Our sustainability concept is based on the Swiss Federal Administration’s guidelines for sustainable event organisation and on the sustainability framework developed for the 3rd United Nations World Data Forum. The concept also reflects the principle of “leaving no one behind” by promoting accessible, resource-efficient and locally supported event practices.
Read the full Sustainability Concept here: https://upd-initiative.ch/sustainability/
The configurator for your event can be found here: https://upd-initiative.ch/configurator/
Below you can find an overview of the measures and considerations that have been implemented for the DGINS 2026 Conference.
DGINS 2026 – Sustainability measures implemented for this conference
| Topic | Description | SDG |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing CO2 | We reduce emissions with specific targets in the project plan and focus on this when planning the event. | 13 |
| Reducing CO2 | After the event, we calculate and then financially compensate for the CO2 emissions. | 13 |
| Reducing CO2 | We actively communicate the name of the company and the projects financed by the compensation payment before, during and after the event https://www.myclimate.org/en/get-active/climate-protection-projects/ | 13 |
| Mobility | When looking for a suitable conference venue, we highly prioritise good access to public transport, short distances to transport infrastructure (railway stations, etc.) and important transport hubs. | 7, 9, 11, 13 |
| Mobility | We will check whether public transport can be used free of charge for participants. This is possible in some cities in Switzerland. | 7, 9, 11, 13 |
| Mobility | We proactively communicate how public transport can be used (free of charge). This will be done as part of the preparations by email and/or via the event page. | 7, 11, 13 |
| Mobility | We do not use private buses when changing locations and rely on public transport. | 7, 11, 13 |
| Mobility | We recommend that participants travel by train where possible. Those arriving by plane should continue their journey by public transport after arriving in Switzerland. | 7, 13 |
| Mobility | We recommend that participants use public transport during their stay. | 7, 11, 13 |
| Mobility | We encourage participants to choose a hotel or accommodation that is either close to the venue or located within the public transport network. Labels such as Swisstainable from Switzerland Tourism can be used for guidance. | 11 |
| Catering | We only offer vegetarian buffets. | 3, 11, 12, 13 | Catering | Plant products are sustainable, seasonal and of organic and/or regional origin. In general, organically produced food always has a smaller carbon footprint. | 3, 12, 13 | Catering | We provide tap water. | 3, 6, 11, 13 |
| Catering | Buffets can be provided with individually packaged food in sustainable containers. (For example: Main courses with filling side dishes already pre-packed in “Weck” glass jars). | 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 |
| Catering | We check dietary requirements and allergies in advance and give participants a choice. | 3, 10 |
| Catering | We order catering for a maximum of 80% of participants registered for on-site attendance. | 12, 13 |
| Catering | We offer participants the option of taking unpacked food home in their own containers. | 2, 10, 13 |
| Catering | After the event, we offer to pass on unpacked food to third parties. Due to hygiene regulations (HACCP) this is not possible for all dishes, but this point must be actively discussed with the catering provider to evaluate the options available. | 2, 10, 13 |
| Catering | Our tableware and tablecloths are reusable. | 1, 2 |
| Catering | We replace bottled mineral water with tap water in the meeting rooms | 3, 6, 12, 13 |
| Catering | We encourage participants to bring their own drinking bottle as tap water is drinkable everywhere in Switzerland. | 3 |
| Catering | We refrain from providing any takeaway coffee containers or cutlery. | 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 |
| Logistics | We have reduced the size of the printed programme to a minimum (by excluding abstracts and biographies) and provide an accessible electronic programme. | 13, 14 |
| Logistics | Prior to and during the event, we upload all documents onto the fully-accessible website for participants. | 13 |
| Logistics | We restrict the use of notepads and pens. | 10 |
| Logistics | We avoid generating too much waste, especially single-use plastics such as cups and PET bottles. | 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 |
| Logistics | We do not produce any special clothing for the event. | 11, 13 |
| Logistics | We use only energy from hydro or solar sources at the venues (generally only green electricity) and from local and regional suppliers where possible. https://kursaal-bern.ch/en/about-us/sustainability/energy-resources | 13 |
| Logistics | When awarding contracts to partner companies, we ensure the three sustainability dimensions are taken into account and that this is of central importance when assessing the awarding of the contracts. This can be done, for example, based on sustainability reports from partner companies. This should be applied to products from home and abroad. | 7, 9 |
| Logistics | We encourage participants to separate waste (PET, paper, other waste) and indicate this at the venue. | 12, 13 |
| Logistics | We encourage all participants to limit electricity consumption by turning off any unused electrical appliances. This is especially important for hybrid and virtual events. | 7, 12, 13 |
| Social aspects | We ensure that all premises and the event’s online platform are accessible for people with disabilities. | 3, 10, 11 |
| Social aspects | We ensure that all catering and seating is accessible. The same applies to coffee breaks. | 9, 10 |
| Social aspects | We ensure that the measures taken are discussed in advance with the involved stakeholders (venue, partner organisations, speakers, etc.) and organisations representing people with disabilities. | 4, 10 |
| Social aspects | We ensure that is a balance of the genders among speakers and moderators. Each gender should be represented at least 40%. | 4, 10, 11 |
| Social aspects | We encourage partner companies to apply eco-friendly procedures when implementing the contract. | 5, 8, 12, 13, 17 |
| Social aspects | We provide toilets that are accessible for persons with disabilities as well as single-sex and unisex toilets. | 5, 10 |
| Knowledge transfer | We ensure that partnerships built and developed at the event are maintained afterwards. | 4, 10 |
| Knowledge transfer | We will produce a final event report which will be accessible to all interested parties so that lessons can be learned from the experience. | 4, 10, 17 |
| Economy | In the context of a tender, we give higher weighting to establishments (e.g., hotels and restaurants) with sustainability labels, (e.g., with the Swisstainable label) as an award criterion. This should already be noted in the invitation to tender. | 8, 9 |
| Economy | If a fringe programme is organised, we will work together with local tourism organisations. | 8 |