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Our commitment to Diversity and Sustainability

ICRA

                         

IEEE Robotics and Automation Society strives to achieve the highest standards of integrity and endeavors to conduct business around the world in a responsible, ethical and sustainable way. It is important that those who act on the organization's behalf ensure RAS compliance by adhering to the same standards and expectations.

IEEE RAS CARES 

IEEE RAS CARES is a committee that acts as a trusted listener and empathetic support for the RAS community members around misconduct concerns, including, but not limited to sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying, at RAS conferences, workshops, meetings, and events. All IEEE RAS events abide by the IEEE Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment (PDF) and the IEEE RAS Code of Conduct. If a violation of this policy occurs, IEEE RAS encourages reporting the incident as described in the RAS Code of Conduct.

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IEEE Code of Conduct 

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) is committed to providing safe, productive, and welcoming environments to all members, conference participants, staff members, vendors, and volunteers at all of its events and activities.

The Code of Conduct for IEEE RAS Activities describes RAS members’ and staff’s commitment to the highest standards of integrity, responsible behaviour, and ethical and professional conduct upheld at all RAS activities. 

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IEEE Diversity Statement 

The organization is committed to fostering a culture that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable. In November 2019, the IEEE Board of Directors adopted a new diversity statement for incorporation into the IEEE policies: 

IEEE’s mission to foster technological innovation and excellence to benefit humanity requires the talents and perspectives of people with different personal, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds. IEEE is committed to advancing diversity in the technical profession, and to promoting an inclusive and equitable culture in its activities and programs that welcomes, engages and rewards those who contribute to the field without regard to race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

This change to the IEEE policy reflects IEEE’s longstanding commitment to ensure the engineering profession maximizes its impact and success by welcoming, engaging, and rewarding those who contribute to the field in an equitable manner. 

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ICRA 2023 Sustainability Statement

As part of our wider focus on sustainability, we are working closely with our venue, ExCeL London, and with all our suppliers and stakeholders to ensure that we minimise the event’s carbon footprint and mitigate any negative environmental impact that this event may have.

ExCeL London is proud to have been certified as carbon neutral since 29th July 2022 - the first UK venue of its kind to have achieved the internationally recognised PAS 2060 status.  Its ambitious plans are commendable – it is firmly committed to a 50% emissions reduction by 2030, along the way to net zero by 2050. To read more about the venue’s social impact plan please click here.

The ICRA 2023 organising committee will be making a concerted effort to produce only the barest minimum of essential conference materials, instead opting for a non-plastic lanyard with enhanced technology that can provide most, if not all, of the information that attendees might require.

Discussions are also underway in relation to food and drink – the goal being to eradicate plastic from the catering offered to attendees, with everything served in recyclable packaging. Our food providers are also committed to limiting food waste, with all non-perishable waste donated to a local charity partner, and all organic food waste processed through their onsite wormery to produce compost. Menus use a minimum of 80% British seasonal fruit and vegetables with airfreight banned for this type of produce.

We are currently reviewing the use of large, printed signage as well as the construction materials used for the exhibition layout. In this respect, our aim is to make use of all the digital opportunities the venue has to offer, and to stick to recyclable materials as much as possible. We are encouraging all our exhibitors and partners to follow suit, limiting what they print and produce, and generally putting sustainability at the heart of their thinking.

In terms of transportation, we have opted to hold all social and ancillary events at the venue itself or, where not appropriate, then within a 15 - 20-minute journey, by public transport from ExCeL London.

ICRA 2023 is committed to sustainability, and, for the first time in the event’s history, will be holding a sustainability forum with a focus on robotics.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions – please email enquiries_icra2023@tfilodestar.com, or come to our stand during the event.