Sustainability

The Historical Novel Society 2026 Conference Sustainability Pledge

As we immerse ourselves in history and heritage, we must also preserve our planet for posterity.

We commit to taking meaningful climate action and will take steps to understand and reduce our environmental impact, involving conference providers and our conference audience in the journey and sharing our progress transparently.

Sustainable facilities

All conference sessions will be held in the TSI Building at Maynooth Campus.

A flagship for Maynooth’s Green Campus sustainability approach, the TSI Building is heated by air source heat pumps and has green roofs, a solar PV array and rainwater harvesting. It is constructed to the highest modern sustainability standards and is BREEAM and EXCEED certified.

By using the accommodation on the Maynooth Campus while Maynooth University students are on vacation, we avoid energy consumption by empty buildings. Find out more about campus accommodation on our webpage.

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Sustainable transport

Maynooth has excellent public transport links by bus and rail. Unless you have restricted mobility, you will not need a car between the town, the accommodation and the conferencing facilities due to the layout of the campus on mostly level ground and its immediate proximity to Maynooth Town.

All conference sessions will take place in the TSI Building. The conference welcome buffet will be held in Maynooth University’s Pugin Hall, which is on campus. The conference dinner will be held in the Glenroyal Hotel which is within walking distance of the campus.

A walking times map can be downloaded here.

If flying from abroad, save money and catch the bus instead of hiring a car for travelling between the airport and the campus.

Public transport information and links are also on our 'Visiting Maynooth' webpage

Sustainable ingredients

All campus catering is sustainable and supply chains follow the Maynooth Green Campus Policy.

Our gala dinner will be held at the environmentally responsible Glenroyal Hotel. They use seasonal ingredients from Irish suppliers.

Minimising waste

The campus water and waste management follows the Maynooth Green Campus Policy.

Please dispose of all waste responsibly, selecting the correct bins.

Ireland runs a national 'Return Scheme' for drinks bottles and cans. Anything bearing the "R" logo is worth its deposit money when taken to a participating retailer.

The container can be deposited in a machine like the one pictured below, which issues a money-off voucher to use in the shop. Or you can donate the container to charity in one of the orange bins on campus.

You can also save money and avoid waste by bringing your own water bottle and refilling it in your accommodation or from the drinking water fountains on campus.

We can minimise catering waste by booking our conference refreshments in advance via the session preferences page. Adjusting catering to the precise quantity we need will reduce food and beverage waste, energy and water consumption in the kitchens, and the workload of the catering staff.

In your accommodation, you can avoid wasting water by reusing your towels, turning off taps, and being quick in the shower.

If departing via Dublin Airport, the liquids scanners in its security area mean you don't have to empty your water bottle to go through security. There are drinking water fountains airside in the departure lounges.