ICC Belfast has become the first-purpose built conference venue on the island of Ireland to receive the accolade which is accredited by Green Tourism.
The Green Meetings Gold Award recognises tourism businesses that are working to become more sustainable. ICC Belfast was recognised for its work in areas including protecting and supporting staff and customer health and wellbeing, energy monitoring and conservation measures, facilitating sustainable travel options for visitors and for the business and its strong support to community engagement, diversity, and inclusivity.
Two years ago, the conference venue was awarded the Green Meetings Silver Award and aligned to a city wide sustainable Green Tourism partnership funded by Belfast City Council and delivered by Visit Belfast.
Julia Corkey, Chief Executive at ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall said: "We are delighted to be the first conference venue on the island of Ireland to be awarded the Green Meetings Gold Award and are proud to play our part in supporting Belfast’s city-wide sustainability initiative.
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"We have invested significant time and effort into reducing our environmental impact and enhancing our sustainability credentials, alongside our partners Hospitality Belfast and Mitie. Sustainability is a hugely important subject in the business events industry and our credentials in this space are relevant to decision-makers when choosing venues and destinations. This award is a fantastic reflection on our brilliant team who have recently celebrated industry wins including 'Best Venue – UK' at the C&IT Awards 2023 and 'Customer Service Excellence' at the Belfast Chamber Business Awards 2023."
Jac Callan, Senior Sustainability & Impact Manager at Visit Belfast stated: "A huge congratulations to the ICC Belfast team on becoming the first conference venue on the island of Ireland to receive the Green Meetings Gold Award. This is an incredible achievement for the venue and complements Belfast’s strategy to working with event organisers and delegates to deliver responsible and sustainable events with purpose. Belfast continues to thrive as the sustainable destination of choice on the Island of Ireland with more than 100 Belfast hotels, attractions and restaurants committed to sustainable tourism through the Green Tourism certification and awards programme. This award is another step towards our goal of making this region an inclusive, zero-emission, climate-resilient economy within a generation."
In 2011, ICC Belfast launched its sustainability policy which outlined 11 commitments which aligned to eight of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Iain Bell, Director of Finance, Risk and Corporate Services at ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall, said: "The Green Meetings benchmark and goals are built on a robust framework with across-the-board criteria aligned with the UN’s universally recognised sustainability goals. We received the Silver award in 2021 and continued on our sustainability journey, driving our commitment to the environment and sustainable business practices to reach the Gold accreditation. We implemented greener measures throughout all aspects of the organisation, such as sending zero waste to landfill, adopting a digital-first approach, and utilising the latest technology to minimise our environmental impact. This achievement reflects the dedication from the whole team and their diligence to providing a sustainable venue for meetings and events should be highly commended."
