Washington, DC is serious about
sustainability. Its ground-breaking initiatives, first-of-a kind programmes and
dedication to sharing best practices make it easy for planners to go green in
the first LEED Platinum city in the world
“We acknowledge the importance of proactive
environmental initiatives, especially as the global community emphasises sustainable
business events and travel,” says Elliott L. Ferguson, II, President and CEO of
Destination DC (DDC). “Equally, we recognise the need to do more. Appointing
Shelby Luzzi to spearhead our sustainability efforts is a step that enables us
to unite as destination stewards and enhance global competitiveness.”
“The
sustainability of tourism, meetings and events is important for the economic
livelihood of our city’s residents and the industry,” said Shelby Luzzi on her
appointment as Senior Manager, Sustainability, for DDC. “We must carry out
activities responsibly. I hope that by engaging more closely with our
destination’s businesses and community members we can ensure our industry has a
more positive environmental, social and economic impact. I can’t wait to help
build on the city’s innovative approach to sustainability and help Destination DC’s
members share their sustainability stories and successes.”
The first large urban destination to appoint a
senior sustainability manager, DDC - the city’s private, non-profit official
destination marketing organisation - has illustrated its proactive approach to
environmental initiatives. Luzzi will help the city develop and implement its sustainability
strategy across meetings, conventions and leisure travel.
DDC shares content with visitors and
meeting professionals through its Sustainability Hub. It outlines how to experience DC through a
sustainable lens and highlights the city leadership’s efforts such as its
commitment to achieve 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2032. There are useful
resources designed to help meeting professionals conduct sustainable events,
reduce their carbon footprint and share a common vision during their time in
Washington, DC.
With 80 per cent of organisations taking sustainability into account when planning meetings and events, according to American Express Meeting & Events, the destinations that will win business are those prepared to meet the needs of the decision-makers. In addition, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council says 76 per cent of travellers also report that they want to travel more sustainably. There is a hard economic case for destinations to implement considered sustainability initiatives as well as helping to protect the future of the industry and the planet.
Doing the work
Washington, DC understands that it must do the
work to keep all stakeholders thriving in the long-term – its residents,
visitors, member businesses, natural environment and city’s economy. This means
working locally with its partners and members operating on the ground while at
the same time working closely with the city’s Department of Energy and
Environment to assist in meeting international standards in areas such as
climate emissions.
The city intentionally collaborates with
domestic and international industry groups including Destinations
International, U.S. Travel Association, International Congress and Convention
Association (ICCA), Global
Destination Sustainability-Movement and Net Zero Carbon Events.
“While we are
proud to be leading in this space among urban U.S. destinations, we still have
much to learn and improve,” says Luzzi. “Our goal is to share best practices.
We are implementing sustainable practices to mitigate global crises like
climate change. To succeed on a large scale, everyone needs to join the effort.”
The Three Pillars
DDC’s approach to sustainability is carefully
thought out and three-pronged: People, Purpose and Place:
- People – the social pillar is concerned
with the authentic representation of the culture of the District, and also includes
workforce development and capacity
- Purpose – the economic pillar is the equitable
distribution of tourist dollars to the destination’s businesses while protecting
the future of the industry and the globe
- Place – the environmental pillar
addresses the role and impact of travel in climate change and the footprint of
member businesses
DC has built a path towards greener living and
meeting with more LEED-certified buildings than any other city in the U.S. and
an accessible environment where every government building is powered by
renewable energy. Reducing carbon emissions and supporting clean energy
innovation, its hotels and venues continue to extend their sustainable
initiatives with green business practices, recycling programmes, energy and
water-conserving systems and support of local community.
It’s easy to choose an environmentally
friendly space for your next event through DDC’s website, offering useful resources
and information including:
The Sustainability District
Introduced last year, and one of the first of
its kind in an urban destination, the Sustainability
District programme recognises members going above and
beyond in their sustainability efforts, while also providing a platform to help
other members improve.
“Destination DC’s Sustainability District is an opportunity for collaborative
learning, fostering economic and social opportunities for small businesses and
the local community, reinforcing our collective responsibility to build a
sustainable and vibrant future for our nation's capital,” said Ferguson.
Open to five categories: hotels, attractions and shops, transportation
companies and tour operators, venues, and restaurants and caterers, members
must satisfy half of the criteria for their category – spanning all three pillars
of sustainability – to be included.
DDC launched the Sustainability District so
meeting and event planners and attendees can easily find sustainability
initiatives at local hotels, restaurants and convention services.
A surprisingly green city
Washington, DC is also exceptionally verdant,
with parks spanning nearly a quarter of its land – boasting an impressive 683
parks and green spaces. Nearly everyone in the city (99 per cent) lives within
a 10-minute walk of a park. The walkability is complemented by an excellent
bike rental programme and
an extensive public transportation network.
One of the top cities for green roofs –
providing stormwater management, cooling and other benefits – more than 5.7
million sqft of materials has been installed. The District also created a Green
Stormwater Infrastructure Program in 2021 that is empowering city residents and
returning citizens with environmental management training and workforce
development through maintenance of the District’s green infrastructure.
The first city in the States to introduce a
fee on disposable bags, Washington, DC has also been the first to establish a
Green Bank, which funds projects that expand renewable energy, reduce emissions
and create green jobs. The DC Infrastructure Academy provides job training for
fast-growing industries, including training unemployed and underemployed
residents to install solar energy systems for low-income community members. And
the DC Sustainable Energy Utility manages several programmes that provide job
skills development, on-the-job training and externships to grow the local green
economy.
Commitment to a sustainable future
That the District of Columbia and the
Department of Energy and Environment support and lead in sustainability is, of
course, crucial. Important initiatives have been outlined in the Sustainable DC 2.0 Plan.
When the Racial Equity Achieves Results (REACH)
Act was passed in 2020, the District became one of a few in the country to
introduce broad-reaching legislation to address racial equality. The REACH Act
established entities to work on advancing racial equity both on the executive
and legislative side of District government.
Launched in 2021, the District of Columbia
Council Office of Racial Equity conducts Racial Equity Impact Assessments on
almost every piece of legislation the Council proposes. To address existing
inequities, it is developing tools and collaborating with agencies to embed racial
equity in all government operations and practices.
The District was the first jurisdiction in the
country to establish Building Energy Performance Standards to improve energy
efficiency in existing buildings, including affordable housing, in 2021. DC also
established the Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator to provide direct
technical and financial assistance to multifamily affordable housing buildings.
Stewardship and sustainability
Designed to highlight the power of
federal and local partnerships, DDC collaborated with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the DC Department of Energy and Environment and local businesses
to explore ways to make the tourism and events industry more sustainable. The
inaugural Sustainability
Summit highlighted the 2040 zero waste commitment and
the forthcoming Sustainable DC 3.0 Plan.
“Through President Biden’s Investing in
America agenda, EPA is directing billions of dollars to communities across the
U.S. to become more climate resilient,” said Vicki Arroyo, EPA Associate
Administrator for Policy. “Washington, DC is already a recognised leader on
climate-related planning and action. I’m delighted to join this Destination DC
conversation on how the tourism industry can build on these initiatives, taking
climate-smart actions to support residents and visitors alike.”
The event also marked the beginning of DDC's
2024 Global Destination Sustainability-Index,
aiming to surpass last year's achievements while retaining the top spot in the
U.S. DDC is developing a destination-specific sustainability strategy with
GDS-Movement for FY2026.
Accolades
Destination DC serves
as the lead organisation to successfully manage and market Washington, DC as a
premier global convention, tourism and special events destination, with a
special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historical communities.
Visit washington.org
to learn more about sustainable meetings in Washington, DC.
