The new Shanghai World Finance Centre (SWFC) Forum has implemented a Green Meetings Program. CEI Asia spoke with Yoichiro Yamada, general manager of SWFC Forum, to find out what they are doing.

What are SWFC’s main environmental initiatives?
 Our grand ballroom has an automatic air-conditioning system that senses changes in the room’s carbon dioxide content, caused by increases or decreases in occupancy. It can then automatically adjust the temperature accordingly and also save energy. Energy-saving light bulbs are used in 75% of the entire SWFC Forum and our escalators are sensor operated.

Our biodegradable meeting amenities include 100% biodegradable water bottles made from plants, not from oil – the first of their kind in Asia. They take about 60 days to decompose. Even our mint wrappers are 100% biodegradable. Our note pads are made from recycled paper and the pencils from recycled newspapers.

Also, our high-quality furniture does not require tablecloths or chair covers, which reduces the amount of water and energy needed for washing and ironing. Importantly, we also receive independent consulting for our environmental programme and staff training.

Why did SWFC introduce policy?
We had this idea in mind during the pre-opening stage in 2008. Our building is a new landmark for both Shanghai and China. We wanted to show the international community that China is aware of environmental issues and that we are here to make a difference. We also felt there was a demand for an environmentally conscious venue, both internationally and domestically.

What was the biggest challenge of the process?
Finding credible suppliers in China, especially to produce our meeting amenities. Many suppliers, especially the printers using recycled paper, didn’t have the proper knowledge and credentials for the recycled paper they were trying to sell us.

However, we were fortunate enough to find a great supplier called Biodegradable Asia, who helped us design and produce our water bottles and other biodegradable amenities.

Anything else notable?
We are currently working on a carbon offsetting programme and hope to implement it this year. We will offset our emissions and give our clients the option to offset their events as well. We are still a very young venue and continue to look for ways to build and improve our Green Meetings Program.