Sustainability
An Eco-Sustainable Event Destination
Cairns & Great Barrier Reef is a tropical region encouraging genuine connections between nature and each other. Our business events industry is committed to being custodians of our two World Heritage-listed icons; the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest by implementing eco-sustainable measures. We understand that event organisers, companies and delegates, who choose Cairns & Great Barrier Reef for their business event want to reduce their environmental impact, stage events with purpose, and give back as part of their event.
As a region, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef is home to the most amount of eco-sustainable accredited tourism operators in Australia, an amazing 62 operators! Thirteen of these Cairns & Great Barrier Reef operators are in the Hall of Fame after being eco-certified for 20+ years.
Host a Sustainable Reef Experience
For business events and professional conferences, the Great Barrier Reef offers an unforgettable setting where sustainability can be an integral part of your program. Event organisers can contribute to the reef’s conservation through initiatives that combine conservation, culture, and citizen science, giving delegates a deeper understanding of the reef and its World Heritage values. Marine biologists and cultural guides provide personalised experiences with day trips tailored to your event. Delegates can engage in meaningful activities such as attaching coral to reef-stabilising structures, monitoring marine life, or learning from cultural guides about their connection to sea country. By participating in these immersive experiences, delegates gain a genuine appreciation of the reef’s biodiversity while enjoying reef tours, marine activities, and networking opportunities that support the long-term resilience of one of the world’s most iconic marine ecosystems, all while showcasing your organisation’s commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.
Leaving a sustainable footprint
Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef make carbon offsetting simple for business events and professional conferences through the Reforest program, a ground-breaking platform that allows event organisers to measure and mitigate their environmental impact while supporting local ecosystems. Reforest calculates your event’s carbon footprint and enables partial or full offsets by planting local trees, with follow-up stories showing delegates the tangible impact of their contribution. By integrating Reforest into your event program, delegates can enjoy immersive rainforest activities while actively supporting conservation, creating meaningful, eco-conscious experiences that combine professional engagement with environmental responsibility. The Douglas Shire is recognised as the world’s first ECO Destination, offering eco-certified rainforest experiences for conferences and incentive groups, meeting rigorous sustainability standards.
Carbon offset make easy in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
Carbon offsetting is made simple through Reforest, a dedicated reforestation and carbon offset program supported by a powerful digital dashboard. Reforest calculates and event’s high-level carbon footprint and provides clear pathways to partially or fully offset emissions through verified reforestation projects. The dashboard allows organisers to track progress, understand impact, and follow the ongoing story of their planted trees over time.
Event organisers can choose to fully offset their carbon footprint or make a partial contribution, while also offering delegates the opportunity to participate in the carbon offset program through out the event via the Reforest platform.
