ESG and events: are they breaking up, or just having tough conversations?
The state of and attitudes towards ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in mid-2025 are complex and increasingly polarised. In some regions, ESG policies are coming under heightened levels of scrutiny, with some shareholders pushing for actions to be scaled down or done away with altogether.
In this article, we explore where ESG sits on the agenda in 2025, what potential shifts to ESG policy mean for the events industry, and how you can keep your event activity truly sustainable (without falling into the trap of greenwashing).
What is ESG in Events?
ESG is a framework that businesses, including event agencies, use to evaluate the sustainability and ethical impact of their activities. In this context, sustainability goes beyond the environment to include social responsibility and governance, recognising the inextricable link between the three. For events, ESG means tracking environmental footprints, inclusion metrics, and governance processes.
The ESG framework is built on three key pillars:
- Environmental – How your event impacts the planet. This includes carbon emissions, energy use, waste management, and resource efficiency; everything from venue choices to delegate travel and catering decisions.
- Social – How your event affects people and communities. This covers diversity and inclusion, accessibility, community engagement, delegate wellbeing, and fair treatment across your supply chain.
- Governance – How decisions are made and standards upheld. This includes transparency, ethical supplier practices, anti-corruption policies, and compliance with regulatory and ESG reporting requirements.
A Global Perspective on ESG in 2025
ESG policies have faced notable pushback in recent years; particularly in the US, where regulatory rollbacks and growing anti-ESG sentiment have taken hold. The backlash, driven by certain political groups and sceptical investors, has led to a sharp decline in ESG-related regulations and a pullback of funding from key initiatives. The challenge now for organisations is to prove that ESG issues, and their responses to them, are not just values-driven, but materially significant and economically relevant.
Still, ESG reporting requirements haven’t disappeared. That means organisations and event planners will still be expected to report on their social and environmental sustainability efforts. These principles still remain core to a lot of business strategies, even if they aren’t explicitly dubbed as ‘ESG’.
Navigating the political and linguistic minefields left in the wake of ESG rollbacks can be tricky. Efforts once labelled ‘ESG’ are increasingly being rebranded under terms like “responsible business” or “rational sustainability.” If you think that sounds deliberately evasive or confusing – you’re likely not alone.
ESG and the events industry
So what do these ESG shifts mean for the events industry? Like in many sectors, balancing the expectations of multiple stakeholders – often pulling in different directions – makes ESG a political and practical challenge.
The ESG landscape for events in 2025 is fragmented, politically charged, and regionally inconsistent. While the ambition to create more sustainable, inclusive, and well-governed events remains, how that’s interpreted – and accepted – varies widely depending on where you’re operating.
In the US, ESG has become a political lightning rod. The term itself is often avoided, with organisers reframing their ESG policy as “responsible business” or “risk-based sustainability” to align with local sentiment while maintaining core principles.
Across Europe, particularly in the UK, Germany, and the Nordics, ESG reporting remains a regulatory and reputational priority. Here, events are expected to demonstrate measurable ESG efforts – carbon tracking, inclusive practices, and transparent reporting are non-negotiable.
In Asia-Pacific, ESG adoption is mixed. While countries like Singapore and Australia are advancing policy and awareness, others are still early in the journey. Events in the region can play a vital role in leading ESG conversations and setting examples.
In short: there’s no universal playbook. Depending on where you’re hosting an event ESG strategies must be regionally sensitive – adapting tone, terminology, and actions to suit local expectations without compromising intent. The smartest events don’t dilute their values; they deliver them with nuance.
Why ESG Still Matters for Events
While the events industry is broadly facing the same crossroads as other sectors that have emerged following ESG shifts, it also carries a heightened level of scrutiny when it comes to environmental and social responsibility. Why? Because when sustainability isn’t prioritised, events can leave a significant negative footprint – whether through carbon emissions, resource consumption, or unintended impacts on local communities. A strong event ESG policy is not optional.
Without conscious efforts around carbon tracking, social inclusion, and equitable practices, the very nature of events can undermine the principles ESG seeks to uphold.
While upholding ESG values is both important and responsible from a business perspective, event organisers, particularly those in global agencies working with diverse clients and stakeholders, may need to adapt their language depending on the region and audience.
In events, if your ESG policy doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, it could end up backfiring.
ESG in Events: The Risks of Greenwashing
Balancing social and environmental responsibility at events is already complex, especially in today’s fractured ESG landscape, but on top of that, there’s growing scrutiny to ensure efforts are genuine, not just greenwashing.
That means surface-level gestures, like swapping plastic straws or offsetting flights without reducing emissions, no longer cut it. Attendees, partners, and stakeholders are increasingly looking for transparency, measurable impact, and long-term commitment. If your sustainability claims can’t be backed up, they risk doing more harm than good.
To build authentic ESG events, organisers must go deeper – starting with robust ESG reporting and real accountability.
Measuring ESG Impact in Events
The key to delivering ESG-aligned (or “responsible business”) events that avoid the pitfall of appearing sustainable without real substance is accountability, and that starts with robust measurement and transparent reporting frameworks.
Here is a list of everything you should measure to ensure your event’s ESG impact is a net positive:
Environmental
- Calculate your event’s carbon footprint (travel, energy, waste)
- Track how much waste you recycle or compost
- Monitor energy and water use, aiming to reduce both
- Choose suppliers and materials with strong sustainability credentials
Social
- Ensure your event is accessible to all, including people with disabilities
- Measure how your event supports local communities or social causes
- Gather feedback on attendee wellbeing and safety
Governance
- Check that suppliers follow ethical and sustainability standards
- Share clear, transparent reports on your ESG efforts
- Stay compliant with relevant laws and regulations
- Involve stakeholders in shaping and reviewing your ESG goals
Start small. Focus on a few key areas first, build your measurement and reporting step-by-step, and grow your ESG event impact over time.
The Future: What’s Next for ESG in Events?
Looking ahead, ESG regulations are tightening in the UK, EU, and parts of APAC, while the US remains more varied. New technologies like carbon tracking and AI-driven supply chain tools are making sustainability easier to measure and manage. Most importantly, the focus is shifting from mere compliance to embedding ESG into the very culture of organisations, making sustainability a core part of how events are planned and delivered.
Is ESG going anywhere? Its name might change, but the need for ESG in events remains as urgent as ever.
ESG events are experiences designed around Environmental, Social, and Governance principles. They reduce environmental impact, prioritise social equity, and maintain ethical governance.
ESG reporting in events tracks and discloses your impact, carbon emissions, inclusion, compliance, and more, ensuring stakeholders have full visibility.
ESG is important because today’s stakeholders demand responsibility. Events that ignore ESG risk reputational damage and lost business opportunities.
A good ESG policy outlines your event’s goals in sustainability, inclusion, and ethics. Include metrics, responsible parties, and how you’ll report outcomes.
Yes. You don’t need a huge budget. Start with a small ESG strategy, like measuring travel emissions or choosing ethical suppliers, and grow over time.
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