Every year, the Island of Elba hosts a wide range of public events—from major events to médium festival like SEIF (Sea Essence International Festival) to smaller cultural, sports, and community gatherings.

While these events are vital for the local economy and tourism, they also pose environmental challenges, including:

• Carbon emissions from transportation, energy use, and logistics.
• Waste management issues, with single-use materials and inefficient recycling.
• High resource consumption, particularly water and electricity.

Given the island’s delicate ecosystem and its role as a prime tourist destination, it is crucial to rethink how events are planned and executed.

The challenge is to find innovative, practical solutions to make these gatherings more sustainable, reduce their carbon footprint, and foster long-term environmental resilience.

Our goal is to develop a flexible, scalable model that can guide event organizers—both public and private—towards more sustainable and carbon-neutral events in island and coastal environments.

This model should:

• Be adaptable to different event types and sizes, considering seasonal and geographic factors.
• Engage local communities by promoting awareness, participation, and shared responsibility.
• Leverage innovation and technology to monitor and reduce emissions, optimize resource use, and improve waste management.
• Provide education and tools for event organizers to implement best practices effectively.

While ISO 20121 (Event Sustainability Management System) provides a general framework, we seek a more tailored approach that considers the unique characteristics of Mediterranean islands, balancing environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

This challenge invites collaboration between local authorities, businesses, event organizers, and sustainability experts to co-create a replicable blueprint for carbon-neutral events. The insights gained here could serve as a model not only for Elba but for other island communities facing similar challenges.

Acqua dell’Elba – Società Benefit

Portoferraio Elba Island, Livorno, Italy