Insight // Environmental Partner HMC
Acting Sustainably, Preserving Resources, Reducing CO2 Emissions
For many years, protecting the environment and being climate friendly has been an important building block of the corporate culture of Hamburg Messe und Congress. So it just made sense for HMC to join the Hamburg Environmental Partnership as an active member in 2019. Nearly 1,300 companies from various sectors and of different sizes belong to this Hamburg-based network. The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Hamburg Chamber of Crafts, Hamburg Industrial Association, and the Association of the Port of Hamburg are the sponsors of the noteworthy initiative.
The Hamburg Environmental Partners are united by their desire to make targeted contributions towards protecting the environment, thus also further improving the quality of life in the Hanseatic city. The internal company measures often go far beyond that which is stipulated by law. As future-oriented forward thinkers, the Environmental Partners pass on their knowledge to other Environmental Partners who, in their view, have distinguished themselves through their dedication. The tips for best practices are set out in the so-called forward thinker book.
The book was personally given to Bernd Aufderheide, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, by Torsten and Nicolaj Wolff, the managing directors of Gebäudereinigung Wolff GmbH. “The exchange of experiences with the other companies is the greatest benefit of the Environmental Partnership,” says Bernd Aufderheide. “We can all learn a lot from – and benefit from – one another. The many ideas that arise from the Environmental Partnership are inspiring and drive us to realize even more projects in the name of sustainability.” And he is equally excited about the growing number of Environmental Partners. “This allows us to provide a large foundation for environmental protection and to work together towards our goals. The more companies are aware of the topics, the more projects and ideas are created.”
In the series titled “Forward Thinking,” some active Environmental Partners personally present the nature of benefit of their environmental activities. Bernd Aufderheide also made himself available for an interview.
The video is only available in German.
Examples of HMC’s Commitment to the Environment
- As an environmentally conscious company, Hamburg Messe strives to keep its traffic-related emissions as low as possible – for example by using electromobility. The fleet of cart stackers and forklifts on the exhibition grounds is gradually being converted to electric drives. For the rest of its fleet, HMC uses exclusively new vehicles that meet the Euro 6 emissions standard. The company is also prepared for the expected flood of electric vehicles: going forward, more than 200 charging stations will be available in the Eastern Underground Car Park.
- Employees of HMC have the opportunity to obtain a discounted ticket with the HVV ProfiTicket offer, with around half of them taking advantage of the offer at the moment. And anyone who has an appointment in the city can use one of the company bikes at any time.
- The partnership with the Pakadoo service contributes to further reducing traffic-related emissions: employers can have their online orders delivered to the workplace, which shortens transport journeys and reduces the emissions of harmful substances.
- Energy efficiency is another very important topic. The lighting was completely redone as part of the most recent construction and renovation work done on the exhibition halls. The ongoing conversion of energy-saving lighting to LED lighting, as well as the equipping of additional energy-efficient devices, has led to a reduction in energy consumption.
- Furthermore, HMC assigns a great deal of importance to a low-emission energy supply. A proportion of 99 percent of residual district heating is used to heat the buildings – with a progressively increasing proportion of renewable energy sources. The exhibition halls are also equipped with heat recovery systems, which enables lost heat to be reused. And, finally, the trade fair company has been using green electricity since 2011, which is generated entirely from hydroelectric and/or wind power.
- In the offices of HMC, working with as little paper as possible is the goal and, of course, only recycled paper is used. There are no plastic dishes or utensils in the offices, and water consumption is to be kept to a minimum.
- Additionally, exhibitors are obligated to avoid any unnecessary waste. HMC recycles any paper, glass, and packaging that result during the events. To the extent possible, all other waste is separated prior to disposal.
- And, finally, biodegradable cleaners are used – provided this is possible – to clean the offices, rooms, and halls.
Working Together to Accomplish More
HMC continued to accelerate its commitment in the field of low-emission mobility in 2020 with its membership in Hamburg’s air quality partnership. The partnership is a joint initiative of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Hamburg economy with the objective of improving air quality through the reduction of traffic-related emissions. Additionally, Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH is a member of the Hamburg cluster for renewable energies and the WindEnergy Network. And, as a customer of ClimatePartner, the trade fair company is making an active contribution to protecting the environment by creating a map of its carbon footprint and determining areas of potential reduction.
Economical, Ecological, and Social
HMC is guided by the 17 Goals of Sustainable Development of the United Nations when planning and realizing its environmental measures. These bring together economical, ecological, and social interests. Employees and customers also have the opportunity to become active, for example through the creation of “Green Guidelines” for exhibitors to enable them to take part in events in an environmentally friendly way. The environment can only be protected comprehensively if we work together.
Trainees are also supported in their efforts to protect the environment. One group took part in the “Energy Scouts” qualification organized by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, which enabled the trainees to identify energy-saving potential at their own companies and to develop corresponding strategic measures. The trainee team of Hamburg Messe managed to impress the panel with a new lighting concept, taking second place in the subsequent digital project presentation.
For the first time in the 2019 fiscal year, HMC published a sustainability report in accordance with the German Sustainability Code (DNK). To meet the requirements of the code, HMC created a DNK declaration with regard to 20 different criteria and the selected performance indicators. By publishing the report and declaration, HMC commits itself to economic, ecological, and social responsibility, thus creating transparency and comparability with regard to its sustainability performance.
