Gothenburg makes it a seven-time sustainability success

For the seventh year in a row, Gothenburg was named the world’s most sustainable event and meeting city, according to the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS Index). The sustainability of cities is measured from several perspectives: ecological, economic and social. Factors influencing this include how well a city manages traffic, handles recycling and works to reduce greenhouse gases, and whether there are sustainability strategies and environmental certifications for hotels, restaurants and meeting facilities. In this year’s GDS Index, Gothenburg scored 94.63% (up from 92.98%). The city is not resting on its laurels however. “We are now taking bigger steps towards sustainable meetings. We have developed a new sustainability policy, hired a new sustainability manager and produced a new sustainability guide that is used in dialogue with customers,” says Malin Erlandsson, director congress & events for The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and Gothia Towers. In addition, all 900 employees at the venue go through a week of sustainability training. “We have ISO-certified our entire operation, not just the venue and hotel itself. Now, we also include all our own fairs and meetings,” Erlandsson adds. “We want to show everyone who is working in the meetings industry how and why we are the most sustainable meetings destination in the world, but above all, why we are committed to further development. Ninety-four per cent is not the end goal. There is always more to do, and we will continue strive to do more.” Erlandsson notes sustainability is an important factor for decision-makers who have seen that Gothenburg is in first place in the GDS Index and have therefore sent requests to hold meetings there. “Unfortunately, this has also meant that we have had to turn down events during our high season because we are fully booked. Gothenburg is growing rapidly, and we want to grow with the city.” In 2010, the city had 8,000 hotel rooms, a figure set to rise to 15,000 by 2025. “We ourselves have over 1,200 hotel rooms and are planning a fourth hotel tower. We also have plans to grow with more meeting areas, to attract more meetings and larger meetings for 8,000+ people,” says Erlandsson. She admits Gothenburg still has work to do to market itself more widely, but is certain those who come to the city are pleasantly surprised by what they experience. “Today, we win 75% of the meetings that come here for a site inspection, largely thanks to our sustainability work. The Swedish inflation rate now also affects us in a positive way, as our closest competitors in Denmark and Norway are significantly more expensive.” The EU is also set to bring in a wave of new laws and regulations affecting all European business events, so there will be pressure there, too. New tools to promote sustainability will be launched in January next year at the venue, including making it possible to show all your own emissions and how to minimise them, including figures showing waste per hotel guest. International convention bureaus and DMO’s are also coming to Gothenburg to learn more about why the city has topped the GDS Index so many times and Tokyo Convention Bureau and five French destinations will visit in autumn.