GSMA Mobile World Congress 2015 Certified as Carbon Neutral

The GSMA today announced that the 2015 Mobile World Congress has officially been certified as carbon neutral, reaffirming its position as the world’s largest carbon neutral conference and exhibition. BSI (British Standards Institution) has verified that the GSMA successfully completed the certification process under the PAS 2060 international standard and that Mobile World Congress has achieved a carbon neutral footprint. Additionally, as part of its broader environmental initiatives for Mobile World Congress, the GSMA today recognised Ericsson, the Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Upstream as the winners of the inaugural Mobile World Congress Green Stand Awards. 

“Following our initial certification in 2014, we put in place a comprehensive programme designed to further reduce the environmental impact of Mobile World Congress,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. “This included initiatives to reduce electricity consumption and waste in printed materials, encourage the re-use and recycling of materials at the venue, utilise digital signage and electronic tools, and work with Fira Barcelona, exhibitors and local partners to minimise the carbon footprint. We’re proud to again be recognised as the largest conference and exhibition globally to receive this very important designation.” 

The 2015 Mobile World Congress generated approximately 159,695 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e); it is estimated that 89 per cent of carbon emissions related to Mobile World Congress resulted from attendees travelling to and from the event, as well as their stay at the event, while the remaining 11 per cent are associated with the venue and operation of the event. 

In order to become re-certified, the GSMA worked with consultancy Factor CO2 to calculate Mobile World Congress’ carbon footprint, develop a management plan for reducing its impact and compensate the remaining emissions. As an independent third party, BSI has confirmed that the sources of emissions identified and the greenhouse gas emissions are correct, in accordance with the international standard PAS 2050:2011. Further, BSI has verified that Mobile World Congress is neutral in emissions, following the GSMA’s implementation of reduction measures and purchase of credible carbon credits to offset the remaining emissions generated during the event, in accordance with the international standard PAS 2060. 

Carbon credits purchased by the GSMA help finance several emissions reduction projects registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These projects include two run-of-river hydropower projects located in the Hubei and Yunnan provinces of China, as well as a hydropower project located on the Dak Psi River of Vietnam, Kon Tum Province. 

Ericsson, Mobile World Capital and Upstream Win Inaugural Green Stand Awards 

For Mobile World Congress 2015, the GSMA undertook a new initiative designed to provide greater insight into and understanding of exhibitors’ individual carbon footprints and encourage companies to implement environmental best practices in their exhibits. The GSMA established the Green Stand Awards to recognise and reward positive environmental performance amongst exhibitors of all sizes at Mobile World Congress. The winners of the 2015 Green Stand Awards are: 

Ericsson in the Large Stand (over 500 sqm) category 

Mobile World Capital Barcelona in the Medium Stand (150-500 sqm) category 

Upstream in the Small Stand (less than 150 sqm) category 

“We congratulate the winners of our first Green Stand Awards for their commitment to the environment and thank them for their contributions in making Mobile World Congress a carbon neutral event,” commented Hoffman. “This is not something that we can do alone. We work closely with our exhibitors, attendees and partners, providing information and tools to reduce their individual carbon footprints and programmes such as the Green Stand Awards are an important element of these broader environmental initiatives.” 

Mobile World Congress 2016 

The 2016 Mobile World Congress will be held 22-25 February 2016 at Fira Gran Via. Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona from 2013 to 2018. The Mobile World Capital encompasses programmes and activities that span the entire year and will benefit not only the citizens of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, but also the worldwide mobile industry. For more information on the Mobile World Capital, visit www.mobileworldcapital.com.