Sustainability
Making room for sweeter self-sufficiency
In a world full of challenges, people need to meet. To share ideas, make new developments, grow businesses and help cultures to flourish. Without meetings, these things couldn’t happen.
But travel, exhibitions, restaurants and stays leave an environmental footprint that we can’t ignore. So we’re taking responsibility.
When you choose us, you can feel confident in that your event, congress, trade fair or conference will live up to your sustainability standards. Our work on sustainability goes back several years and is under constant development.
We’re going to create great spaces for meetings while making room for a better world.
Our progress
In 2023, we made substantial progress in our sustainability work. Our roadmap towards Net Zero were developed, alongside other concrete initiatives that move us forward. Read more in our Sustainability Report 2023. Read the report hereOur focus for a sustainable meetingplace
Sustainability is never a finished thing. It is continuous and needs to be constantly adapted, developed and refined to lead to improvement.
We are now accelerating the development of sustainable meetings and experiences by starting from four focus areas – Sustainable Choices, Circular Resources, Sustainable Meetings and Relationship and Health. The focus areas aim to clarify and strengthen the connection between the business-related sustainability work, the sustainability goals in Agenda 2030 and the overall climate goal in the Paris Agreement.
The Sustainable Development Goals
The 17 global goals are the UN’s most ambitious agenda for sustainable development to date and have been adopted by countries, companies and organizations worldwide. Our goals mainly concern 5, 7, 8, 12 and 13.
Global Compact
The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and Gothia Towers are signatories of United Nations Global Compact as of April 2021. UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. We are committed to its ten principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
Stepping up Sustainability
The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Center and Gothia Towers are members of “Stepping up Sustainability” which is West Sweden’s joint initiative for sustainable tourism.
Our sustainability journey
We started this journey in 1997. Since then, the world has changed. And so have we. Today we carry out work characterised by cooperation, social engagement and the desire to pursue further sustainable development. Read about our sustainability journey
High and sustainable ambitions
Naturally, we have ambitious sustainability goals. Otherwise, how can we make a difference and drive development forward? We have three long-term goals concerning energy-use, disposable materials and work environment. Each goal ties in with several of the UN’s global goals.
Our sustainability approach
We have identified focus areas across our broad range of activities where we influence people and the environment, from cleaning and transport to food and drink. Sustainability is driven by engaged employees from right across the company.
Accessibility
We want to say welcome to everyone – and everyone should feel at home here, regardless of personal circumstances.
Important certifications
To ensure a high level of sustainability, we have undergone several certifications.
ISO 20121 – Sustainability at events
As the first larger meeting and hotel venue in Scandinavia, The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and Gothia Towers was certified according to ISO 20121 already in 2015. The certification includes our hotel, spa, food and beverage, exhibitions, meetings and events.
BREEAM-certified venue
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a British environmental certification system. It is the world’s most widely applied environmental classification system for buildings. Gothia Towers is up to this time Europe’s largest hotel certified to BREEAM environmental standards.