In September, Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center were recognized by the Green Meetings Industry Council as one of only four venues in the world to exceed the APEX/ASTM Green Venue Level 1 standard. These venues have taken a leadership role by embracing sustainability for their organization and achieving Level 2 certification to the ASTM/APEX standard for their sector. In addition to advancing their own operational practices, the facilities offer meeting and event planners helpful tools to implement a sustainable standard at their event.

To achieve certification, venues must implement initiatives across topics like Energy, Water, Waste Management, Air Quality, Procurement and Communication. For Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center, many of the requirements were met as a result of several years of continued sustainability efforts. However, some new projects were undertaken for the certification, such as:

STAFF AWARENESS

Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center surveyed building staff to find out how well they understood the building’s sustainability program. The result – nearly all Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center staff are familiar with the program and related practices, and over two-thirds of respondents actively participate in efforts like composting, waste reduction and energy efficiency within the building.

WATER QUALITY PROTECTION

Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center made strides to protect outdoor water quality and rainwater runoff from the property. Using best practices from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Winter Sidewalk Maintenance Manual, they integrated multiple new practices to improve the effectiveness of snow and ice removal on the property while using only as much ice-melting chemical as needed to get the job done.