Cool Sustainable Event Initiatives in Helsinki

by HarryPrince,  13 November 2022
by Harry Prince, 13 November 2022
Cool Sustainable Event Initiatives in Helsinki

Sustainable Event Initiatives in HelsinkiSustainable Event Initiatives in Helsinki via Smartcitiesworld

Welcome, eco-warrior, to our guide to sustainable event initiatives in Helsinki.

Today we’ll be walking you through the coolest eco-friendly initiatives in Helsinki. We’ll also discuss how to source sustainable vendors and venues.

So if hosting a sustainable event in Helsinki is important to you, then read on, and enjoy!

  • P.S. make sure to read all the way to our conclusion section. We’ll have some bonus eco-friendly event planning advice waiting there for you!

Sustainability Policy for Eco-Friendly Events in Helsinki

So, the first – and most conclusive – sustainable event initiative in Helsinki is the Sustainability Policy. It covers everything you could possibly need to consider. We’ve rounded up the basics of it here:

General Planning Principles

    • An environmental plan or system should be prepared for the event
    • Organisers who hold an EcoCompass certificate can receive a 30% discount on venues.
    • Partners and subcontractors commit to sustainable operations.

Event Location

    • The event venue selected should be accessible and suitable in terms of the infrastructure required, noise levels, waste management and the attrition of nature.
    • When constructing and disassembling the event, and during the event itself, renewable energy or fuels should be used in vehicles, machinery and equipment.
    • Visitors should be able to arrive by foot, bicycle or on public transport.

Purchases

    • Products and services produced sustainably and ethically.
    • Renewable solar or wind power or electricity marked with the EKOenergy label should be used.
    • Recycled materials should be used for the event. Devices and equipment can also be rented.
    • Avoid giving away extra items or merchandise.

Food and Drink

    • The event vegan, vegetarian, and sustainably produced local food.
    • Caterers should use reusable or recyclable tableware.
    • The event should have a return system for bottles, cans and drinking vessels.
    • Food waste is prevented through good planning.
    • The event should offer the visitors an opportunity to fill their own water bottles.

Noise and Waste Management

    • The event organiser should find out if they are obligated to provide noise notifications well in advance.
    • The generation of waste should be minimised.
    • Sorting should be made easy for visitors through signs and the placement of the bins.
EcoCompass Sustainable Event Initiative in Helsinki

Another crucial element to producing sustainable events in Helsinki is EcoCompass. It is an environmental management system (EMS) and a certificate that can help businesses do the following:

  • Make your business more sustainable.
  • Improve your competitive advantage.
  • Prevent environmental risks.
  • Identify your most relevant environmental impacts.
  • Focus on concrete actions.
  • Effectively communicate about your environmental performance.

This tool does that in the following ways:

  • Identifying your most relevant environmental impacts.
  • Creating an environmental program with objectives and concrete measures.
  • Learning relevant environmental laws and regulations.
  • Engaging employees and partners in your environmental work.
Climate Partners for Sustainable Events in Helsinki

Another cool sustainable event initiative in Helsinki is the Climate Partners program. There are more than 60 major groups, businesses, and institutions have joined together to foster eco-friendly initiatives in Helsinki.

Their primary objectives are as follows:

  1. Create new operating methods and new business opportunities
  2. Create more unique and inspiring ways of cooperation to reduce emissions in the city area
  3. Operate visibly and be active in providing information on the results
  4. Share best practices

The mayor leads this task force, with the network providing regular seminars and workshops to foster progress.

Think Sustainably Eco-Friendly Initiative in Helsinki
Think Sustainably Eco-Friendly Initiative in Helsinki via Tourism4sdgs

Another super eco-friendly initiative in Helsinki is Think Sustainably. You simply have to make use of it while you’re in the city.

It is an app not so much for event planning but for daily life. So think of it as a city guide in your pocket that directs you to make sustainable choices, from travelling, eating, consuming, and everything else you could need.

It’s an elegant system where businesses meet a checklist of actions to be included in the service. These actions range from switching to LED lights to offering a vegan option on their menu.

Think Sustainably is a great tool to use yourself and share with your team and attendees. Use of Think Sustainability will lead to reduced carbon footprints before and after your eco-friendly event in Helsinki takes place!

How to Pick a Venue For Your Sustainable Event in Helsinki

As you may have seen, choosing a venue is an integral part of the eco-friendly initiatives in Helsinki.

However, that’s easier said than done. There are lots to choose from, and how do you know which venues are genuinely sustainable and which just say they are?

Well, that’s where we can help you. We’re experts when it comes to corporate event spaces, and we have a marvellous selection of event venues in Helsinki.

You can browse our selection yourself and filter for eco-friendly spaces. Or, if you’re busy, just ask one of our experts to help you. Tell them what you want, and they’ll get back to you with a hand-curated selection of locations just for you!

Catering and Vendors for Eco-Friendly Events in Helsinki
Catering and Vendors for Eco-Friendly Events in Helsinki via Meetgreen

And finally, a crucial, crucial part of putting together an eco-friendly event in Helsinki is to work with sustainable partners.

Now, as we mentioned before, you have the Climate Partners initiative to lead your event planning and the Think Sustainability app to explore your potential partners. And that is a solid plan.

However, many of these businesses won’t deal with events. And even if they do, you need to sort out the ones that are first good quality and, secondly, that complement what you’re trying to do.

To save you time, you can always collaborate with an event production company – like us! That way you have access to their (our) network of amazing – trusted – event vendors.

There are a whole load more cool services you can take advantage of too, like stage design, marketing, and event analyses. Read this article to see more reasons why you should hire a production company for your events!

Wrapping up

And that is all from us for now, folks. We hope you’ve found this guide to sustainable event initiatives in Helsinki as cool and helpful as we have!

Also, one quick reminder that we can help you source your dream eco-friendly event venues in Helsinki.

And finally, we did promise you some bonus eco-friendly event planning advice, didn’t we? Well, here you go, our ultimate guide to hosting an eco-friendly event. Bye bye!

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