Waterloo, Canada - The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) was congratulated by Zerofootprint for reducing the environmental impact of the CIGI 'O6 "Building Ideas for Global Change" conference (www.cigi06.org) by being carbon and natural resource responsible.
The CO2 emissions resulting from conference attendees' travel to and from the conference on international governance innovation, the electricity used during the conference and the energy used in the production of the conference programmes will be mitigated through a carbon offsetting program.
The CIGI'06 conference is also natural resource responsible. The trees and water used to produce the conference materials and to generate electricity will be restored to the environment through tree planting and watershed protection.
These offsets, sponsored by Zerofootprint, will be carried out by the rare Charitable Research Reserve, headquarters of Zerofootprint in Waterloo Region, Canada, helping to 'green' the local community and improve the quality of life for residents. Zerofootprint's goal is to connect people who care about the environment for the purpose of reducing ecological footprint.
This is the second time this year that CIGI has participated in an environmentally conscious program as an organization. In June, CIGI accepted a challenge from The Region of Waterloo and the Citizen's Advisory Committee on Air Quality to participate in the 7th Annual Commuter Challenge in Waterloo Region, a friendly competition between communities that encourages individuals to take active and sustainable alternatives to driving to and from work. A total of 78% of CIGI employees participated in the Commuter Challenge, the second highest participation rate in Waterloo Region. Overall, Waterloo Region ranked 4th nationally when compared to communities of similar population.