The International Association of Conference Centers has launched a Code of Sustainability to encourage its member properties to implement and follow environmentally sound practices.

The code, which is entirely voluntary and not required for IACC certification, asks members to evaluate their properties on 59 environmentally responsible practices in nine areas of sustainability:

• Education, Awareness, and Public Declaration
• Waste Management
• Recycling
• Reuse
• Water Conservation
• Purchasing
• Energy Management
• Air Quality
• Food and Beverage

The code was developed by the association’s sustainability committee and launched at IACC’s annual member conference in March. IACC distributed the document to member properties and asked them to indicate whether each practice was in place, planned, or not planned.

Members who had at least 75 percent of the 59 environmental practices in place were invited to sign the Code of Sustainability. Facilities earned either a platinum, gold, or silver designation, recognizing 100 percent, 85 percent, or 75 percent adherence to the code, respectively.

Only one member property—The Johnson Foundation Inc. at Wingspread Conference Center in Racine, Wis.—has achieved platinum status, while 16 properties have qualified for the gold designation and 14 others have earned silver status.

By signing the document, IACC members can align themselves with “other member organizations…in a global, association-wide effort to strive for greater sustainability,” said Lois Berg, committee chair and director of administrative services for the Johnson Foundation Inc. at Wingspread Conference Center. “We will continue to evaluate the code on an annual basis to ensure it represents best practices for the industry.”

A list of member properties that have signed the Code of Sustainability is available on IACC’s Web site, along with the association’s Code of Sustainability document and Environmental Policy Statement.