CIM: Less short-term growth, more long-term benefits: Do you see this as a transition of values?
Große Ophoff: A transition towards more sustainable management is important not only for protecting the climate. In 100 years from now we must completely change our resource base. Gas and oil reserves will have been depleted by then or at least become very scarce. And the then much larger global population will still need sufficient food. I believe that most people think ahead not only until the next elections but also want to shape the future for future generations.
How important do you think should sustainability be to the meetings industry in future?
Conferences and conventions are a place to discuss and shape the future. They have a huge multiplier function. Especially for this reason the meetings industry should act as a pioneer.
Should some conferences be cancelled completely in order to reduce emissions?
In some cases this could definitely be an option. But human communication consists not only of sound and image. Direct personal contacts will continue to play a major role. This applies in particular when solving difficult problems.
You recently organised an event at the official residence of the German president. How was it?
During the Week of the Environment we presented Germany as a country of sustainable innovation. With this event we departed from the trend of incorporating ever more show elements. Major players and small research companies alike exhibited on a maximum space of 20 sqm. Large-scale – and small – discussion forums with over 200 speakers created an excellent atmosphere.
What would sustainable incentives look like in your opinion?
Regrettably the trend – at least until the economic crisis – for some incentives was just about making them bigger, better, more spectacular all the time. But what sense was there in that? What motivation was it supposed to generate? I attended an incentive where staff members worked on renovating their own homes in workshops with an interactive Energie@home exhibition presenting various technologies and allowing participants to experiment.
Dr. Markus Große Ophoff is Director and Authorised Signatory of the Centre for Environment Communication of the German Environment Foundation.www.dbu.de
