Green Events Certification Program
The Green Events Certification is a new program offered at UC Berkeley to identity and recognize departmental events on campus whose organizers have taken extra steps to lower their environmental footprint. The program identifies a set of conditions and actions that event organizers can choose to meet. The number of criteria required for certification depends on the type of event, and criteria and requirements may change over time. The April 2009 CACS Sustainability Summit was the first UCB certified Green Event.
Documentation and Certification Process
Those interested in applying for a Green Event Certification should complete and sign this checklist, and include electronic documentation for each point claimed (see the Green Event Resource Guide for more details on the process). It is recommended that you talk to us in advance to discuss the certification process. Completed applications should be sent to the Office of Sustainability (sustainability@berkeley.edu). At that time, a short audit and review meeting will be scheduled where additional information or minor modifications may be requested. Upon completion of the audit and review, organizers will be issued a certificate to be displayed at their Green Event.
** Completed applications - including documentation as laid out in the Resource Guide - should be sent to the Office of Sustainability at least 2 weeks befroe the event date. If you are considering this informations and are less than two weeks from your event, please contact us. **
Levels of Certification
UC Berkeley hosts a wide array of events every year, ranging anywhere from a departmental brown bag to black-tie galas. Benchmarking these events to one another is complicated by the resources available to the planners, and greening options can vary depending on the scope and location of the event. The number of criteria required for Green Event certification will consequently vary both by category and by size of event (see below).
Categories
An "Effort Designation" can be achieved by any size event, simply by adding one new sustainable feature. A "Green Certification" requires more effort, and the larger the event, the more initiatives (or points) that are required.
Event Size
A Small Event is typically confined to a single unit, is on-campus, and/or has fewer than 30-40 attendees. A Medium Event could involve up to 150-175 attendees, and likely includes significant catering. A Large Event may involve multiple or off-campus meeting sites and over 200 attendees.