SDGs at #EAPS2022
Embracing Sustainability
EAPS is committed to integrate sustainable conference practices and initiatives that go beyond slogans and result in useful achievements.
We firmly believe that we all have a part to play in preserving our future for generations to come, both locally and across the globe.
Therefore, we are organizing our congress with sustainability in mind – for our planet and environment, as well as for everyone involved with the congress: from the organizing team and committees, through our partner chain, all the way to the delegates we welcome.
EAPS and the Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs (also known as the Global Goals) are 17 goals with 169 targets that all UN Member States have agreed to work towards achieving by the year 2030. They set out a vision for a world free from poverty, hunger and disease.
We at EAPS want to do our part to promote the achievement of these goals in our own value chain. The SDGs that we support and work towards are:
How You Can Contribute as an EAPS Participant:
As individuals, as well as a community, each of us can and should contribute towards maintaining the natural ecological balance in the environment and preserve the planet and its natural systems and resources. Here is what we invite you to do as part of the EAPS 2022 Congress:
- Offset your CO2 emissions and support a project with social value (learn more)
- Use the mobile app and the virtual platform (instead of printing) to inquire about the programme details
- Join the EAPS Fun Run in Barcelona (learn more)
- Take advantage of the Green Charging stations at the Congress
- Use more sustainable ways of traveling to and around Barcelona (take the train instead of a flight; ride a bike or walk instead of taxi)
- Reduce the waste you generate and separate disposal
- Opt for reusable water bottles
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
We are introducing several dedicated EAPS initiatives, aiming to promote healthy lifestyle, while enjoying being together with the community.
What we are doing in 2022:
- The EAPS Fun Run – An organized group activity, where delegates are invited to start the day in an active way and enjoy an early morning run along the beautiful Barcelona coastline (learn morehttps://eaps2022.kenes.com/fun-run/)
- Green Charging Stations – Bicycle cell phone charging stations will be placed at the entrance of the venue and freely available to all participants
- Messaging and Tools Promoting Wellbeing – Online attendees are regularly reminded and encouraged to take a break from the screen, go outside, or do some sports in-between sessions. Additionally, we will provide instructional wellness videos, encouraging online participants to stay active while attending the conference at home.
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Supporting accessible high quality education for our community is our top priority. Throughout the organization of EAPS, we strive to constantly improve the scientific programme, introduce more accessible conference alternatives and support onsite attendance, eliminate gender disparities in education, and ensure long-term education for our attendees.
What we are doing in 2022:
- High-Quality Scientific Programme – Carefully crafted by a multidisciplinary team of experts in paediatrics. We make sure to constantly improve the session formats, introduce new relevant topics and invite the best international experts. The pre-congress courses at EAPS are designed to support education and lay a solid foundation for any future discussions and activities in the respective field.
- Sessions On Demand – The recordings of selected EAPS sessions are available to all participants for 3 months after the Congress dates, allowing attendees to catch up on any learnings they missed during the Congress, or re-watch important presentations and discussions.
- Awards Supporting Participation – We provide opportunities for waived Congress registration and additional financial support towards attendance (learn more)
- Virtual Congress Alternative – Although we are preparing a true celebration of the community, with lots of learning and networking opportunities for everyone joining us in Barcelona, we are aware that not everyone can afford to travel and take full advantage of EAPS. Therefore, we introduced the more accessible virtual alternative, where everyone can be part of the conference – at lower rates, from wherever they are in the world (learn more)
- Promoting Sustainable Development – While organizing our events, we enquire and opt for more sustainable options from our vendors, openly communicate our efforts to do better, and encourage our partners and participants to reduce their footprint too. We invite you to offset your CO2 emissions and support a project with social value (learn more)
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
We realize the impact large-scale events like EAPS could have on the environment, therefore sustainable production and consumption is one of our main priorities in the organization of the EAPS 2022 Congress. We have been working with our suppliers and the CCIB to ensure maximum positive change.
What we are doing in 2022:
- Reducing Printing
- Instead of a printed Programme Book, we will have even better content on the Congress Mobile App and Platform
- E-Posters instead of printed Poster Boards – easy to navigate and available both in the venue, and on your own device
- Limiting printed promotional materials for EAPS at other events and those of other events at EAPS. We encourage digital alternatives instead.
- We encourage all our exhibitors to join us in this initiative and reduce single-use giveaways at their stands
- Optimizing Energy & Water Consumption
- Energy plant beside the venue that supplies energy for the CCIB needs
- Control of the energy efficiency throughout the building
- Optimal air-conditioning and automatic lighting in certain areas to reduce energy use
- Replacement of the washing tunnels in the kitchen area for greater efficiency
- More Sustainable Catering
- The food items offered to our participants will be seasonal and prepared from local and regional products
- All food & beverage utensils will be reusable or compostable
- The cleaning products used in the kitchen and food preparation facilities are eco-friendly
- We will donate any surplus food that meet the suitable requirements to non-profit associations in the surrounding area
- Conscious Garbage Disposal & Waste Treatment
- Segregation of special waste generated during the setup and dismantling of the events
- Selective waste collection throughout the building (organic-glass-metal-plastic-paper-waste)
- Containers for the specific types of exhibition-related waste in order to maximize recycling
- Delegate badge collection at the end of the event to be recycled
- Large-scale recycling of wood for internal uses of the venue
- Hand towels & toilette paper are made of recycled paper (EU Eco label)
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
EAPS is proud to join the IAPCO Plastics Pledge to rid the meetings industry of single-use plastic. We are conscious of the potential of single-use plastics being used at events and then discarded to enter into the oceans and onto beaches, and the negative impact this would have on our environment.
What we are doing in 2022:
- Limit to a minimum the use of non-recyclable plastic from the entire Congress
- Replace them with biodegradable or recyclable options in all food & beverage functions
- End the use of single-use plastic water bottles by offering water coolers
