Adelaide's Green Initiatives

As a destination, Adelaide is making an innovative and pro-active impact with its green credentials and ‘sustainability edge'. This has resulted in the state firmly establishing itself as Australia’s green conference destination, making the state a very attractive option for event organisers.

Operators such as the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide Event and Exhibition Centre and Hilton Adelaide are already setting a high standard in promoting the state as the premier clean, green tourism destination.

The Adelaide Convention Centre places significant emphasis in its own green business events and is seeking to be the nation’s most environmentally responsible convention centre, combining ‘Gold Service’ with ‘Green Attitude’. The centre is ensuring the venue operates in the most environmentally responsible ways and offers a series of ‘Go for Green’ events packages, as well as a number of carbon emissions offset options for the organisers and delegates of functions both large and small. The centre also actively supports the ‘Trees for Life’ campaign and has implemented a native tree growing project that offsets its environment footprint, creating healthy functioning ecosystems.

The Adelaide Event and Exhibition Centre has put in place a number of environmentally sustainable initiatives, while recently undergoing major expansions to the $50 million redevelopment. Underground storage for 3.5 million litres of harvested rainwater to supply 50% of the water requirements for the 26 hectare site has been included. Also 10,000sqm of solar panels have been installed to supply electricity to the exhibition facilities, making it the largest installation of any commercial structure in the South Hemisphere.

Hilton Adelaide has taken a leadership role in pursuing environmental sustainability for the hotel and restaurant sector. The 5-star hotel has developed an environmental improvement program that touches just about every aspect of its operation. From the reduction in energy, water and waste to landfill has earned the hotel the winner of both the 2009 Australian Hotels Association SA Award for Excellence in Best Environmental Practice and the Qantas Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism at the 2009 SA Tourism Industry Council awards.