IFFCO will host the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) General Assembly and a Global Cooperative Conference for the first time in India at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from November 25 to 30, 2024.
The announcement was made during a recent press conference jointly addressed by Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Shri Joren Douglas, Director General of International Cooperative Alliance and Dr. U S Awasthi, MD, IFFCO at New Delhi.
According to ICA, the central theme of the conference, ‘Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All’, will be discussed through four plenaries, each flanked by four parallel sessions, and curated to develop an Action Agenda for Cooperatives to Accelerate the SDGs. Spread over six days, the conference is dividied into multiple sessions, side events and outside visits. More than 1,500 distinguished guests representing over 100 countries are expected to attend this event.
Overall, ICA General Assembly, Global Cooperative Conference and launch of 2025 United Nations International Year of Cooperatives together are set to become one of largest events which might leave carbon footprint.
However, Ministry of Cooperation, Govt. of India has announced, ‘the Indian Cooperative movement has always been culturally motivated to protect the environment and in continuation with the legacy of Indian Cooperative Movement, Global Cooperative Conference will be Carbon neutral. During the event, 10,000 Peepal trees will be planted to support carbon neutrality.’.
What is a Carbon-neutral event?
Hosting carbon neutral event effectively means taking steps to offset the carbon emissions generated by the event by investing in activities that either reduce or remove the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere, thereby achieving a net-zero carbon impact. For example, during the ICA New Delhi event 10,000 Peepal trees will be planted to support carbon neutrality. The Indian Cooperative movement has always led by example and the current initiative to plant 10,000 Peepal trees to offset the carbon footprint shall serve as a reference point for other event organizers.
