Cairns is gearing up for next month’s International Business, Environment’s Climate Conference (IBECC), being held at the Cairns Convention Centre from May 24 to 26.
Spearheaded by Cairns Airport, the three-day conference will feature 45 speakers over 12 sessions, while on the third day delegates will head to the Great Barrier Reef to experience sustainable business operations first hand.
Cairns Airport chief executive Richard Barker told the Cairns Post that “sustainability and good business are not mutually exclusive”, with Cairns home to Australia’s largest number of eco-certified operators.
“We were looking at the challenges emerging from Covid as an economy, as we start to think about the transition to a lower carbon world, and the opportunities and challenges for our beautiful city on the edge of two World Heritage areas – how could we develop more sustainable tourism, sustainable power sources, and we’ve brought together national and international thought leaders, it’s a pretty impressive line-up of speakers,” he said.
Among the speakers are Jet Zero Australia CEO Ed Mason, Clean Energy Regulator CEO David Parker, Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh, Experience Co chief executive John O’Sullivan, Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef founding chief executive Andy Ridley and Cape York Partnership founder Noel Pearson.
Barker said Cairns Airport was committed to reducing its carbon footprint including drawing all its power from renewable sources.
