Sustainability at Messe Berlin

Business&Governance
Waste
Energie
Mobility
Social responsibility
Diversity
Partnerships
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We assume responsibility – for the benefit of humanity and our environment

Hosting the world – as an organisation of international standing we assume responsibility for our guests, business partners and employees just as we do for the environment. Every year people from all over the world visit our events to find out about innovations, establish contacts and exchange views. We aspire to offer our guests the perfect trade fair experience – one that is sustainable and responsible at every level.

Sustainable business is one of Messe Berlin’s strategic goals and as such is firmly established in Messe Berlin’s Code of Conduct

“Responsible economic thinking and action, security, confidentiality and data protection, integrity, diversity and open communication as well as social responsibility and sustainability. Those are the values upon which our day-to-day business is based.”

Whether projects in the area of social responsibility or measures to improve our own carbon footprint - the topic of sustainability plays an important role at Messe Berlin. We publish a declaration of compliance with the German Sustainability Code every two years. Here we document our sustainability management. Find out more about our commitment in the Sustainability Report for 2022 (PDF, 4631 kB).

Sustainability Report

BUSINESS & GOVERNANCE

Trade fairs and congresses – business drivers in Berlin and a platform for the future

Messe Berlin gathers people from all over the world in the capital, making it one of the most important drivers of business and tourism for the local region. Whether a hotel overnight, taxi fare or restaurant visit – according to a recent report by Investitionsbank Berlin, one euro in trade fair and congress turnover generates around six euros of purchasing power in Berlin. Trade fairs and congresses not only generate substantial purchasing power but new jobs as well. In 2022, 6,300 new jobs were created and secured. Moreover, trade fairs and congresses are innovation drivers and “platforms of the future“. This is where industry representatives from all over the world meet to present future trends and establish new customer ties.

WASTE

Reduce, reuse, recycle – waste management at Messe Berlin

Whether packaging, construction material or food waste – it is not possible to avoid waste at trade fairs and congresses. By implementing innovative concepts our goal is to gradually reduce the amount of waste at events, by reusing materials and processing useful materials for example.

Separate collection of useful materials and returning them for processing
An Innovation Board work group: exchanging views on and developing approaches to efficient waste management together with the waste disposal company ALBA
Cooperation with the Berliner Senate Department for the Environment, Mobility, Consumer Affairs and Climate Action on the ReUse Berlin, zero waste initiative in order to further recycle stand construction materials
A number of events, including the Grüne Woche and Fruit Logistica, have taken moves to combat food and resource waste and support the needy: they donate food leftovers to the food bank Berliner Tafel.

ENERGY

Reducing energy consumption, CO2 emissions – our energy concept

Lighting and sound technology for exhibition stands and stages, heating or cooling for the exhibition halls - our events would not be possible without energy. In order to reduce our energy consumption and the associated CO2 emissions, we began developing a comprehensive energy concept ten years ago:

We are building Berlin's largest sun deck - the largest solar roof system in the capital, the third largest in Germany, is being built on the roofs of our halls.

Together with the energy company E.ON, we are converting our entire heating and cooling supply to climate-friendly technologies.

Facts about the new heating/cooling supply system

More environmentally friendly heating methods: A new, modern pellet boiler system on site replaces part of the previous natural gas and oil-based heat supply. Some of the existing heat generation systems are being modernized to cover peak loads. This will enable at least 50 percent of heat generation to be CO2-neutral from renewable energies in future. In addition, we are updating the system hydraulics in the energy centers and the entire heating and cooling network - in particular with the aim of lowering the temperatures in the heating network.
More efficient cooling supply: Four new chillers with environmentally friendly refrigerants and resource-saving recooling technology are being used for the cooling supply with a total output of 46 megawatts. In addition, waste heat is used efficiently to generate cooling in a new absorption system.
Smaller CO2 footprint: According to calculations, the construction measures will result in a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 5,400 tons per year.

Additional energy measures:

We cover more than 50 percent of the trade fair's energy requirements with our own combined heat and power plant (CHP).
We have been buying 100 percent green electricity since 2017.
We have been certified in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 50001 energy management system since 2015. This standard supports companies in setting up systematic energy management and continuously increasing energy efficiency.
We rely on energy-saving LED technology and intelligent switching programs for the lighting on our exhibition grounds - so that the lights are only on when they are really needed.

MOBILITY

From electromobility to public transport – climate-friendly mobility at Messe Berlin

Whether the topic is visitors travelling to and from Berlin from all over the world or transporting exhibits and trade fair stands – for us as a trade fair company, mobility is an important topic. Our aim is to reduce transport-related CO2 emissions, to raise awareness for sustainable mobility among our visitors, exhibitors and employees and to provide relevant options:

A subsidised ride-to-work public transport ticket in cooperation with BVG
Bike leasing for our employees
Electrification of our vehicle fleet by 2030
E-mobility: electric vehicle rentals for employees and a total of 16 EV charging points for employees and visitors
We offer our visitors and exhibitors a DB return train fare to events, enabling them to save costs and reduce CO2 emissions. Energy for DB rail services is sourced 100 per cent from renewables.
Flight offsetting programme by Lufthansa Group
The VisiFair planning system helps make access to the Berlin Exhibition Grounds more efficient and sustainable. An electronic slot booking system helps smooth out congestion peaks that otherwise occur during construction and dismantling and avoids waiting times. This affords planning certainty to exhibitors and partners. At the same it reduces traffic volume and CO2 emissions.
Messe Berlin plans to have a fully electrified vehicle fleet by 2030.
Messe Berlin participates annually in the international STADTRADELN initiative aimed at motivating employees to undertake climate-friendly transport. Over a period of 21 days they are to take as many daily trips as possible by bicycle, thereby helping to protect the climate.

Messe Berlin plans to have a fully electrified vehicle fleet by 2030.
Messe Berlin participates annually in the international STADTRADELN initiative aimed at motivating employees to undertake climate-friendly transport. Over a period of 21 days they are to take as many daily trips as possible by bicycle, thereby helping to protect the climate.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Fairness, diversity and gender equality – social responsibility at Messe Berlin

As an organisation that hosts the world the well-being of our visitors is a priority. Treating each other fairly and with respect is an important part of our corporate culture. That is why we assume responsibility and are committed to diversity, equal opportunities and social justice. As an enterprise owned by the Land of Berlin we want to make our contribution to the city of Berlin – whether by building a Covid vaccination centre or providing accommodation for refugees from Ukraine.

Social commitment - in Berlin and around the world

Messe Berlin and its events support numerous social projects and initiatives:

As part of a "High5fürBerlin" social day in 2023, Messe Berlin worked with Little Home e.V. to build five tiny houses for homeless people from stand construction materials.
Together with partners from all over the world, ITB Berlin supports and promotes projects in the field of responsible tourism. For example, ITB has signed the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism and is a founding member of the Roundtable on Human Rights in Tourism. In addition, topics relating to sustainability and social responsibility are also addressed in the ITB Berlin program. The aim is to promote dialog between the players in the tourism value chain in a targeted manner and thus initiate changes together.
The Green Week (GW) and FRUIT LOGISTICA have been cooperating with Berliner Tafel for years: In 2024, a total of 11 tons of food were collected at IGW. At Fruit at Fruit Logistica in 2023, a total of 76 tons of fruit and vegetables were donated to the food bank. Messe Berlin is thus making a contribution to helping people in need in the capital.
Berlin is a Fairtrade Town. As a Berlin state company, we support this commitment by purchasing fair trade coffee, for example.
Messe Berlin is part of the mehrwert Berlin initiative. Public companies have joined forces to promote a sustainable future for Berlin.
Messe Berlin also provided support in the initial care of refugees from Ukraine. In spring 2022, Messe Berlin set up a first arrival center in the exhibition halls, among other things. Since early summer, Messe Berlin has been involved as a partner of the state of Berlin in setting up and operating the arrival center in Tegel.

DIVERSITY

From diversity management to a company pensions scheme – assuming social responsibility for our employees

Behind every successful event are many employees committed to making it work. For that reason it is important for us to offer them the best possible conditions.

Trust-based working hours in the flexitime model and mobile office options
Collective pay in accordance with TVÖD and above-tariff flexibility bonus
Company pension scheme in the public sector
Company health management: regular measures to promote the mental and physical health of employees (ergonomic workplace with height-adjustable desks, mindfulness training, preventive healthcare, etc.)
Support in reconciling work and family life (flexible working time models, parent-child office, breastfeeding/rest room, etc.)
As a member of the "Alliance against Homophobia" and signatory to the "Diversity Charter", Messe Berlin is committed to actively implementing diversity within the company. The principles of the charter aim to create a working environment that is free from prejudice.
Messe Berlin has supported the #positivarbeiten declaration by Deutsche Aidshilfe since 2022. By signing the declaration, the company commits to training colleagues from HR and the works councils on living with HIV, who will be available as contact persons on this topic in future. In addition, the workforce is to be further educated in order to avoid discrimination in the workplace.
Development of ideas to improve the integration of severely disabled employees into the company - together with employees with disabilities and the representative body for severely disabled employees
Implementation of the plan for the advancement of women for 2018-2024
Whether training or dual studies - the topic of training is very important to us. Messe Berlin has been certified as an excellent training company by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce since 2020.
Messe Berlin successfully completed the "Equal Pay Check" in December 2014.