Guy Bigwood at the 2026 ICCA Congress

Sustainability in international congresses is not just about reducing environmental impact. It requires diverse organisations, stakeholders, and partners to align around shared goals and make collective decisions in increasingly complex environments.

Drawing on the experience of the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, this session explores how sustainability can be embedded across governance, procurement, partnerships, operations, and organisational culture. Moving beyond individual initiatives and certification schemes, the discussion will examine how leadership, collaboration, and shared decision-making can help transform the planning and delivery of large-scale international congresses.

Participants will gain practical insights into integrating sustainability across organisations and creating the conditions for lasting change.”

Learning Outcomes:

Evaluate how governance, procurement and stakeholder relationships create the conditions for meaningful sustainability outcomes while navigating budget and delivery constraints.

Assess how decisions made during congress planning and delivery can influence local partnerships, legacy and longer-term value.

Apply systems thinking to strengthen decision-making, collaboration and long-term sustainability across their own events