Center Parcs Conferences & Events Awarded ECOsmart ‘Gold’
Center Parcs Conferences & Events has been rewarded for fully embracing environmental practices and implementing extensive sustainability measures across the business, achieving the ECOsmart Gold Venue accreditation.
To achieve the prestigious ‘Gold’ certification, the nature-rich meetings and events venue went through a rigorous audit by Greengage Solutions, which take an objective and detailed look at each application, and endorse corporate venues with a green approach to business travel and events.
Julia Green, Sales & Commercial Manager at Center Parcs Conferences & Events, said: “It’s been hugely rewarding working towards achieving the industry’s leading sustainability accreditation, and to see The Venue at both Sherwood Forest and Woburn Forest feature in Greengage’s online directory for ecological venues.”
Woburn Forest’s The Venue, its dedicated conference and events space which relaunched in autumn 2022 following a £2.5m refurbishment, has an EPC energy rating of A – which was a key factor in the awarding of ‘Gold’. In addition, Center Parcs’ support of the British Heart Foundation as part of its ongoing accommodation refurbishment programme also contributed to the score, with any furniture that would otherwise go to landfill being donated to the charity.
Sherwood Forest achieved a gold-standard score for its energy and water conservation, sustainable food and beverage management, and corporate and social responsibility, to name just a few.
“This year, we launched an internal employee engagement and behavioural change initiative, to encourage best practice around energy and water usage, waste management and improved recycling. This gold accreditation supports the important work we’re doing to ensure our sustainable ethos and values are recognised and celebrated internally, as well as externally.” added Julia.
Sharing Center Parcs’ long-term ambition, Julia concludes by saying: “The goal is to inspire our people to live out these values every day, by offering them the tools they need to change their habits and do their bit for the environment – which in turn helps us to collectively reach our next set of sustainability objectives.”
Center Parcs Conferences & Events is working towards achieving Platinum, and has laid out its Sustainability Targets at a board level:
- Reduce carbon emissions by 30% as compared to a 2020 baseline year
- Reduce energy use by 5% by 2030
- Source 50% of our energy from renewable sources by 2030
- Switch 100% of our fleet to electric or hybrid by 2030
- Reduce water use by 10% by 2030
- Reduce the amount of waste we generate by 20% and increase recycling by 10%
- Eliminate all single-use plastics from lodges & from guest-facing areas in central buildings.
- Achieve Net Zero by 2050 for our scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions