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As sustainability continues to be a critical topic across industries, XDS leads the way in progressive and innovative sustainable event practices that set us apart. Meeting in person is key to the development and health of our industry, but we recognize the impacts that traveling has on our planet, which is why year over year we will be evolving our robust sustainable event practices in order to claim our spot as one of the video game industry’s most sustainable events.
We are proud to be the industry’s only “Climate Friendly Event”, a testament to our unwavering dedication to a greener, more sustainable future. By cutting down on carbon emissions and waste, curating sustainable menus and being intentional about manufacturing, we can do our part to keep our own world as beautiful as the expansive worlds we create in our games.
Scroll down to see the many sustainable event practices we implement into our summit planning.
Emissions Reductions
- Working with Ostrom Climate Solutions, Canada’s leading carbon management solutions provider, to understand our greenhouse gas emissions and earn a “Climate Friendly Event” designation. Read our Report
- Offering attendees the opportunity to offset a portion of their travel at the point of registration to further reduce our carbon footprint
- Partnering with the Parq, a Green Key Certified Venue, as our official summit hosting site and accommodation partner
- Reducing our emissions by renting an electric vehicle for our event crew
- Promotion of active and eco friendly transportation and sustainable food options for attendees while in Vancouver
Waste Management + Single Use Plastic
- Eliminating all Single Use Plastic Water and Pop Bottles and working to eliminate our overall single use plastics onsite
- Creation of bright and informative waste stream signage in order to streamline our waste diversion rate
- Providing only compostable to-go cups and packaging
Signage + Fabrication
- Hotel key cards made from FSC certified paper, which means that the paper is sourced from trees that are being managed according to environmental standards
- Attendee & volunteer t-shirts are made from 100% Organic Cotton, which uses less water than traditional cotton and no chemicals or pesticides which protects local habitats. We’ve also sourced our shirts from a member of 1% For The Planet, who donate 1% of every retail sale to support the work of environmental non-profits organizations.
- Allowing attendees to “opt out” of XDS Merchandise at the point of registration to avoid fabrication waste
- Badges made from 100% Recyclable, FSC® Certified, Elemental Chlorine Free Paper Board
- Lanyards fabricated from Bamboo, a more sustainable material resulting in decreased water consumption. (**Important Note – In 2024 due to supply chain issues our bamboo lanyard supplier was not able to deliver on our manufacturing needs therefore we opted for recycled plastic lanyards. We will do our best to find a more eco-friendly solution for 2025!)
- Printing as much summit floor signage as we can on recyclable corrugated cardboard materials or FSC certified paper!
Food + Beverage
- Reducing our emissions and water usage by hosting a fully vegetarian Welcome Reception presented by Keywords Studios
- Offering dairy alternatives Cafe and AM + PM Breaks which use less land, less water and generates lower amounts of greenhouse gasses.
- Further reducing our emissions and water usage by hosting fully vegetarian AM breaks
- Working with the chefs at Parq to curate a menu that is as local and sustainable as possible
- Our Cafe is powered by local suppliers Timbertrain Coffee who roast their beans in a super energy efficient machine called a Loring which reduces their greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 80% compared to a conventional coffee roaster
Communications
- Keeping the conversation going and our attendees informed by including our sustainability targets and successes in our XDS Newsletters
- Developing robust internal & external communications around sustainability in order to educate and encourage our sponsors, attendees and production suppliers to join us on this journey!
Reduce your Environmental Impact at XDS
Onsite at XDS
Wondering how you can reduce your environmental impact at the event? Below are a few tips and tricks!
- Bring a reusable bottle
You won’t find plastic water bottles for sale on our watch! Bring your own – Vancouver’s water is better on tap! - Bring a reusable coffee mug
Keep your coffee hot while saving the world - Reuse your towels
Lessen water consumption by reusing your towels for the duration of your stay
Getting Around
Use environmentally friendly modes of transportation:
- Carpool – Heading to an evening event offsite? Why not car share with 4 friends?
- Public Transportation – Take Rapid Transit or the Bus to and from offsite events or from the airport.
- Rent a Bike – Mobi Bikes are rentable throughout the city and are a great way to get around. Be sure to set up your account before you arrive!
- Walk – Vancouver is a fantastically safe and walkable city. Dust off those comfy shoes and walk to where you need to go. The planet and your waistline will thank you.
Food
Exploring the local foodie scene? Consider a restaurant or cafe that serves local ingredients, or choose one of Vancouver’s many vegetarian/vegan locations. Below are some favourites!