The 2022 ENCATC Congress, is designed and organized to meet two objectives:

1. Minimize all potential negative impacts on the environment and
2. Leave a beneficial legacy for the host community and all involved.

Minimize all potential negative impacts on the environment

Global gatherings have a red negative effect on the environment due to the number of participants, mainly travelling from abroad, and the footprint of hosting the event itself (for instance through consumption & waste). To reduce these effects, ENCATC has adopted greener choices for the organisation of the conference and advised participants in this sense.

Several steps, aligned with  the SHIFT Eco-Guidelines for Networks, have been taken by ENCATC to lower the conference’s impact on the environment and climate. In particular:

1. ACCOMMODATION: All recommended hotels have an ‘environmental sustainability’ label and are easily accessible from the conference venue either on foot or by a short ride with public transportation.
2. TRAVEL: Participants are encouraged to travel by train to Brussels, if possible, or make other sustainable travel arrangements. In case of flying, considering a direct connection (if available) which has a lower carbon emission than a flight with a change-over. Walking, cycling, or public transportation should be used for travel within Brussels.

Participants are encouraged to take the bus organized by ENCATC to travel to Antwerp on the 17th of October afternoon.

3. FOOD & DRINKS: Catering at the event has been selected following sustainability criteria, it will feature local, seasonal and/or vegetarian options. Participants are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle.
4. CONGRESS MATERIALS: Printed materials and giveaways will be kept to a minimum. Tote bags are done in recycled fabric and are kindly offered by MAD Brusselsis a Brussels’ platform for gathering expertise from the city’s Fashion and Design sectors.
5. AWARENESS: To increase awareness about environmental sustainability, our sustainable actions will be communicated to our suppliers and partners. Before, during, and after the conference we will communicate and create dialogue with participants to help us co-create a more sustainable conference.

Leave a beneficial legacy for the host community and all involved.

ENCATC will hold once again its International Book Exchange project. Started in 2017, this initiative aims to have cultural management and policy publications find their places in libraries of institutions, universities, cultural organisations, and research centres across the globe. It’s a way to have knowledge reach new audiences and bring valuable perspectives and insight to an institution in another country.

This year, the books collected at the occasion of the Congress will be offered to the library of our local member, ULB – The Free University of Brussels, Department of History, Arts and Archaeology thus to contribute to the international of its library on cultural management and policy. In addition, this year we will collect books for the setting of new Library on Cultural Management and Policy in Ukraine.

Other legacy initiative will be announced in the coming days.

Through the programme, speakers, topics, accommodations, catering and communications materials, we are tackling the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) established by the United Nations:

Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries

Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels