The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has made history by achieving the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event Standard certification for its 63rd Congress, held in Abu Dhabi from October 20-23, 2024.
This marks the first time a global event has earned this recognition from The Pledge on Food Waste, setting a new benchmark for large-scale gatherings.
Building on Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy – which was established at the 2023 ICCA Congress in Bangkok – ICCA partnered with ADNEC Centre, Capital Catering, and LightBlue Consulting to minimise food waste during the event. Over 200 staff members received training on best practices, 1,115kg of food were diverted from landfills, 37kg of food were saved, and 928 meals (928 kg CO2 equivalent) were redistributed through Ne’ma (UAE’s National Food Loss and Waste Initiative). LightBlue’s FIT Food Waste Tech tracked an average of just 163 grams of food waste per delegate per meal.
The rigorous certification process involved documenting, measuring, and auditing all waste-related efforts. While the Congress achieved an 87.5 per cent compliance score, some points were deducted in the separation, transformation, and monitoring sub-criteria due to operational challenges. The certification covered food operations at the ADNEC Centre exclusively.
Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, said: “Sustainability has become a cornerstone of ICCA’s mission, and achieving the Zero Food Waste to Landfill certification for the 63rd ICCA Congress is a proud moment for our community. This milestone reflects our dedication to innovation and raising the bar for the global events industry.”
Ben Lephilibert, co-founder of The Pledge on Food Waste, added that this certification “is a monumental step for the MICE industry”.
By transforming ambition into measurable impact, ICCA has proven that even large-scale events can lead the way in sustainability. We’re proud to have worked with ICCA, ADNEC, and Capital Catering to create a replicable framework that inspires other organizations to adopt similar commitments,” Lephilibert added.
Moving forward, ICCA plans to develop a practical toolkit for food waste prevention in partnership with LightBlue and aims to support the creation of an industry-wide benchmarking system.
