Eleven predictions for event sustainability in 2025. (Yes 2025).

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Eleven predictions for event sustainability in 2025. (Yes, 2025).

In Dec-24, event:decision made the following 11 predictions.  Let’s see how we (or more realistically, you) got on.

 

  1. Responsible event delivery will match sustainability in importance to clients

While carbon emissions remain a dominant theme, responsible event delivery – a wider focus on ethical practices and social responsibility has definitely taken a step up and remains a firm competitive edge for event owners, agencies, hotels and destinations.

Score: about 60% right

 

  1. New metrics will emerge to measure impacts

As a direct result of shifting focus, event:decision already offer Impact: Responsible Event Reviews, which benchmark performance across ESG, not solely in carbon emissions. We’ll also be first to market with an event  Social Value Yield from early 2026.

Yes, a Social Value Yield per event in real money, expressed as a % of total event budget.

Score: 100% right.

 

  1. Carbon tools and reporting will become more sophisticated

During 2025, carbon tracking and reporting technologies will offer a more integrated and accurate picture of event-related emissions. Tools, like our own Track –  which aggregate data from multiple sources, like travel providers, venues, and F&B, will make it easier to generate comprehensive event-wide sustainability reports.

No step-change revolution here, but advances within event:decision’s Track service now includes AI analysis and Travel Capture tech.

 Score: about 60% right.

 

  1. Event sustainability will slip down the planner agenda

Sustainability will no longer dominate headlines in the industry – not because it’s less important, but because it is more mainstream. The hype about “being amazing at sustainability” will give way to a more grounded, practical approach. Sustainability will become a baseline expectation for clients, making it less of a unique selling point and more of a fundamental requirement.

Event sustainability has slipped down the agenda, but for a different reason, mainly cost pressures. (See our own The State of Sustainability in Events 2025).

Score: 100%

 

  1. Collaboration across client teams will increase efficiency

The alignment of client event teams, procurement departments, and corporate ESG initiatives will lead to greater efficiency and fewer silos. In 2025 and onwards, we’ll see a more joined-up approach to planning, budgeting, and implementing sustainable practices.

Score: Wishful thinking, 30% correct feels about right.

 

  1. Greenwashing will persist

Despite progress, greenwashing will remain an issue. The gap between talking about sustainability and actually implementing effective practices is still evident in many areas.

Score: sadly, 90% correct in this prediction, it’s easy to make token gestures or simply ignore large sources of emissions.

 

  1. A deeper understanding of the relative impacts of events will emerge

As some companies complete five or more years of reporting on the environmental effects of their events, a clearer picture of what really drives impact will emerge. This deeper understanding will enable event planners to focus on the most significant areas of impact, such as attendee travel, community engagement, and local supply.

Score: 60% correct,  yes, there is better understanding of the levers of sustainability in events, but hasn’t led to much actual change in event design at macro-level.

 

  1. Venues will lead in innovation

Venues will continue to push the boundaries of sustainable practices, offering creative solutions to reduce their environmental impact.

Destinations, hotels and event venues have continued to innovate to deliver a more sustainable product, but often in Social activation, local supply, circularity & local social enterprise event-support.

Score: we’ll give ourselves 65% correct here.

 

  1. Political and economic factors will challenge sustainability efforts

Despite fears, the 2024 US election result will have a limited direct impact on event sustainability. While new political leadership may influence ESG policies, brands are increasingly aware that their audiences still expect responsible event practices, regardless of a change of government.

However, in the UK, ongoing challenges like the rise in employer National Insurance contributions, budget pressures and staffing challenges will hit the industry hard, venues and hospitality providers especially. However, just as we have shown resilience through all recent crises, we will adapt once again – albeit with some bruises.

Jury is out. No doubt attitudes to some areas of sustainable and responsible event delivery can be avoided conveniently by brands who choose to do so. Others appreciate they should address the wants of their audience and reinforce ethical and responsible event delivery.

Score: about 50%.

 

  1. New materials and designs will shape expo sustainability

The demand for sustainable exhibition materials will drive innovation in the sector and modular expo frame manufacturers will develop more sophisticated and reusable designs. Materials innovation will not only reduce waste but also provide flexible, cost-effective solutions for exhibitors.

Yes, we see the adoption of better practices front-of-house in many exhibitions. Sometimes less so back-of-house.

Score: somewhat. 35% right in prediction.

 

  1. Consolidation and consultancy growth will reshape the sector

By 2025, the event sustainability sector will see increased consolidation, with agencies merging or forming strategic partnerships. Smaller consultancies focused on sustainability will continue to emerge and grow, providing specialised expertise to meet the rising demand for guidance on sustainable practices.

There have been some big changes within event sustainability supply/support at the sector level and the emergence of several smaller specialist consultancies. Changes within the agency landscape seem to be on the increase.

Score: 100% we spotted that one.

The State of Sustainability in the Event Sector: A Responsible Perspective

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Exploring the current state of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the event sector.

Delivered live at the Sustainable Event Show Friday, 7th November 2025, London. 

The event sector is a highly diverse & transactional yet creative sector. We include sporting events, cultural, community, conferences, experiential, corporate and brand activity within our remit. We deliver tens of thousands of experiences, every single day. Yet each event is different and individual. This poses both opportunities and challenges in sustainable product and delivery, unlike any other sector.

Despite initial and continued enthusiasm, and whilst the appetite for sustainable solutions is undiminished, financial realism and logistical pragmatism are driving many decisions in event planning.

event:decision’s “State of Sustainability in the Event Sector” offers a snapshot of how the sector is performing across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions — and what must come next.

Confidence and Sentiment

Across the UK, EU, and US, planners’ confidence in sustainable practice varies but shares a cautious optimism. While European professionals express stronger conviction in ESG progress, UK media reports uncertainty and financial pressure on planners. Across 2025 sector media continues to show sustainability as a top priority, over other factors such as Experience and Connection, AI && Tech, Financial concerns and Inclusivity.

Planners in the US show a reduction in appetite for sustainable solutions from 7/10 to 5/10, the only region to do so.

These findings reveal a sector in motion: sustainability is clearly valued, yet implementation lags behind ambition.

What You Want: The Priorities of Event Professionals

Data from the AMEX GBT M&E 2026 Forecast, based on insights from over 600 meeting professionals, identifies where event planners are focusing their attention.

  • Destinations and venues unsurprisingly continue to dominate decision-making
  • However, AMEX data suggests a tension between aspiration and practicality — most professionals want to host greener events but struggle to translate desire into measurable outcomes. Sustainability is not yet the new normal.

Despite planner optimism, sustainability still competes for attention against more traditional pressures. Of course it does. According to the AmexGBT report:

– Only 25% of event professionals currently track emissions. That means 3 in 4 do not.
– Just 28% plan to prioritise improvements to sustainability metrics in 2026. That means 2 in 3 do not.
– And while 38% have sustainability written into policy, 28% still classify it as a “pending initiative,” trailing behind cost reduction and attendee engagement in priority.

This measurement gap is critical. Without reliable data, it’s impossible to quantify progress, justify budget spend, or demonstrate ROI — all of which are essential for making the business case for sustainability.

In ‘The Value of Values”, Daniel Aronson quotes a global CFO as saying “only two department come into my office and ask for money with no numbers – HR and sustainability”.

In other words, we’re all still stuck at the stage of good intentions without consistent proof. The will exists, but the pathway remains fragmented. Eventprofs must keep sustainability in mind across the planning process; there are very few decisions needing to be made, in which sustainable options are not available.

What The Sector Does: Headlines

Agency Performance

Based on the Power 30 Most Sustainable Agencies campaign in conjunction with micebook 2024-5.

Geography: UK only

  • 94% of agencies have a defined sustainability lead within the business.
  • 50% hold an Ecovadis accreditation, and 50% of these hold at Silver level
  • Almost half (47%) hold ISO14001 accreditation for their own businesses.
  • Half of this number (22%) hold ISO 20121 for their event planning processes
  • Only 1 in 5 of the most sustainable agencies hold a B Corp certification.

You can see this and additional related information in the Power 30 Most Sustainable Agencies 2024-5 output.

Event Performance

Based on event:decision’s Impact: Responsible Event Review data, which is based on over 5,500 data points from:

Event date range: Jan 2024 – Oct 2025

Geographies: US, EMEA, APAC

Event types: Conferences, sporting tournaments, exhibitions, experiential, incentives, meetings & stand-builds

Sectors: aviation, education, energy, tourism, events & hospitality, finance, banking, insurance, government.

Reviewers are invited to detail their adoption of factors within E, S & G. Here we highlight those factor adopted most and least, by the industry.

Users are able to benchmark their event performance against global, regional, type and sector performance.

Here we evaluate how the event sector performs in three pillars, highlighting the three most and three least actioned factors within each of ESG channels:

Environmental Factors

  • Strengths: Reported growing adoption of event carbon reporting, and increased attention to venue certifications and responsible food and beverage sourcing.
  • Opportunities: Limited action on pushing venues towards energy efficiency and the collection of delegate travel data — two of the most significant contributors to an event’s carbon footprint.

Social Factors

  • Strengths: A reported focus on delegate wellbeing and promoting events for all.
  • Opportunities: Persistent gaps in auditing supplie  living wage policies, event legacy planning, and collaboration with social enterprises to deliver impact.

Governance Factors

  • Strengths: Solid foundations in contractor insurance, sector codes of practice, and risk assessments (RAMS).
  • Opportunities: Rarely is ROI linked to sustainability KPIs, few events appoint an event-ESG lead, and certification of internal (agency)ESG systems remains underdeveloped.

In short, while the frameworks are forming, most organisations are still at an early stage of integrating ESG rigour into everyday decision-making.

What about carbon emissions reporting?

Whilst reporting of Social and Governance factors is somewhat scarce, without doubt, emissions reporting of events is the most commonly actioned reporting tactic. Yet carbon impact remains one of the sector’s most pressing issues.

We believe that even combining the data of all popular event carbon calculation platforms & services, the sector is barely scratching the surface of rigorous, audit-worthy measurement and reporting at any significant scale.

Questions for the industry:

  1. Travel. Whilst Greenhouse Gas Protocol states that if emissions are created due to an event, they should be calculated and reported – there appears a reticence within the event sector to include travel-related emissions within reporting.
  2. As hotel, conference & convention centre product is potentially less variable than the events they deliver, greater progress has been made on certifications and accreditations. Both agency and in-house teams should reward venues which have invested in these standards by actively considering them in their decision making, moreso than is seen in current sector reporting.
  3. Food & Beverage. Whilst public sentiment and (literal) tastes are changing, it is apparent that longer events (1 days+) still encounter some challenge in offering solely plant-based menus.
  4. Materials & Freight: whilst ideally re-used / re-purposed materials and local supply is ideal, rarely is the infrastructure in place to deliver. In a live event scenario, confidence in supply often outweighs sustainability considerations, especially in the technical environment.
  5. There is still demand for swag. Usually mass-produced some distance from the event site and airfreighted. The event sector needs to work harder in convincing clients that there are more viable and valuable alternatives. Should multi-$m corporations needs cheap swag to entice prospects to engage on exhibition stands?

Track Reports from event:decision are the #1 global event-focussed carbon reporting service, providing planners with:Event carbon footprint |  Industry benchmark | Travel Capture tool | Specific mitigations | Offset values.

The School Report: How Events Compare

When benchmarked against other industries, the event sector earns a mixed grade. There are signs of life — strong momentum in awareness and engagement — but progress is uneven. Environmental measurement is advancing, whilst social sustainability trails behind.

Sectors such as aviation, automotive, pharmaceuticals, energy and finance are more highly regulated, financed and deliver greater supply chain integration. As such, it can be argued that progress towards a more sustainable product is more advanced.

The message to #Eventprofs is clear: intent is no longer enough. The next chapter must focus on execution and evidence.

What’s Next: A Call to Action

The closing elements of the report outline seven crucial lessons — each a call to action for planners, agencies, and brands:

  1. Destination & venue choice is critical – sustainability begins with where and how you host. Travel accessibility, especially by public transport / mass transit is the largest factor.
  2. Ownership matters – it’s up to you to drive responsible practice. Step up and take the credit, if you’re delivering sustainable value. event:decision can provide you with simple metrics to demonstrate.
  3. Optics count – it matters what things look like, even if the emissions effect is relatively small, communicate sustainable choices transparently and authentically.
  4. Easy wins exist everywhere – small steps (local sourcing, digital materials) add up fast.
  5. The social benefits of events are under-used; relative to environmental tactics. Integrate local supply, social enterprise supply (there are more of these than you think), align with multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (they are hard to argue against) and legacy into your event DNA.
  6. Responsible options are abundant – from certified venues to low-impact catering, digital swag, swag-swap tables, local & sustainable suppliers; more sustainable choices are accessible. Impact: Responsible Event Reviews will point you directly at conscious supply-chain.
  7. Set an objective and take the first step — progress begins with measurement. Every small tactic delivers a more responsible event.

Conclusion

The 2025 landscape for event sustainability is one of potential meeting accountability. The event sector has never been more aware of its responsibilities – yet has never needed clearer leadership to translate intent into impact.

If the sector can embed sustainable thinking and practice into more decisions – from destination selection to delegate travel, supply chain integrity to ROI, the events of tomorrow will not only bring people together, but do so responsibly.

The event:decision State of Sustainability 2025 is being delivered live at the Sustainable Events Show 2025, with accompanying data from event:decision’s Track & Impact tools, Amex Global Business Travel Annual Meetings & Events Trends 2025, Oxford Economics Global Risk Survey and The Business of Events 2025 Annual Planner Sentiment Survey.