Capital Markets Days, investor conferences, Annual General Meetings, and financial roadshows are critical moments for companies to showcase their strategy, build trust, and strengthen relationships with stakeholders. But these events can also generate a significant environmental footprint; from travel and venue energy use to printed reports and catering waste. The good news is that with thoughtful planning, financial events can be both impactful and sustainable. Here are some practical steps to reduce the environmental impact of your next stakeholder gathering.

1. Choose Sustainable Venues

Select venues that prioritise energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and recycling programs.

• For large shareholder or investor meetings, ask about certifications such as LEED or BREEAM, or whether they have clear sustainability policies in place.

2. Rethink Transportation

Transportation is often the largest source of event-related emissions, especially when investors fly in from multiple regions.

• Encourage train travel where possible, provide information about public transit links, and consider hybrid or virtual formats to reduce the need for long-haul travel.
• Where flights are unavoidable, look to select airlines with published net zero strategies and commitments to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

3. Go Paperless

Financial events are traditionally heavy on printed reports, agendas, and presentations.

• Shift to digital investor packs, apps, and QR codes for access to materials
• If print is necessary, use FSC certified paper, recycled paper and eco-friendly inks, and keep print runs limited

4. Reduce Waste

Events tend to result in large amounts of waste, resulting in a large negative environmental impact if not managed well.

• Eliminate single-use plastics by offering reusable or compostable cups, plates, and utensils
• Provide clearly marked recycling and compost bins, and work with venue partners that manage waste responsibly
• Avoid excessive packaging for promotional materials or gifts

5. Focus on Catering Choices

Catering at AGMs and investor days can make a big impact.

• Serve seasonal, locally sourced, and plant-based options, reducing reliance on resource-intensive ingredients
• Partner with caterers who donate surplus food to local charities or food banks

6. Incorporate Sustainable Branding

For financial events, branding is important, but it doesn’t have to come at an environmental cost.

• Use reusable signage, digital displays, and modular staging that can be repurposed
• Instead of handing out physical giveaways, consider digital swag or useful, sustainable items like reusable bottles or notebooks

7. Measure and Offset

Track your event’s carbon footprint using calculators designed for corporate gatherings. Where emissions can’t be avoided, invest in credible carbon offset projects. Being transparent with investors and shareholders about these actions reinforces a company’s ESG commitments.

Mediatree supports event organisers with carbon accounting and mitigation services through our GreenerRoadshows offering, helping quantify emissions accurately and implement effective reduction and offsetting strategies.

8. Educate and Inspire

Financial events provide a unique platform to demonstrate a company’s commitment to sustainability. Share your green initiatives with stakeholders, include sustainability highlights in presentations, and lead by example in embedding ESG into event practices.

Real-World Examples of Mediatree Clients

• Endesa (Virtual Format): During the pandemic, many organisations opted for fully virtual stakeholder meetings and events as travel was not allowed. Since then, Endesa has maintained their Capital Markets Day’s in virtual formats, dramatically reducing travel emissions while still maintaining stakeholder engagement.

• Kingfisher CMD (Physical Format): Kingfisher displayed their own group products in sustainable and innovative ways. An example of this was using their tires as plant pots, drawing attention to the product whilst also showing their sustainability orientation. Many of these items were later gifted or donated to local groups and charities.

• Orange (Carbon Captured Roadshows): The investor relations team at Orange France used the GreenerRoadshows offering to track and measure the impact of their annual investor relations activities from 2018-2024. This helped them pinpoint their emissions hotspots and make efficient decisions to help reduce the emissions from their investor relations activities throughout the years.

Final Thoughts

Sustainable investor events are not just good for the planet, they also send a powerful signal to stakeholders that a company is serious about ESG. By making thoughtful choices at every stage, financial institutions and corporates can create impactful events that build trust and engagement, without leaving a heavy footprint. And with expert support in carbon accounting and mitigation, organisations can go beyond compliance to set a benchmark for responsible event management.