Sustainability in Atlanta
OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
In Atlanta, planning professionals and attendees are tapping into the energy, hustle and passion of our city to connect with something bigger for meetings – making their mark without the footprint. Make your mark with our sustainable meeting resources below.
45.6%
Tree coverage: Atlanta’s urban canopy leads the nation
3#
In the country for Energy Star-certified buildings
7#
In the country for solar energy (Georgia)
EVENT VENUES AND ATTRACTIONS
We don’t just go green; we go bold. In 2023, our state ranked 5th nationally for LEED certifications – 42% of these at Gold level. Whether it’s a forest-inspired reception or an event at the world’s largest LEED Gold-certified convention center, our “City in the Forest” offers unparalleled sustainable spaces for your meeting or event. Here’s a sampling. Select the logo for a quick view.
- – Total meeting rooms: 106
- – Reception style capacity: 15,000
- – Banquet style capacity: 12,000
- – LEED Gold certification
- – World’s largest LEED-certified convention center
- – Composting and food donation reporting
- – Partnership with Change Please Coffee, supporting homelessness programs
- – Onsite honey production
- – Material donation partnerships for resale, training and reuse
- – Textile donations to re:loom for job creation
- – 1,900 solar panels
- – Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge participant
- – Georgia’s legacy of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games
- – A 22-acre greenspace – a hub for urban greenery
- – Reception style capacity: 20,000
- – Banquet style capacity: 12,000
- – LEED Gold certification (Georgia World Congress Center Authority)
- – Focus on environmental stewardship and community-driven revitalization
- – Water-efficient landscaping; native and water-wise plantings
- – Eco-friendly maintenance practices
- – Utilizes wells and cisterns to reduce its dependence on city water for irrigation, supporting water conservation efforts across its large green spaces
- – Total meeting rooms: 106
- – Reception style capacity: 15,000
- – Banquet style capacity: 12,000
- – LEED Gold certification
- – World’s largest LEED-certified convention center
- – Composting and food donation reporting
- – Partnership with Change Please Coffee, supporting homelessness programs
- – Onsite honey production
- – Material donation partnerships for resale, training and reuse
- – Textile donations to re:loom for job creation
- – 1,900 solar panels
- – Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge participant
- – Georgia’s legacy of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games
- – A 22-acre greenspace – a hub for urban greenery
- – Reception style capacity: 20,000
- – Banquet style capacity: 12,000
- – LEED Gold certification (Georgia World Congress Center Authority)
- – Focus on environmental stewardship and community-driven revitalization
- – Water-efficient landscaping; native and water-wise plantings
- – Eco-friendly maintenance practices
- – Utilizes wells and cisterns to reduce its dependence on city water for irrigation, supporting water conservation efforts across its large green spaces
- – Total meeting rooms: 15
- – Reception style capacity: 3,000
- – Banquet style capacity: 2,500
- – LEED Platinum certification
- – 4,000 solar panels generating 1.6M kWh/year
- – 92% waste diversion through recycling, composting and donations
- – 100% LED lighting and occupancy sensors
- – Employee/guest education via sustainability tours, newsletters and Green Team
- – Community impact: 250K+ pounds of food donated, 14M aluminum cans to Habitat for Humanity and 45K+ student tours annually
- – Home Depot Backyard hosts wellness programs and events
- – Total meeting rooms: 4
- – Reception style capacity: 500
- – Banquet style capacity: 160
- – Architecture by Philip Freelon and Perkins+Will (formerly HOK), one of the world’s leading sustainable design firms
- – Inclusive design promoting social equity, cultural sustainability
- – Exterior symbolizes a mosaic of various nationalities, representing unity and diversity
- – Curved walls represent two cupped hands, protecting the sacred dignity of all human beings
- – Total meeting rooms: 4
- – Reception style capacity: 5,100
- – Banquet style capacity: 1,200
- – LEED-certified Green Building for Sharks Exhibit
- – 99% of seawater aquarium system water recycled
- – Rainwater sustains Shark Exhibit
- – 100% water-efficient fixtures
- – Locally sourced food and catering
- – Seafood Watch conservation practices
- – Seasonal menu curation
- – WasteNot2.0 data tracking
- – FILTA frying oil recycling (12,000+ lbs saved)
- – 23 tons annual waste recycling
- – GreenerLife carbon offset program for natural gas consumption
- – Total meeting rooms: 4
- – Reception style capacity: 1,200
- – Banquet style capacity: 350
- – LEED Gold certification
- – 20% recycled building materials (bamboo, recycled rubber flooring)
- – 90% of construction waste salvaged, reused or recycled
- – Energy efficiency: 30% above Georgia state standards
- – Water conservation: 40% less usage (low-flow fixtures)
- – Light-colored paving
- – Vegetated grounds
- – Reflective roof (reduces urban heat island effect)
- – Low-emission paints, adhesives and carpeting
- – Cradle-to-cradle carpeting (made from recycled materials)
- – Total meeting rooms: 3
- – Reception style capacity: 1,200
- – Banquet style capacity: 1,200
- – LEED Gold certification
- – ADA parking/seating, listening devices, sensory room and nursing room
- – Carbon-neutral cooking gas through Georgia Natural Gas partnership
- – 40% water reduction
- – 5 drinking fountains with filling stations
- – 500+ zero-waste events
- – 3M+ pounds of waste diverted (2023)
- – Circular cardboard and compostable service ware
- – Recycle and Win program and UGA sustainability partnership
- – Total meeting rooms: 14
- – Reception style capacity: 2,000
- – Banquet style capacity: 950
- – LEED Gold certification for Scaly Slimy Spectacular exhibit
- – 98% construction waste recycling
- – Rainwater collection, water-efficient landscaping and low-flow plumbing
- – 12 recycling programs, including animal waste composting
- – Grants to Green initiatives for energy, water and resource efficiency
- – 20% water consumption reduction (Atlanta Better Business Challenge 2015)
- – Employee-led Green Team promoting sustainability education
- – Community partnerships for waste reduction, energy efficiency and conservation practices
- – Reception style capacity: 500
- – Banquet style capacity: 250
- – Botanic Gardens Conservation International: Advanced Conservation Practitioner
- – American Public Gardens Association: Excellence in Biodiversity and Conservation
- – A focus on restoring imperiled plants and ecosystems through research and fieldwork
- – Active conservation in the Caribbean and Ecuador
- – Combines conservation genetics and outreach to train future experts
- – Protects ecosystems impacted by human interference
- – Propagates rare plants to support biodiversity
HOTELS
Sustainable stays? We’ve got you. Atlanta’s hotels prioritize efforts that include energy efficiency, waste reduction and sustainable guest options – so you and your attendees can rest easy… sustainably. Select the logo for a quick view.
- – Total Rooms: 1,663
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 84
- – Banquet Capacity: 1,700
- – Miles To Airport: 12
- – Miles To Convention Center: 0.8
- – Carbon (31.6 kg/room night) and water footprint (855.5 liters/room night) reporting
- – Marriott Environmental Sustainability Hub (MESH) tracks energy, water and waste
- – 100% LED lighting and Building Automation System for climate control
- – 75% laundry water reclaimed, water-efficient fixtures
- – Composting, recycling and donation
- – Tesla charging stations
- – Locally sourced produce
- – Sustainable housekeeping practices
- – Total Rooms: 1,249
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 60
- – Banquet Capacity: 1,400
- – Miles To Airport: 12
- – Miles To Convention Center: 1
- – Part of the “Travel with Purpose” initiative
- – Water efficiency, waste reduction and energy management
- – Career growth, community projects and responsible conduct
- – Dow Jones Sustainability Indices: 7th consecutive year
- – EcoVadis Gold Medal: Sustainability leadership
- – Fair 360 Hall of Fame: #1 for ESG, #4 in philanthropy
- – DiversityInc: Top-ranked for ESG
- – Human Rights Campaign Equality: 100% score
- – Total Rooms: 1,663
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 84
- – Banquet Capacity: 1,700
- – Miles To Airport: 12
- – Miles To Convention Center: 0.8
- – Carbon (31.6 kg/room night) and water footprint (855.5 liters/room night) reporting
- – Marriott Environmental Sustainability Hub (MESH) tracks energy, water and waste
- – 100% LED lighting and Building Automation System for climate control
- – 75% laundry water reclaimed, water-efficient fixtures
- – Composting, recycling and donation
- – Tesla charging stations
- – Locally sourced produce
- – Sustainable housekeeping practices
- – Total Rooms: 1,249
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 60
- – Banquet Capacity: 1,400
- – Miles To Airport: 12
- – Miles To Convention Center: 1
- – Part of the “Travel with Purpose” initiative
- – Water efficiency, waste reduction and energy management
- – Career growth, community projects and responsible conduct
- – Dow Jones Sustainability Indices: 7th consecutive year
- – EcoVadis Gold Medal: Sustainability leadership
- – Fair 360 Hall of Fame: #1 for ESG, #4 in philanthropy
- – DiversityInc: Top-ranked for ESG
- – Human Rights Campaign Equality: 100% score
- – Total Rooms: 1,260
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 65
- – Banquet Capacity: 2,200
- – Miles To Airport: 10
- – Miles To Convention Center: 0.7
- – Employee sustainability education
- – Solar panels since 2013, recognized by ATL Chamber’s E3 Sustainability Initiative
- – Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge participant
- – Rooftop bee garden with 1 million bees
- – Local farm partnerships (70+), organic options and sustainable seafood
- – Food donation
- – 35% water consumption reduction (33M gallons saved)
- – LED lighting, occupancy sensors and recycling
- – Electric vehicle charging
Launched June 2016, Omni’s Say Goodnight to Hunger initiative donates one meal to a family in need for each completed stay at any Omni. Omni has donated over 20 million meals in partnership with Feeding America.
- – Total Rooms: 1,059
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 45
- – Banquet Capacity: 1,660
- – Miles To Airport: 12
- – Miles To Convention Center: 0
- – Renovation and rebranding in 2024
- – Local food sourcing and organic options
- – Hybrid vehicles, LED lighting and energy efficiency
- – Bulk dispensers, FSC-certified paper and recycling
- – Carbon reduction, green roofs and tree planting
- – Eco-friendly laundry and natural gardens
- – Water conservation through efficient laundry services
- – Total Rooms: 976
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 30
- – Banquet Capacity: 2,700
- – Miles To Airport: 8
- – Miles To Convention Center: 0
- – LEED Gold certification (interior design and construction)
- – Community-focused hiring from local demographics and second-chance organizations
- – Employee “Travel with Purpose” education
- – Recycling programs
- – LightStay platform for ESG tracking
- – LED lighting, motion sensors, dual-flush toilets
- – Bottle filling stations, public bike racks
- – Locally sourced food, plant-forward menus
- – Digital signage, paperwork and keyless entry
- – Optional housekeeping services
- – Total Rooms: 1,073
- – Total Meeting Rooms: 52
- – Banquet Capacity: 700
- – Miles To Airport: 12
- – Miles To Convention Center: 0.4
- – Largest convention hotel in the Southeast with Green Seal Certified-Silver Level rating
- – Carbon Footprint: 43.87 kg per room night
- – Water Footprint: 926.90 liters per room night
- – Guest Room Recycling
- – Electric car charging
TRANSPORTATION
In Atlanta, you can reduce the carbon and catch a vibe, all while getting around more sustainably.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Sustainable skies ahead. Atlanta’s airport offers shorter flights to major hubs, reducing your carbon footprint and arrival time. ATL’s initiatives include partnering with airlines on alternative fuels, reducing current energy use by 28%, reducing water use by 41%, and many more.
Walkable Atlanta
Sole searching for sustainability? Our downtown convention district has 12,000+ hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center. And we’re walking the walk on food access, too, with a goal to make healthy food accessible within a ½-mile walk for all residents.
Atlanta Beltline
Fresh air for the win. Hop on the Atlanta Beltline, where 22 miles of unused railroad tracks connect neighborhoods, spark inclusivity and fuel local businesses through outdoor experiences – from scenic strolls to bike rides and community events.
MARTA & Atlanta Streetcar
Ride easy, ride green with public transit options, MARTA and the Atlanta Streetcar. MARTA keeps 20 cars off the road per bus, with most buses using cleaner Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Riders have sustainable options like buses, trains and park-and-ride lots.
EV CHARGING STATIONS MAP
With the state positioning itself as a hub for the electric transportation industry, you’ll find a vast array of EV charging stations throughout the Metro Atlanta area. Before you hit the road, discover available stations near you.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Give back, get inspired. Atlanta’s group volunteer and donation opportunities support people, planet and purpose. Find what fits and what speaks to you and your group.
Social Sustainability
Here are just some of the ways we’re keeping our communities resilient, equitable and thriving.
FROM THE MAYOR’S OFFICE
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MeetingsIn Atlanta, planning professionals and attendees are tapping into the energy, hustle and passion of our city to connect with something bigger for meetings – making their mark without the footprint.
