Skip to main content

VERGE

Main menu

Main menu

  • Virtual Event
  • VERGE ProgramsToggle submenu for VERGE Programs
    • Buildings Program
    • Carbon Program
    • Energy Program
    • Food Program
    • Startup Program
    • Transport Program
  • ProgramToggle submenu for Program
    • Schedule
    • Evening Events
  • Speakers
  • Partner Events
  • ExpoToggle submenu for Expo
    • Microgrid
    • Startup Pavillion
    • The Climate Pledge at VERGE
    • Art & Demos
  • Special ProgramsToggle submenu for Special Programs
    • Accelerate
    • Emerging Leaders
    • Nature Forum
    • EV Charging Workshop
    • Sustainability Programs
  • AboutToggle submenu for About
    • Networking App
    • Health-Safety
    • Travel
    • Who Attends
    • Sponsor
    • Subscribe
    • VERGE 21 Archive

Sustainability Programs

Waste Diversion

Our partnership with TerraCycle® makes it possible to divert waste by recycling things that are not accepted by curbside services. Hard-to-recycle trash can be deposited in the Zero Waste Boxes with the corresponding waste stream found throughout the event venue. TerraCycle is an international and award-winning waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. 

 

Carbon Offsetting

VERGE 22 is the leading climate tech event accelerating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.

We have partnered with South Pole to provide climate offsets on your behalf for VERGE 22. We’ll calculate the emissions of all our attendees for the entire event by asking you information about your travel as well as accounting for venue energy use, food and other factors. South Pole will then offset those emissions via a selection from the world's largest portfolio of carbon projects to protect the planet and transform lives.

By investing in carbon offset projects with South Pole, you are taking immediate action on greenhouse emissions. We recommend it as one part of a broader, integrated carbon management strategy.

 

Tree Planting Program

We are teaming up with One Tree Planted to plant 4,000 trees on behalf of our attendees! These trees will benefit a reforestation project in Siskiyou County, California that was impacted by forest fire. The project will restore and replant 234 acres of forest that was burned, while also contributing numerous ecological and community benefits. Reforesting this area will reduce post wildfire erosion, create jobs and enhance water quality and quantity. It will also help restore wildlife habitat. The Grey Wolf, previously hunted to extinction within the state over 100 years ago, recently returned to the area and depends on large landscapes and healthy ecosystems for survival, this project will help restore and protect their habitat.

 

Water Balancing

We'll balance VERGE 22's water footprint with the help of Bonneville Environmental Foundation and Change the Course, restoring approximately 820,000 gallons of freshwater to critically depleted ecosystems in Merced County. Change the Course is a first-of-its-kind initiative that brings together the public, corporations and on-the-ground conservation organizations to raise awareness about freshwater issues, balance water footprints and directly support water stewardship projects. Change the Course is the leading corporate water restoration and engagement campaign. The initiative has supported over 150 water projects across 26 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico; and restored over 28 billion gallons of water.

 

Food Redistribution

We're partnering with Copia to redistribute all of our surplus food to nonprofits in the San Jose community. In America today, 40% of the food we produce goes wasted, while 1 in 6 people are food insecure. What this means: hunger in our country is not a scarcity problem, it's a logistics problem. Copia is the first technology-enabled food recovery solution. They've built industry-leading logistics to solve hunger and food waste at scale, and GreenBiz is proud to be part of the solution.

Microgrid

VERGE 22 is the leading climate tech event accelerating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.

Since 2013, VERGE events have utilized 100% renewably-powered microgrids to help power our live events. Each microgrid is built on-site using a combination of off-the-shelf components from startups and leading solution providers. Tours will be available throughout the event to learn about the interoperability, resilience and radical efficiency of these technology solutions available today. 

 

Learn more about the VERGE microgrid here.

 

Plastic Credits

We’re partnering with rePurpose Global to collect and remove 100 nature-bound plastic pouches from the environment for every VERGE 22 attendee. Low-value waste will be collected, upcycled and processed at a rePurpose Impact project, Sueño Azul in Colombia that empowers waste pickers to tackle plastic waste.
rePurpose Global is the world's leading Plastic Action Platform dedicated to reducing waste, reviving lives, and restoring nature's balance. Today, they are a movement of conscious businesses and consumers taking action on their plastic footprint by empowering innovators on the frontline.

Networking App

In the place of printed programs, the CrowdCompass app offers the best option for accessing the program on-site, connecting with fellow attendees and keeping up with all that VERGE 22 has to offer. Be sure to download the app or access it on your desktop to view the most up-to-date event program. By using the conference app, you are helping to reduce paper use at VERGE 22. Thank you! Click here for instructions to download the app.  

Green Meetings at San Jose Convention Center

VERGE 22 is the leading climate tech event accelerating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.

Team San José, the Convention Center and the Cultural Facilities are committed to supporting the City of San José’s Pathway to Carbon Neutrality. From recycling (191 diverted tons of waste in 2021) to using Green Seal-certified cleaning products to saving 365,000 gallons of water annually by closing the hot water loop, the SJCC is prioritizing sustainability to make green meetings easy.

Impossible Foods

VERGE 22 is the leading climate tech event accelerating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.

We are partnering with Impossible Foods to offer some delicious plant-based alternatives to resource-intensive meat products such as beef. The mission of Impossible Foods is to restore biodiversity and reduce the impact of climate change by transforming the global food system. To do this, they’re making delicious, nutritious, affordable and sustainable meat from plants. Compared to conventional ground beef, the Impossible Burger® reduces environmental impacts in four key impact categories -- 87% less water, 96% less land, 89% fewer GHG emissions, and 92% less aquatic pollutants.

Carbon Reduction

VERGE 22 is the leading climate tech event accelerating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.

We've partnered with Watershed, the enterprise climate platform, to measure the carbon footprint of our business operations and our large, in-person events. Watershed's mission is to help decarbonize the global economy by giving companies the tools and services they need to take meaningful action on their greenhouse gas emissions. Their platform allows businesses like ours to measure and analyze their complete carbon footprint, take action to reduce and remove those emissions, and report on progress to stakeholders and regulators. Watershed helps companies around the world turn their net zero ambitions into reality, fast.

PCRM's Plant-Based Training

The Physicians Committee’s culinary specialist collaborated with San Jose Convention Center culinary team to create delicious plant-based options including selections from the Universal Meals program that are plant-based and void of the top nine allergens.

What You Can Do

We encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle to reduce dishwashing and waste on site, and take public transportation to the Convention Center and surrounding events when possible to reduce emissions.

Footer menu 1

  • Upcoming GreenBiz Events
  • VERGE 22
  • VERGE Net Zero
  • Code of Conduct

Footer menu 2

  • All Events
  • Executive Network
  • GreenBiz.com
  • Sustainability Jobs

Footer menu 3

  • About GreenBiz Group
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • VERGE is a registered trademark of GreenBiz Group
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
This site (RSS)
GreenBiz
© 2023 GreenBiz Group Inc. GREENBIZ® and GREENBIZ.COM® are registered trademarks of GreenBiz Group Inc.