Auckland Conventions, Venues & Events and Auckland Live are custodians of eleven of Auckland’s most iconic and unique venues, including four Historic Place Category 1 landmarks.
To ensure our venues, events and activities continue to enrich the lives of future generations, we have embarked on a journey towards sustainability by committing to progressively reduce our total operational emissions on an annual basis.
This means significant benefits for our environment, our clients, our business, and the collective future of Aucklanders.
Being part of the independently audited Toitū Envirocare sustainability programme has helped us identify the data we need to measure and set goals to manage our carbon footprint against international standards and best practice.
In 2019, ACVE received Toitū carbonreduce certification as a business unit of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, recognising our efforts in actively identifying, managing and minimising the impacts of our operations on the environment.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is also a member of the New Zealand Green Building Council - a not-for-profit industry organisation that advocates better buildings for healthier, happier communities.
Through education, waste minimisation initiatives, influencing our supply chain, and reducing our consumption of water and energy, ACVE and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited continue to seek ways to protect and nurture our heritage while enriching life in Tāmaki Makaurau.
A sustainability snapshot of our venues:
- In 2017, Auckland Zoo was the first Tātaki Auckland Unlimited venue to gain Toitū carbon zero certification in 2017. In the last financial year, Auckland Zoo diverted 84% of waste to landfill.
- Around 75% of the theatre and house lights in the Aotea – Te Pokapū | Aotea Centre, Hōro ā-Tāone o Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland Town Hall, and Bruce Mason Centre have been replaced with energy-saving LEDs.
- All event waste from the Aotea – Te Pokapū | Aotea Centre, Hōro ā-Tāone o Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland Town Hall, and The Civic is hand-sorted at the Aotea Arts Quarter’s own recycling centre. Waste and recycling volumes are closely monitored and a landfill diversion target of 75% by 2021 has been set.
- ACVE’s venues are conveniently located close to public transport, airport shuttles, and buses, and accommodation, reducing the need for private vehicles and transport.
- Thoughtful restoration and maintenance of the four Historic Place Category 1 venues in ACVE’s portfolio (Auckland Art Gallery, Hōro ā-Tāone o Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland Town Hall, Shed 10 and The Civic) ensure each venue’s cultural and historical significance is preserved. We maximise their use to reduce demand for new buildings and therefore new products, materials, and construction waste.
- Water-filling stations are installed at most of our venues for visitors to refill their water bottles, reducing single-use plastic bottle litter.
- The Cloud began life as a modern, semi-permanent inner-city fan zone during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Today, it is repurposed as a versatile and sought-after event venue on Auckland’s waterfront.
- Go Media Stadium has introduced reusable Globelet cups for all major concert events held at the venue, reducing the need for 110,000 single-use cups during the 2018/2019 concert season.
- ACVE works with accredited caterers who provide sustainability-conscious solutions for events. This includes offering locally sourced produce, sustainable menus, eco-friendly cutlery and crockery options, as well as repurposing or donating excess food to charity.
Eco-friendly and reusable products offered and sourced for events include:
- Water jugs, water glasses, and canned water instead of plastic bottled water
- Reusable cup schemes
- Biodegradable wristbands
- Digital screens, which are replacing printed posters around Tātaki Auckland Unlimited venues
- Reusable merchandise such as glass coffee cups, reusable shopping bags, and bamboo notebooks.
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