As event professionals, we’re navigating an increasingly unpredictable world — political and economic turbulence, climate driven disruptions, heightened social expectations, and accelerating regulatory pressure. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices have become essential to business resilience and are a competitive advantage for global organizations.
A thoughtful ESG strategy strengthens client loyalty, reduces operational risks, drives innovation and positions organisations to lead rather than react. Our industry has a unique opportunity to demonstrate responsibility at scale, and to help clients do the same through the power of events.
How ESG Is Shaping the Future of Events
A resource that has influenced many business and sustainability leaders is Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take, coauthored by Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the business case for ESG and the leadership mindset required today.
Polman’s message is clear and deeply relevant to our industry: “Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.”
This perspective is especially important for events, in today’s environment where:
- Attendees seek purpose-driven and socially responsible experiences
- Regulations for emissions, waste, labour and reporting continue to expand globally
- Brands are judged on authenticity and transparency
- Stakeholders expect credible, measurable progress
Over the next five years, we expect ESG integration to accelerate due to:
- Increasing global regulations and disclosure requirements from Europe, Asia and Canada
- Higher expectations from clients, investors, attendees and employees
- Adoption of international standards such as ISO 20121:2024
- A shift toward ESG as a driver of corporate resilience
These forces will continue to shape how events are created, sourced, and delivered.
Implications for the Events Industry
For corporate events, organisations will increasingly use their gatherings to engage attendees in sustainability behaviours that advance their ESG ambitions, integrate climate action and circularity goals into the event experience through clear and tangible choices, and demonstrate social impact commitments that reinforce their values and sense of responsibility.
If you are a corporate planner, I highly recommend understanding your corporate goals and finding ways to integrate them into your event. This will demonstrate true leadership and dedication to the organisation. For associations and live events, the focus will be on showcasing their collective positive impact on destinations while minimising environmental harm, ensuring exhibitor and sponsor activations authentically reflect brand values, and using their influence responsibly and transparently.
As compliance expectations rapidly expand, global organisations face mounting requirements around carbon accounting and reporting, waste reduction and diversion, labour transparency and DEI impact, and greater accountability across venues, suppliers, and destinations. ESG needs to be embedded throughout the entire event lifecycle—from sourcing to post‑event reporting—shaping supplier selection, transportation and logistics, menu design and material choices, community partnerships, and overall social impact. Carbon footprint measurement and reporting are becoming standard practice, reinforcing that sustainability is no longer optional but foundational. In today’s landscape, responsible event design is not just a best practice—it is a business imperative.
- Annual EcoVadis reporting
- Climate and environmental disclosures through CDP
- Validated Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitments
- ESG reporting is now a baseline business requirement
- Supplier sustainability readiness directly affects RFP eligibility
- ESG performance functions as a competitive differentiator
- Clients expect verifiable data and meaningful, measurable progress
The Opportunity Ahead for All of Us
The events industry has a unique ability to convene people, shape narratives, and influence organisational behaviour. By intentionally embedding ESG principles into our work, we can guide clients—and the broader industry—toward a more resilient, responsible, and impactful future. Prioritising ESG strengthens organisational resilience, creates meaningful competitive advantage, enhances transparency and trust, deepens client partnerships, and enables events that deliver purpose, progress, and measurable impact. As leaders within the Events Industry Council, we have the opportunity to define what responsible events look like and help the organisations we serve rise to this pivotal moment.
Much of what I outline here aligns with insights from the Events Industry Council’s Futures Landscape Report, which explores the forces reshaping our sector.
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About the Author
Rachael Riggs is the General Manager of Environmental Strategy at Maritz, where she leads the company’s sustainability strategy and helps clients advance responsible event practices. Her work at Maritz focuses on two areas:
1) Corporate Carbon Accounting, ESG Reporting and Regulatory Compliance
Rachael oversees environmental strategy across Maritz, including enterprise carbon accounting, ESG reporting aligned with global standards and compliance with emerging environmental regulations. She ensures Maritz remains competitive, credible, and ready for the future of ESG-driven business requirements.
2) Maritz Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool (CFMT)
In 2021, Rachael co-created the Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool (CMFT) with Reduce2 to provide clients with accessible, reliable emissions data for meetings and events. The tool has enabled Maritz and its clients to embed carbon measurement into event strategy, support ESG reporting and certifications, achieve EIC Sustainability and Social Responsibility Certification, and integrate responsible design principles throughout the event lifecycle.
Rachael and her team help clients align both their organizational sustainability strategies and event practices with their commitments, leveraging the Maritz CFMT to drive measurable results. They support clients at every stage of their ESG journey, ensuring responsible design is integrated into both enterprise goals and event level decisions.
Rachael serves as a member of the Event Industry Council’s Sustainability and Social Impact Committee.
