunities related to environmental, societal and governance aspects of sustainability. The European Commission accepted ESRS on 31 July 2023. Companies in the ESRS framework must start writing reports between 2024 and 2028.
Find out more at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=PI_COM%3AC%282023%295303.
How many events take place around the world per day, and what is their carbon footprint?
Between 3 and 4 million events take place every day around the world. Out of those, between 240,000 and 400,000 events take place across Europe. Data calculated only for German business events in 2023 is even more precise:
- Germany hosted 2,150,000 events in 2023
- 5890 events took place every day in Germany in 2023
- The average length of an event was 1.6 days
- 5% of events were corporate events (15.1% of events were association events)
Source: https://www.gcb.de/en/wissen-und-innovation/meeting-and-eventbarometer/
According to rough estimates, the carbon footprint of the German meetings industry alone amounts to more than half a billion tonnes of CO2. That amounts to 3.8 billion EUR.
What goals does the global meetings industry have to achieve a sustainable transformation?
The Net Zero Carbon Events initiative set four guiding principles en route to a carbon-neutral meetings industry:
- Carbon-neutral meetings industry by 2050 (the initiative calculates the industry’s carbon footprint in line with the GHG Protocol)
- Reducing carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 (calculated in line with the GHG Protocol)
- Measuring and tracking carbon footprint by following best practice cases in the industry
- Reporting about the progress every four years
Why do most sustainable strategies, plans and pledges remain unrealised according to statistics?
The reasons vary from company to company. In addition to staff shortages, prioritising sustainably unrelated projects and lack of motivation among employees, communications plays a visible role. Above all, one of the most pressing problems is that we don’t know how to measure the carbon footprint. To sustainably transform our events and achieve a behavioural change among event attendees, we must carefully plan how to communicate and share our sustainable event practices. That way, companies can build their reputation as organisations that understand the importance of going beyond “business as usual”.
What is the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and what does it mean for your project?
The scheme for trading greenhouse gas emissions was established in 2005 and is being continually improved and revised. In 2021, they commenced phase 4 of the project, which will last until 2030. They prepared a revised legislative framework for trading carbon after 2020.
All large electricity and heating providers who use fossil fuels and all energy-wasteful industries(which generate the most greenhouse gas emissions) are included in the trading scheme for greenhouse gas emissions - around 11,000 electric plants powered by fossil fuels and major industrial plants in 30 countries - all 27 members of the EU, alongside Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Since 2012, the EU-ETS emissions trading scheme includes emissions from air traffic within the European Economic Area (EEA).
The meetings industry has not been included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme yet. However, we are already using the daily results of the emissions trading stock market to calculate greenhouse gas emissions if the need arises for possible carbon offsetting.
Contact Form
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Video Instructions
For easier usage of the Planet Positive Event tool, please check out our video instructions.