What is sustainable event planning?

Conserving natural resources, saving energy and rethinking approaches. In planning events, companies and organisers can significantly contribute to climate protection – and not just by strict regulations, constraints or proscriptions. Quite the contrary. From paperless invitations to a Velotaxi shuttle service or organic catering, Berlin event services and partners offer many innovative ideas for sustainable meetings, incentives, conventions and events in Germany’s capital city. From the very first steps to the realisation of a successful green event in Berlin, Sustainable Meetings Berlin supports event planners with a network of sustainable partners, green tips and creative ideas.

The search for innovative solutions for green events in Berlin starts with the question of what sustainability means in practice for event planners and companies.

The German Environment Agency (UBA) explains sustainability by reference to the simple principle of resource stewardship in forestry – anyone using natural resources should make sure that future generations can also profit from them. In other words, event organisers are urged to treat resources responsibly and be mindful of the need for eco-friendly and efficient concepts.

GettyImages, Foto: Maskot

For event planning, this means concretely: each event should leave the minimum footprint possible and ideally even create value-added. What’s more, this applies to the ecological and economic aspects, just as much as the social components. In this sense, companies planning events are not only asked to consider measures to minimise waste or carbon emissions, but also to take on social responsibility – for example, through accessibility and gender mainstreaming policies or such sustainable event formats as MEET+CHANGE.

Germany’s capital city has a strong network of sustainable event services and is constantly developing new creative approaches – an ideal location for green events taking ecological, economic and social aspects into account. To support your efficient and eco-friendly conferences, congresses, meetings or incentives in the city, Sustainable Meetings Berlin brings together businesses and event organisers with certified and sustainable partners – from locations to caterers, transport services and hotels. Here, we have collected some tips and ideas to help you plan your events with a good conscience from the outset.

When one event closes, the next is already being planned. Through positive feedback on sustainability goals achieved, event planners give important impulses to other organisers. Such information can best be communicated in a comprehensive sustainability report on measures and impacts. But what would this look like?

As early as 2014, the EU ratified its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Guidelines. In Germany in 2017, these Guidelines were given legal force in a CSR reporting law to improve corporate transparency in areas of social and ecological responsibility in larger companies listed on the stock market as well as banks and insurance companies (with a workforce of over 500 employees). As a result, those companies affected by the EU Guidelines are required to provide details on their progress in environmental, workforce-related and social issues, as well as how they support human rights and the fight again corruption.

Tip: Accreditation and quality marks such as the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), a premium management instrument developed by the EU, or the ISO 14001 standard for an environmental management system help companies in their duty to report and heighten awareness of their commitment to sustainability and CSR, both externally and internally. In addition, for event planners such quality marks provide an important reference point for cooperation with service partners and event services.

For planning and organising green events, Sustainable Meetings Berlin’s online platform offers event organisers an overview of transparent, independent and verifiably certified partners in Berlin and a strong network for sustainable event services.

Sustainable Meetings Berlin offers a wealth of information about sustainability as well as the chance to contact suitable sustainable partners and event services – helping turn “green ideas” into sustainable events, congresses or conferences, and supporting green meetings and incentives in Germany’s capital city.

Like to know more? Just email us at sustainable-meetings@visitBerlin.de.