An icon on the downtown waterfront, centrally located, surrounded by ocean and mountains, the Vancouver Convention Centre is one of the greenest convention centres of the world. It is the world’s first LEED® Platinum convention centre (Leadeership, in Energy and Environmental Design).
It has a six acre “living roof” the largest green roof in Canada and the largest non-industrial living roof in North America, on the West building features more than 400,000 indigenous plants and four beehives.
A restored marine habitat is built into the foundation of the West building. Water quality in the area has improved dramatically, with the growth of a large variety of sea life.

The Vancouver Convention Centre has received Level 4 certification for its compliance with the prestigious Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standards. The APEX and ASTM certification is awarded to venues that achieve high standards in environmentally sustainable meetings, trade shows and conferences. It obtained the highest possible accreditation, Level 4 in Meeting Venue standards, and is the first facility in Canada to do so and the second globally.
“We are very proud that the Vancouver Convention Centre is the first venue in Canada to have earned this significant certification as it demonstrates our steadfast commitment to sustainably operating our business” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Todd Stone. “The Convention Centre takes its role as a global leader in sustainable operations seriously, and these standards provide us with clear guidelines on how to serve as an example in the convention centre industry, and advance our practices in an environmentally conscious way.”
“Operating a facility of our size, scope and complexity in the most environmentally responsible way is not an easy feat,” said Craig Lehto, General Manager, Vancouver Convention Centre. “This important accreditation is truly a testament to the commitment and passion of our entire team to continually evolve our ongoing operating practices and to identify new sustainability efforts that will make a difference in our industry.”

The Opening Ceremony at 9WEEC will be Saturday, September 9th at 9.00

The program of the Ceremony offers many interesting sections:

• at 9 the sections Recognising the Territory/First Nations  will be focusend on the main theme of the Congress, Culture&environment.
• at 9.15 the Congress will have the honour to host the Royal Welcomes of the Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC – Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Canada and of Her Royal Highness, Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, Morocco
• at 9.30 there will be the Opening Remarks from the WEEC20117 Co-Chairs David Zandvliet, Institute for Evironmental Learning , Canada and Mario Salomone, WEEC Network Secretary General, Italy
• at 9.45 Tbilisi +40 Reflections, with video and panel with Elliot Harris (UNEP), Julia Heiss (UNESCO Team Leader of Education for Sustainable Development), Ekaterine Grigalava (Deputy Minister of Environmental and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia) Tamar Aladashvili (Department of Environmental Policy and International Relations, Georgia), Charles Hopkins (UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability), Bill Darnell (Greenpeace Alumnus, Canada)