Official Partner of the European Year 2012 for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations!
Designated the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations
(EY2012), the year 2012 is looking set to be a very important year for EFORT! Throughout
2011 we have been increasingly active in the European debate on ageing, prevention of
chronic disease and health promotion, and as a result, we are delighted to announce that
EFORT has been made an official partner to the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity
between Generations.
Read more.
EFORT joins myclimate to reduce ecological
footprint
The European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics
and Traumatology (EFORT) has entered into a partnership
with myclimate, a Swiss-based non-profit foundation that
develops and supports projects all over the world that
directly reduce greenhouse gases.
Zurich, 10 January 2011 - The alliance
aims to assure that the specific humanitarian goals of
each organization complement rather than conflict with
each other. The 12th EFORT Annual Congress scheduled for
1 to 4 June, 2011 in Copenhagen will attract over 7,000
participants and visitors from around the world. “The partnership
with the non-profit foundation myclimate will help partially
offset the carbon emissions that inevitably results from
mass travel to and from the event. Europe’s leading orthopaedists,
traumatologists, researchers and related medical specialists
meeting to exchange the latest ideas, developments and
knowledge will be doing so in accord with the physician’s
Hippocratic Oath as it might apply to the collateral environmental
impact: “first, do no harm.”, says Pierre Hoffmeyer, Vice
President EFORT
Direct and indirect support for offsetting environmental
impact
As a direct step, EFORT is making a donation of one Swiss
franc to myclimate for every registered Congress participant.
These “carbon offset” funds will be invested in an EFORT-selected
climate protection project in Uttarakhand, India, that
produces biomass briquettes for efficient cookers. It is
one of many myclimate projects internationally that contribute
to an overall reduction in CO2 emissions by applying renewable
energy technology, implementing energy efficiency measures
and reducing methane emissions.
In addition, EFORT is offering each Congress participant
free use of a bike during the entire Congress period. Every
interested participant can thereby make a direct contribution
to reducing CO2by biking between the hotel and the Congress
venue. As a by-product, participants will be making a
modest contribution to their own
health!
Every little bit helps, so EFORT is also encouraging individual
Congress participants to make a personal donation to offsetting
their flight travel-related CO2emissions. By entering their
travel routes to and from Copenhagen into a myclimate website
calculator, participants can estimate the amount of Swiss
francs needed to help offset the resulting carbon cost
and thus contribute accordingly to myclimate projects.
The foundation has assured EFORT that such project contributions
will save the same amount of CO2as was generated by the
passenger’s flight.
Even the small details of EFORT’s conference organisation
try not to overlook the importance of good environmental
citizenship. Copenhagen is among the world’s most environmentally
conscious cities. Appropriately, therefore, EFORT and myclimate
have put together a few useful exhibition-related suggestions
for industry representatives at the conference. These could
also be embedded as guidelines within companies, ‘own corporate
environmental regulations. A long list of suggestions includes
the use of recyclable or natural materials in producing
promotional giveaways, packaging etc., energy efficient
technology, public transport or car-pooling, sharing appliances
and equipment with neighbouring exhibitors, hotel bookings
close to the Congress venue and a number of other proven
environmentally friendly measures.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate on myclimate patronage
committee
“EFORT is proud to be associated with the dedicated people
at myclimate” says Régine Brühweiler from the EFORT Head
Office. They have just added Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Muhammad Yunus to the distinguished list of their organisation’s
patronage committee. Prof. Yunus developed the concept
of microcredit and micro finance for entrepreneurs who
are too poor to qualify for loans at traditional banks,
and founded the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to fill that
important gap. Dr. Claude Martin, former Director General
of World Wildlife Fund International, has also just joined
the committee.
“With the new myclimate partnership, the synergy that
EFORT has traditionally valued in attracting diverse areas
of expertise to its conferences takes on a broader scope.
It is recognition that the goal of improving the health
of our fellow citizens need not be pursued at the expense
of improving the health of our climate,” Pierre Hoffmeyer
concludes.
Contact:
EFORT Head Office Zurich
www.efort.org
Régine Brühweiler
education@efort.org
|