ACC Liverpool has become the first large-scale conference venue in the UK to join isla as it continues its commitment towards sustainability in the events sector. The waterfront venue has become the latest organisation to become a member of the independent industry body created to support the events sector’s transition to a net-zero future.
isla aims to accelerate sustainable practice in the events, venue and related sectors through expert-led training programmes, dedicated tools centred on reducing and reporting on industry carbon emissions including Proseed and TRACE as well as peer-to-peer knowledge sharing at regular member and sector-specific forums.
As well as ACC Liverpool’s commitment to supporting the delivery of the government’s pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, it aims to maintain zero to landfill status and support the development of super low carbon events.
The multi-purpose event complex is also working towards the delivery of the second year of its Social Value Plan. Current commitments include installing LED lights across the campus – which also includes M&S Bank Arena and Exhibition Centre Liverpool – in addition to the team striving to achieve ISO150001. It aims to reduce single-use plastics across the site and implement a food composting system.


ACC Liverpool recently hosted the Travel Counsellors Global Annual Conference and worked closely with the event organisers to make it as sustainable as possible. The venue’s catering partners Sodexo Live! used Vegware and eGreen for smart packaging and tableware. Leftover sandwiches were donated to a local homeless charity, Victory Outreach, who work with struggling and vulnerable communities within the Liverpool City Region. The event’s carbon footprint was measured throughout the conference by ACC Liverpool’s operations team, with Travel Counsellors pledging to offset its output via funding global sustainable projects.
Dyer added: “Wherever possible, we encourage and aid sustainable behaviours and practices within the events industry, and can support and assist our clients to build a social value element or objective into their events.”
Further information about ACC Liverpool can be found at: https://www.mia-uk.org/.