A corporate dinner for 150 people on a boat cruising in front of the Bund, here in Shanghai, produces 46.9 tons of CO2. So much carbon dioxide in just few hours? It took some of the following to create:
Airline flights from the US, Europe and around China for event guests Hotel stays Travel within Shanghai Approximately 2,000 liters of fuel to power the 3 deck boat All the material produced for the event (invitations, gifts, backdrops, etc.)
HLD Event Services produced this entire event and the impact we made on the environment at the end of the event was "0".
There was no carbon impact on the environment because we were able to off-set ALL emissions by purchasing carbon credits; financing a reforestation project in the South of China. It cost 1% of the total budget, but made the dinner one-of-a-kind and left a mark, not just on the environment.
There are many other things to consider when producing a carbon neutral event (recycled paper, recycled construction materials, organic gifts, food, etc.) but the challenge is worth it and we look forward to working with you on your first or next green event.
To off-set 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide you could:
Move 145 drivers from large SUVs to hybrids for a year
Run one 600-kilowatt wind turbine for a year
Replace 500 100-watt incandescent light bulbs with 18-watt fluorescent bulbs
Install 125 home solar panels in India (20-year life)
Plant an acre of Douglas fir trees (50 years of growth)
Protect four acres of tropical rain forest from deforestation
The 2008 Olympic Torch Relay produced around 5,500 tons of CO2 travelling around the world.
A car that gets 20 miles per gallon emits about 50 tons of CO2 over its lifetime.
The average US household emits 12 tons of CO2 each year
A tree offsets 85 kg of CO2 in a lifespan of 45 year. It takes over 588 trees to balance 50 tons of carbon dioxide.
