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.
• The energy company E.ON becomes an energy partner of Messe Berlin and realizes a future-oriented energy project together with us. By 2025, E.ON will switch the cooling and heating supply of the exhibition grounds to predominantly climate-friendly technologies. Among other things, a modern pellet boiler plant is being built that will make us less dependent on natural gas and oil. In the future, various heat sources will thus work in combination and - in addition to significant energy, CO² and cost savings - ensure greater independence from individual energy sources and thus greater security of supply. The project will start in the fall of 2023: The conversion will take place during ongoing operations and is a technologically highly demanding project. The contract with E.ON runs for 15 years. The external procurement of electricity for event weddings has been 100% "green" from German hydropower plants since 2018.
• 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.

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 5 tons of food at IGW 2023

The Berliner Tafel collected a total of 5 tons of food at the Green Week 2023 and immediately distributed the goods to institutions for homeless people.

Green Week is the epitome of good food. Guests come to feast and sample products they have never known before. This is a world that is usually closed to people living in poverty. The Berliner Tafel is all the more pleased that it was able to save tons of food on the one hand and distribute it to people who cannot afford to visit the fair on the other.

To this end, the association's volunteers collected leftover food from exhibitors after the fair closed and took it directly to various social institutions each evening, including the Stadtmission, homeless assistance, emergency overnight stays and residential homes with a total of almost 2,000 guests.

"We are very pleased that the fair could take place again and that in our 30th year since the founding of the Berliner Tafel we were able to continue the good tradition with the Green Week. After two Corona crisis years, a year of war against Ukraine and inflation, supporting people in need is more important than ever," says Sabine Werth, founder and chairwoman of Berliner Tafel.

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