Our social responsibility

IGW and CSR

For Messe Berlin and International Green Week, corporate social responsibility means acting responsibly for Berlin: not only for our city’s business and social communities but also for our business partners and employees.

The impact areas of our CSR initiatives comprise ecological, economic and social perspectives. By following the standards of the German Sustainability Code (DNK), Messe Berlin demonstrates to its stakeholders how our sustainability contribution is developing positively.

The latest environmental protection standards are an essential criterion when selecting service providers.

Here are some examples of measures that have been implemented so far:

Resource Conservation

• Since 2015 Messe Berlin's energy management system has been certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001.
• Indoor and outdoor lighting of the halls and radio tower has been converted to energy-saving LED technology to the maximum extent possible. An energy-optimized switching concept for the outdoor lighting was implemented.
• Messe Berlin uses environmentally friendly cogeneration of heat and power to produce over 30 percent of the electricity it requires. Up to 40 percent of the heat energy is generated by CO2-neutral wood pellet combustion. Since 2018, our third-party sources of electricity for event weddings have provided 100 percent "green" energy from German hydropower plants.
• The exhibition halls are equipped with heat recovery systems, i.e. all residual heat is used and not lost to the atmosphere.
• The grounds of Messe Berlin have numerous rainwater infiltration systems that enable rainwater to replenish the groundwater after natural purification. The automatic irrigation system manages the irrigation of the garden areas as needed.
• The stand constructions commissioned by IGW are selected so that they may be reused as long as possible (usually for multiple years). Likewise, environmentally-compatible building materials, paints and varnishes are used whenever possible.
• Brochures, forms and other documents are offered for download electronically in order to avoid unnecessary paper usage. Since 2014, IGW has done without a print catalog, since 2020 stand registration has been conducted exclusively online, and ticket sales for IGW 2023 will also be exclusively online. All unavoidably non-digital promotional materials are printed on environmentally-sustainable paper. In order to avoid unnecessary plastic packaging, reusable bags made from recycled PET bottles and cotton bags are available for purchase at every Green Week.

Cleaning / Winter weather services / Mobility

• We use biodegradable cleaning agents.
• The cleaning company contracted by Messe Berlin is certified to ISO 9001 and 14001. We are mindful of recycling systems for cleaning machines and that the equipment used is predominantly electrically-powered.
• Salt is only used on surfaces which have a high risk of accidents; otherwise grit is used.
• The exhibition center is centrally-located and optimally connected to the public transport network. We recommend that exhibitors and visitors use the public transport network. Special tickets are available in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn. For International Green Week, we also offer a free shuttle service between the parking lot at the Olympic Stadium and the exhibition grounds, thus reducing traffic in the urban core zone.
• For example, have you already thought about choosing a hotel for your overnight stay that is within walking distance of the exhibition center? Many hotels are closer than you think! Hotels near by (PDF, 322.1 kB)
• The use of public transport by employees is encouraged by offering discounted monthly passes. In addition, Messe Berlin offers job bikes.
• Numerous charging stations for electric automobiles have been installed around the exhibition grounds.

These and other measures are summarized in the Messe Berlin Environmental Protection brochure

Social commitment

• Exhibitors at IGW are asked to help people in need by donating leftover food to the Berlin food bank. We provide a stand to the Berlin food bank to make this process easy and simple for exhibitors, who then receive extensive logistical support for transporting the food to distribution points in the city as quickly as possible.
• As the operator of the radio tower, Messe Berlin supports WWF’s global joint initiative Earth Hour. The aim of the campaign is to send a powerful signal all over the world: protect our planet. Messe Berlin is committed to holistic diversity management.

Donation of 11 tons of food at IGW 2020

The Berliner Tafel collected a total of 11 tons of food at the Green Week and redistributed it to around 5500 needy people.

Volunteers from Berliner Tafel e.V. collected leftover food from Green Week exhibitors every day after the fair closed: Buns, boulettes, cakes, fruit, sausages and stews.

The goods were each taken that same evening to a total of 25 different social institutions in the city, including shelters for the homeless, residential homes, emergency overnight stays and the city mission.

We would like to thank Berliner Tafel as well as our exhibitors for their commitment and support!