A History of Commitment

At the first public meeting held in Aspen in June 1949, to celebrate the life and work of German humanist Johann von Goethe, participants signed a resolution, read by Thornton Wilder at the closing assembly, calling for "the formation of a world council of international relations to continue to the work pioneered at these sessions."

In the spirit of the founding of the Aspen Institute, Aspen Environment Forum called upon all attendees to do their part to help us reduce the environmental footprint of this event. We believe that our waste reduction and recycling activities can make a difference.

Reducing Our Impact

In an effort to reduce the Aspen Environment Forum’s environmental impact, the Institute and National Geographic teamed with organizations to offset all carbon emissions generated by attendees’ travel to the Forum and with the City of Aspen’s ZGreen Program to find ways to minimize the event’s carbon footprint.

Through this collaborative carbon offsetting program, the Aspen Environment Forum offset all emissions generated by Forum participants’ travel to and from Aspen. Our offsets have funded Native American, farmer-owned, community-based renewable energy projects that create social, economic, and environmental benefits. These projects helped to build economies and communities, for people who come from long traditions of valuing and appreciating the gifts of nature and the environment.

Through its partnership with the City of Aspen’s ZGreen Program, the Aspen Meadows Resort earned status as a ZGreen Property by using green standards such as its own carbon offsetting program, purchasing wind power for the property, in-room recycling, reducing its paper usage, towel and sheet reuse in the hotel rooms, on-site composting, as well as other energy-efficient measures. The Aspen Institute’s Doerr-Hosier Center received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) GOLD Building Rating for being an environmentally responsible and healthy place to visit and work

In addition, the Aspen Environment Forum earned certification as a ZGreen Event by adhering to a series of green-event requirements, which governed the types of foods served at the event, the makeup of all event-related materials, the event’s energy usage and transportation offerings, and the Forum’s approach to waste. Meals at the Forum utilized local ingredients whenever possible and were served using reusable dishes and linens. And when disposable cups were available, they were made of recycled and compostable materials. Additionally, the Forum’s signage, posters, and program book were all printed on 100 percent recycled materials using soy-based ink, and leftover banners were made into tote bags after the event. For transportation throughout the event, Forum participants were shuttled in hybrid vehicles and encouraged to walk and carpool between campus and town. Finally, a major part of the effort was to minimize the Forum’s waste. The Forum largely avoided individually packaged and disposable items to reduce paper and plastic waste, as well as composted food waste on site — at last year’s Forum, the Institute composted 600 gallons. To ensure learning and better practices in the future, the Aspen Meadows and the Aspen Institute tracked waste produced each day of the event.

The goal of all of these efforts was to not only reduce the environmental impact, but also to remind attendees that there are many things we each can do on our own to help ensure a healthy environment for future generations.

For more information about the City of Aspen's Z-Green Program, visit www.aspenzgreen.com.

Information about NativeEnergy Offsets at previous Aspen Environment Forums

NativeEnergy's Comprehensive Carbon Footprint offset at past Aspen Environment Forums included:

• Attendee travel (air and ground) emissions – typically the most significant source of event carbon pollution
• Performing artists and VIP travel (air and ground) emissions
• Vendor travel and shipping emissions
• Staff travel, office, accommodations, and shipping emissions – solar RECs for green electricity, carbon offsets for other emissions
• Accommodations (attendee, performing artists, VIPs) – solar RECs for green electricity, carbon offsets for other emissions
• Venue – electricity is being greened-up with certified renewable energy credits from a solar project; other venue emissions offset with high quality carbon offsets
• Waste - related emissions (mostly from food waste off-gassing, some incineration, paper, cardboard)

For more information, visit www.nativeenergy.com.