Auckland Conventions, Venues & Events and Auckland Live are custodians of thirteen 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.
In 2025, ACVE was recognised as one of the 16 inaugural organisations to be named a Year 1 Sustainable Supplier by Sustainable Events NZ, an initiative led by New Zealand Events Association. While there is more work to be done to deliver low impact events, this prestigious recognition highlights our commitment to adopting more sustainable practices in New Zealand’s business events sector.
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.
- 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.
- Auckland Art Gallery completed a major decarbonisation project at the end of 2023 which has reduced its carbon footprint by over 260 tonnes. Click to read more : The Art of Decarbonising: Auckland Art Gallery Sustainably Pumps up the Heat
- The gas heaters at the Aotea – Te Pokapū | Aotea Centre have been replaced with fully electric heating, as part of our commitment to decarbonising all Tātaki Auckland Unlimited assets by 2030.
- We have utility sub-metering in place to measure electricity, gas, and, in some cases, water at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand Maritime Museum, Aotea – Te Pokapū | Aotea Centre, The Civic, Shed 10, the Cloud, and Go Media Stadium. This data helps us optimize efficiency and ensure our assets run smoothly.
- Go Media Stadium has installed electric heat pumps, transitioning away from using gas. Click to read more : New heat pumps reduce Go Media Stadium's emissions and costs.
- Viaduct Events Centre, one of our flagship venues, is designed with sustainability in mind. It features rooftop solar panels for enhanced energy efficiency, power-saving measures such as efficient lighting and motion sensors, and a smart, programmable air conditioning system that isolates unused spaces.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- ACVE’s venues are conveniently located close to public transport, airport shuttles, and buses, and accommodation, reducing the need for private vehicles and transport.
- Water-filling stations are installed at most of our venues for visitors to refill their water bottles, reducing single-use plastic bottle litter.
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