ENERGY DAY 2024 with CO₂ transparency

The title of Janitza's ENERGY DAY 2024 set an ambitious tone: “Perspectives on CO₂ Neutrality.” The event aimed to engage participants in discussions about reducing CO₂ emissions, provide insights into how Janitza's tools offer precise overviews of company emissions, and demonstrate the company’s commitment to sustainability by tracking and offsetting the event’s own carbon footprint. Janitza not only talks about sustainability—it takes action.

What Does a “CO₂-Transparent Event” Mean?

The first step was ensuring transparency. For ENERGY DAY 2024, Janitza evaluated energy consumption and material use to measure and minimize emissions during event planning and execution. In a final step, unavoidable CO₂ emissions were offset through local compensation projects. This commitment required all parties involved—event organizers, caterers, and suppliers—to prioritize sustainability, CO₂ neutrality, and transparency.

“When we talk about CO₂ transparency, we must also act,” said Patrick Steiß, Janitza’s energy manager. “By calculating our company’s carbon footprint last year, we could apply that knowledge to the event.” Steiß emphasized creating transparency by calculating the event's emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, encompassing all direct and indirect emissions before, during, and after the event.

How Is a Carbon Footprint Calculated for an Event?

Accurate carbon accounting begins with meticulous data collection, a complex task for any event. With the support of a service provider, Janitza followed the standardized GHG Protocol, analyzing electricity and water consumption, catering, and even the weight of materials like floor coverings. Initial reduction measures included using green electricity and sourcing catering locally.

Close collaboration with LiveFRAME, Janitza’s event partner, was critical to achieving the event’s sustainability goals. Together, they created a CO₂-transparent event that exemplified energy efficiency and provided a clear, transparent carbon balance.

Key Takeaways from ENERGY DAY 2024

The carbon footprint analysis revealed that not all factors could be precisely measured. Estimates and standardized rates often had to be used. “Involving science helps us make progress. While precise data isn’t always available, using standardized estimates is better than doing nothing at all,” said Steiß. A safety margin was included in the calculation to ensure no emissions were overlooked.

Balancing Cost Pressures with CO₂ Reduction

Balancing sustainability with cost was a challenge throughout the event. For instance, bamboo and corn starch flooring was used to ensure reusability, while natural materials like wooden boards and cardboard replaced less sustainable options. Future events might even utilize digital green-screen setups instead of analog sets.

Transportation emissions from attendee travel were harder to control. However, Janitza offset these emissions through certified compensation projects. “Through careful planning and leveraging Janitza’s energy management systems, we significantly reduced the event’s carbon footprint and offset the remainder, achieving true carbon neutrality,” explained Steiß.

Digital or In-Person Events?

Hosting ENERGY DAY as a hybrid event helped reduce the carbon footprint while increasing accessibility. “The choice of format—on-site, hybrid, or fully digital—depends on the event type and audience. For ENERGY DAY, we combined the best of both worlds, ensuring wider reach with lower CO₂ emissions,” said Christoph Pauli, managing director at LiveFRAME.

Higher data volumes from digital events do contribute to emissions, especially when cameras and servers are involved. However, reusing digital content increases reach and sustainability, making every kilowatt-hour more impactful.

Achieving Net Zero Emissions

Compensation projects were carefully chosen based on verifiability and long-term impact. Janitza supported certified ecological projects under the VER Gold Standard and VCS, including reforestation in Brazil and wind energy projects in South Africa. Although local compensation projects are often cost-prohibitive, international projects deliver meaningful results for global climate goals.

By offsetting the remaining emissions, ENERGY DAY 2024 achieved net-zero status, as certified by ClimatePartner.

A Blueprint for CO₂-Neutral Events

Janitza’s ENERGY DAY 2024 demonstrated that CO₂-neutral events are achievable with the right planning, technology, and collaboration. “The additional costs for CO₂ reduction measures and offsets were manageable, and sustainability planning from the outset simplified the process,” summarized Steiß.

This event serves as an example of how technological innovation and responsible action can align to deliver both economic and ecological benefits. “We are proud of the path we’re taking and hope our efforts inspire others to pursue a more sustainable future,” said Steiß. Janitza’s team learned a valuable lesson: the best way to predict the future is to shape it.