Surfrider and Save The Waves teams utilized the STOKE Sustainability Management System Template to create their own comprehensive set of policies and procedures for their sustainability initiatives and goals. The SMS is the sustainability equivalent of a bathymetric chart and surf forecast all rolled into one. It guides all management practices, staff training, policies and procedures, goals and implementation strategies. This is their go-to document for each Global Wave Conference and your guarantee for an epic event that enables you to #STOKEresponsibly. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

Panelists and keynote speakers were literally and figuratively given a platform to talk about ocean conservation. The ocean-friendly stage and podium were made by local artists, Ethan Estess, with reclaimed fishing rope, wood, and other upcycled fishing industry waste materials. Ethan’s nonprofit project, Countercurrent Art, fosters ocean stewardship via science-based art exhibitions and youth workshops. Furthermore, the conference used recycled guitar scraps from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company and commissioned Santa Cruz Engraving for the surfboard-shaped name tags.

Panelists and keynote speakers were literally and figuratively given a platform to talk about ocean conservation. The ocean-friendly stage and podium were made by local artists, Ethan Estess, with reclaimed fishing rope, wood, and other upcycled fishing industry waste materials. Ethan’s nonprofit project, Countercurrent Art, fosters ocean stewardship via science-based art exhibitions and youth workshops. Furthermore, the conference used recycled guitar scraps from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company and commissioned Santa Cruz Engraving for the surfboard-shaped name tags.

Panelists and keynote speakers were literally and figuratively given a platform to talk about ocean conservation. The ocean-friendly stage and podium were made by local artists, Ethan Estess, with reclaimed fishing rope, wood, and other upcycled fishing industry waste materials. Ethan’s nonprofit project, Countercurrent Art, fosters ocean stewardship via science-based art exhibitions and youth workshops. Furthermore, the conference used recycled guitar scraps from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company and commissioned Santa Cruz Engraving for the surfboard-shaped name tags. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

In addition to sourcing 85% of the food (by weight) from farmers within 100 miles of the venue, using recycled guitar scraps in Santa Cruz for the surfboard-shaped name tags, as well as tapping local artists Bill Lewis for the branded sand sculptures and Ethan Estess to craft the stage from upcycled fishing industry waste, the GWC prioritized local suppliers and artists throughout the event. WSL PURE sponsored a happy hour featuring local conservation organizations with catering from Real Good Fish, which is community-supported fishery (CSF) that is pushing an alternative business model for selling fresh, locally sourced seafood. Verve Coffee served up local coffee with a conscience—they exceed FairTrade minimums by working directly with their farmers and paying premiums for quality coffee beans through their Farmlevel Initiative. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

In addition to sourcing 85% of the food (by weight) from farmers within 100 miles of the venue, using recycled guitar scraps in Santa Cruz for the surfboard-shaped name tags, as well as tapping local artists Bill Lewis for the branded sand sculptures and Ethan Estess to craft the stage from upcycled fishing industry waste, the GWC prioritized local suppliers and artists throughout the event. WSL PURE sponsored a happy hour featuring local conservation organizations with catering from Real Good Fish, which is community-supported fishery (CSF) that is pushing an alternative business model for selling fresh, locally sourced seafood. Verve Coffee served up local coffee with a conscience—they exceed FairTrade minimums by working directly with their farmers and paying premiums for quality coffee beans through their Farmlevel Initiative.

To reduce Scope 3 carbon emissions and congestion on local roadways, the GWC’s main venue and primary lodging option were one and the same—The Dream Inn hotel. Besides being walking distance to surf at Cowells and Steamer Lane, evening programs were typically in walking or biking distance from the hotel and the Dream Inn provided complimentary beach cruisers for attendees to get around. Public transit and shuttle options to get from the nearest airport in San Jose were communicated to attendees and the Whova app was used to help with carpool planners. Most local volunteers were able to walk and bike as well! (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

A key part of the conference experience was being immersed in surfing and ocean conservation culture in an authentic and respectful way. The Dream Inn venue honors surfing’s heritage in Santa Cruz with the Jack O’Neill Lounge named after the legend and founder of O'Neill wetsuits. The Santa Cruz Surfing History Museum led a walking tour from the Dream Inn to the museum at Steamer Lane to showcase the city's rich surfing history and talk about the replica ‘Olo’ redwood surfboards shaped by local iconic shaper, Bob Pearson, which were featured along the walls of the conference room. These surfboards hold special significance as they honor the boards ridden by three Hawaiian Princes in Santa Cruz in 1885 as the first demonstration of surfing in the Americas. The GWC held a paddle out to close out the event and Hawaiian surfer and scientist, Cliff Kapono, performed a mele oli ceremony on the 17’ olo to bring the experience full circle. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

A key part of the conference experience was being immersed in surfing and ocean conservation culture in an authentic and respectful way. The Dream Inn venue honors surfing’s heritage in Santa Cruz with the Jack O’Neill Lounge named after the legend and founder of O'Neill wetsuits. The Santa Cruz Surfing History Museum led a walking tour from the Dream Inn to the museum at Steamer Lane to showcase the city's rich surfing history and talk about the replica ‘Olo’ redwood surfboards shaped by local iconic shaper, Bob Pearson, which were featured along the walls of the conference room. These surfboards hold special significance as they honor the boards ridden by three Hawaiian Princes in Santa Cruz in 1885 as the first demonstration of surfing in the Americas. The GWC held a paddle out to close out the event and Hawaiian surfer and scientist, Cliff Kapono, performed a mele oli ceremony on the 17’ olo to bring the experience full circle. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

A key part of the conference experience was being immersed in surfing and ocean conservation culture in an authentic and respectful way. The Dream Inn venue honors surfing’s heritage in Santa Cruz with the Jack O’Neill Lounge named after the legend and founder of O'Neill wetsuits. The Santa Cruz Surfing History Museum led a walking tour from the Dream Inn to the museum at Steamer Lane to showcase the city's rich surfing history and talk about the replica ‘Olo’ redwood surfboards shaped by local iconic shaper, Bob Pearson, which were featured along the walls of the conference room. These surfboards hold special significance as they honor the boards ridden by three Hawaiian Princes in Santa Cruz in 1885 as the first demonstration of surfing in the Americas. The GWC held a paddle out to close out the event and Hawaiian surfer and scientist, Cliff Kapono, performed a mele oli ceremony on the 17’ olo to bring the experience full circle. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

Not only do the organizers of the conference fight to protect sacred coastlines and surf breaks around the world on a daily basis, the entire ethos of the Global Wave Conference was based on empowering activists, brands, governments, and others to do the same. With the Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve serving as the conference backdrop, panelists and keynote speakers from different backgrounds in science, surfing, technology, conservation, and governance from around the world shared inspiring and educational solutions and challenges to ocean conservation and climate change. The Save The Waves Film Festival was hosted at the Patagonia store and Pangeaseed, a non-profit ‘ARTivism’ group, commissioned an art mural outside the store as a live demonstration to protest the recently proposed offshore drilling. To top it off, the Mayor of Santa Cruz and other elected officials spoke about their efforts to improve water quality at Cowell’s Beach in partnership with Save The Waves on a walking tour.

Not only do the organizers of the conference fight to protect sacred coastlines and surf breaks around the world on a daily basis, the entire ethos of the Global Wave Conference was based on empowering activists, brands, governments, and others to do the same. With the Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve serving as the conference backdrop, panelists and keynote speakers from different backgrounds in science, surfing, technology, conservation, and governance from around the world shared inspiring and educational solutions and challenges to ocean conservation and climate change. The Save The Waves Film Festival was hosted at the Patagonia store and Pangeaseed, a non-profit ‘ARTivism’ group, commissioned an art mural outside the store as a live demonstration to protest the recently proposed offshore drilling. To top it off, the Mayor of Santa Cruz and other elected officials spoke about their efforts to improve water quality at Cowell’s Beach in partnership with Save The Waves on a walking tour. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)

Venue functions and accommodations at the Dream Inn Hotel as well as the event’s live stream were powered by 100% renewable energy from sources in Northern California (30% solar and wind, 70% hydro) through the Monterey Bay Community Power Association (MBCP), which is a Community Choice Energy model whereby municipalities take ownership over their energy supply. MBCP still uses the utility provider’s grid infrastructure (PG&E) to supply clean power to local residents and businesses with the goal of developing more renewable energy sources closer to home. There is no on-site renewable energy at the venue and no generators were used during the event, but GWC hopes to get one of its venues to invest in on-site renewables for the 2020 event.

Thanks to Santa Cruz Community Compost (which supports local homeless gardens), Klean Kanteen sponsored tumblers, TerraCycle’s Clif Bar wrapper recycling, and the Dream Inn’s plastic-free catering services and compostable plates, the GWC’s zero waste efforts led to an 88% diversion ratio thus avoiding 129 pounds of trash to the landfill and saving 16.4 pounds of CO2 emissions. In line with Surfrider’s Rise Above Plastics campaign, the Global Wave Conference attempted to use zero plastic at the venue and all but one of its auxiliary venues where a local brewery accidentally brought plastic cups, which were all recycled though.

In total, attendee and staff travel accounted for 99.9% of the GWC’s carbon footprint of 74 metric tons. GWC and STOKE searched all over the globe for third-party verified ‘blue carbon’ offsets (carbon sequestration in coastal ecosystems—seagrass, mangroves, etc.), which was an exciting frontier discussed at the conference. However, the two blue carbon projects we did find had no more credits for 2018 and the rest of the market still has another year to mature. Instead, GWC decided to direct attendees to purchase offsets that support reforestation and restoration work in coastal watersheds close to the event at one of The Conservation Fund's three projects in Northern California. GWC hopes to find a verified blue carbon offset project for the 2020 event.