- Sustainable: NürnbergMesse is the first member company of the Community of Major German Exhibitions (Gemeinschaft Deutscher Grossmessen, GDG) to be listed by DNK
- “Right and fair”: NürnbergMesse listed as a host of sustainable event locations
- Subsidiaries: Sustainable catering at Lehrieder and sustainable stand construction at Holtmann+
For more than a decade, NürnbergMesse has been committed to sustainability and social responsibility. With its declaration on the German Sustainability Code (DNK), the exhibition company documents its wide range of sustainability services, thus enhancing its visibility among customers, employees and shareholders even further. The admission to “right and fair”, the sustainability code of the German-speaking event industry, identifies NürnbergMesse as a host of sustainable event locations. NürnbergMesse Group CEO Peter Ottmann comments: “Our DNK declaration is an encouragement for us to pursue the sustainable development of our company and our events. A key element in this regard is our aim to ensure the company’s energy supply is climate-neutral by 2028.” The subsidiaries of the NürnbergMesse Group are also creating sustainable products and services, in the areas of catering and stand construction, for example: “Our presence in the German Sustainability Code and ‘right and fair’ now gives our wide-ranging commitment even greater visibility,” observes NürnbergMesse Group CEO Dr Roland Fleck. “Trade fairs are where climate-protection innovations are presented in compact form for an entire sector, making them part of the solution as we work toward becoming a climate-neutral economy.”
Sustainability at NürnbergMesse
NürnbergMesse ensures its activities comply with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and published its first Annual Report and Sustainability Report this year. Its newest exhibition halls, 3A and 3C, have been awarded the Platinum certificate of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
The exhibition company also has other specific goals: In the short term, it aims to reduce its energy consumption by 20 percent this year. By the beginning of next year, the lighting in the exhibition halls will be converted entirely to LEDs. In the medium term, water consumption and waste will be reduced by 15 and 20 percent, respectively, by 2025. Also by 2025, 200 new EV charging points will be installed at the venue, in addition to the 38 already in place. And in the longer term, the stated goal is to make the energy supply system at NürnbergMesse climate-neutral by 2028. A key element in this undertaking will be to configure a photovoltaic power station with battery and hydrogen storage support, the first stage of which will get the go-ahead next spring.
Sustainability at the NürnbergConvention Centre (NCC)
Starting this year, NürnbergMesse has been listed with “right and fair” with its NürnbergConvention Centres (NCC). This sustainability code of the German-speaking event industry is used by all players in the industry who advocate for environmental, social and economic sustainability as a voluntary and transparent means of documenting their commitment. This is where customers and other interested parties can find information on the sustainability profile and specific individual measures being taken by the various event locations.
Sustainable subsidiaries
The two national subsidiaries support the commitment by the Nürnberg-Messe Group to sustainability. Full service provider and stand constructor Holtmann+ has thus been climate-neutral since 2018, and incorporates sustainability into its entire value chain – from the design and implementation of communication formats to workshops and events for customers. Holtmann+ is also a driver in matters of sustainability when it comes to industry-specific ISO 20121 certification for sustainable event management – which it has already initiated – and the German SDG Award (Sustainable Development Goals), which it introduced in collaboration with the Federal Convention of the Senate of Economy (Senat der Wirtschaft e.V.).
Catering subsidiary Lehrieder has been a “Green Globe” qualified company since 2011, and offers environmentally friendly event catering services in the form of “green meetings” and climate-neutral events. Lehrieder also developed the concept of “nature-loving kitchen” (Naturliebe Küche), as a means of making event catering even more sustainable. This involves giving preference when preparing a menu to regional products and seasonal fruit and vegetables, organically grown where possible. In the process, Lehrieder provides support for regional agricultural businesses. It also takes a stand against food waste, and works with SPRK.global to pass forward surpluses in the supply chain. Lehrieder provides left-over foodstuffs to food banks, aged-care facilities and church organizations.
For further information on “right and fair”: www.fairpflichtet.de
Further information on the German Sustainability Code (DNK): www.deutscher-nachhaltigkeitskodex.de/en-gb
