Our Commitment
Sustainability, environment
Fira de Barcelona is committed to sustainability, the protection of the environment, the circular economy and the fight against climate change. We promote measures of recycling, energy efficiency and eco-design of booths and optimisation of services to minimise the impact generated by the trade fairs and congressional activity.
We establish guidelines, featured in our Sustainabiity Policy, aligned with our commitment to environmental, economic and social sustainability, and in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Measures against
the drought
On February 1st, the Government of Catalonia declared a state of emergency due to drought in the metropolitan area.
Fira de Barcelona has been implementing different measures in recent years to improve efficiency and reduce the volume of water used during its activities and has begun to implement additional measures given the current situation.
Measures undertaken since 2020:
- Deployment of a digitized water consumption control system that detects leaks in the network in real time.
- Preventive maintenance protocol for the distribution network to replace sections at risk of leaks.
- Progressive replacement of urinals in the venue with waterless ecological units. (Currently at 50%)
Additional measures taken due to the emergency:
- Emptying of the lakes in the Gran Via venue and reuse of water by the L’Hospitalet City Council.
- Interruption of ornamental fountains.
- Inspection and replacement of taps in all toilets.
- Fine-tuning of automatic taps to reduce operating time and minimize consumption.
- Development of water-saving policies for all on-site catering operators.
- Installation of aerator filters on all taps.
- Communication and awareness program about the exceptional drought situation in Catalonia aimed at event visitors and exhibitors.
With all these measures, it is estimated that water consumption in our venues has been reduced by 25%.
Energy efficiency Renewable energies
Fira de Barcelona’s Energy Policy define our commitment to the efficient management of energy consumption.
We’re committed to green energy. Now Fira de Barcelona only consumes electricity from renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydraulic, tidal and geothermal, together with biomass and biogas. This includes all the consumption generated at the venues (stands, exhibition areas, congress-related activity, etc.) and in the offices. This initiative leads to the emission of 12,500 fewer tonnes of CO2 per year, a figure equivalent to the planting of one million trees.
We are striving to improve our energy efficiency through the installation of the most advanced technologies and equipment: Fira de Barcelona is a pioneer in Spain in furnishing an entire venue (Gran Via) with IoT technology to optimise energy consumption associated with HVAC. We have also installed low consumption lighting systems (LED).
We promote the use of renewable energies. The Gran Via venue has one of the biggest rooftop photovoltaic plants in the world with 25,947 panels over an area of 135,000 m2 that generate 5.86 GWh of electricity per year, avoiding the emission of more than 2,200 tons of CO2.We are connected to the municipal heating and cooling network, consuming energy from renewable sources.
We establish partnerships with public bodies and private entities to promote practical sustainability. We promote a manual of environmental good practices, in collaboration with the Barcelona Convention Bureau´s Sustainable Tourism programme, promote the use of public transport among those attending events, reducing the impact on the environment, and we promote sustainable tourism in the city of Barcelona.
We offer exhibitors the option of choosing stands with a lower environmental impact and of using a service to calculate and compensate for the “carbon footprint”, through the CleanCO2 certification, which identifies the greenhouse gas emission sources inherent to all activities.
Recycling and waste
reduction
We promote the recycling of waste (paper, cardboard, glass, packaging, etc.) and we implement technology to cut consumption of paper and plastic as much as possible, as in the case of registration to trade shows and congresses. Thanks to the agreement with Ecoembes, every year we transfer around 8,000 tons of waste for recovery.
Initiatives against waste:
- We are developing (test phase) the installation of smart bins through IoT technology that provide information on the volume and type of accumulated waste. Data that help to optimise selective waste collection services.
- We promote "Towards Zero Waste", a pioneering initiative implemented by Smart City Expo World Congress, IoT Solutions World Congress and Iwater, which is committed to the sustainability of events by reducing the environmental impact associated with mobility, the use of water and energy, and the consumption of products and services, among others.
- We collaborate with the "Towards Zero Waste" project, promoted by Barcelona City Council, which promotes the reduction of waste and the saving of resources.
- Since 2014, the MWC Barcelona, which is held at the Gran Via venue, has been certified carbon neutral.
Circular
economy
We work to promote the reuse of part of the materials used at the fairs, such as carpets or furniture, etc. either internally or through social organisations.
- Donation Room. In collaboration with the City Councils of Barcelona and L´Hospitalet, we encourage the reuse of materials used in various trade fairs and congresses to be donated to social organisations, families and people at risk of exclusion, in addition to hiring people in situation of vulnerability.
- Donation of food surpluses to Nutrició sense Fronteres (Nutrition without Borders) and Banc dels Aliments. Every year, through GastroFira, more than five tons of healthy food is distributed among people at risk of exclusion.
Trade show initiatives that
promote sustainability
We promote events related to sustainability:
- Smart City Expo World Congress, international congress on intelligent solutions to make cities more liveable in terms of mobility, resource management, etc.
- Tomorrow Mobility World Congress, the platform for sustainable & intelligent urban mobility.
Acknowledgement of
Fira's actions
Fira de Barcelona has obtained ISO 14001 certification, the most widely recognised international standard in the field of environmental management and we’ve adhered to the Barcelona Biosphere Tourism Sustainability Commitment.
Our environmental actions have received international recognition with the Sustainable Development Award (2017) of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) which classifies the world's leading trade fair organisers. The award recognised Fira's commitment to helping Barcelona become a benchmark destination in terms of trade fair sustainability.