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Checklist for sustainable events
We help you make choices that ensure the quality of your event from a sustainability perspective!
We care about our planet, our city and the people who live here. That is why we aim to reduce the negative impact of events on both the environment and people’s well-being. A sustainable events destination creates long-term, positive effects that benefit the entire region and help people of all ages feel included and valued.
Göteborg & Co offers organisers guidance on sustainability. Here you will find information, tips and checklists to help you make your event as sustainable as possible from an economic, environmental and social perspective.
The path to sustainability
- Include sustainability at an early stage of planning.
- Plan your event so that it is inclusive for everyone.
- Engage staff and other stakeholders to identify key areas and set goals for the event.
- Collaborate with the destination and suppliers.
- Consider environmental certification for the event: we recommend SUSA.
- Review procurement practices and set requirements for suppliers.
- Inspire others by communicating your ambitions and actions.
- Measure, report and evaluate.
- Share challenges and celebrate successes, both large and small.
Travel and transport
- Calculate and offset the climate impact of your meeting. Visit the calculator Offset the climate impact of your event..
- Travel by train or bus and use public transport at the destination where possible. Encourage participants to do the same.
- Walk or cycle. Distances in Gothenburg are short; you can walk almost everywhere, and there are plenty of bicycles and e-scooters available to hire.
- Encourage participants to offset the climate impact of their travel.
Meeting venues and accommodation
- Choose an environmentally certified venue.
- Ask suppliers how they can support your goals—shared transport, food, waste management, etc.
- Choose eco-labelled hotels.
Purchases and waste
- Plan purchases based on minimising, reusing and recycling.
- Have a plan for surplus materials.
- Ensure that waste sorting is easy.
- Choose local, eco-labelled and ethically certified products.
- Choose local suppliers.
- Opt for experiences as giveaways.
Food and drink
- Serve more vegetarian food.
- Choose locally produced, seasonal products.
- Choose organic and ethically certified products.
- Serve tap water instead of bottled water and label your event as tap water-friendly here.
- Communicate what is being served and where the food and drink come from. Remember that allergen information and ingredient lists make things easier for many people.
- Serve ethically certified coffee and tea and certify the event according to Fairtrade City. If coffee or tea is not served, at least two other products should be ethically certified, such as chocolate, sugar, bananas, nuts or wine.
- Remember that allergen information and ingredient lists make things easier for many people.
- WWF’s meat guide and fish guide offer inspiration on how to choose more sustainable food options.
Single-use-free events
In spring 2020, the City of Gothenburg decided that its administrations and companies should work to reduce the use of single-use items. The regional waste plan, “Gothenburg Region Reduces Waste”, specifically states that municipalities are to reduce the use of single-use items by 50 per cent by 2030.
For many years, Göteborg & Co has worked with both events and the destination to help create a single-use-free city. The ambition is for the power of events to act as a driver of change, encouraging new behaviours such as reduced littering.
Accessibility
- Consider accessibility for all, so that more people can participate; for example, those who have difficulty hearing, seeing or moving, have allergies or intolerances, or find it difficult to interpret, process or communicate information.
- Communicate accessibility clearly in the invitation.
- Actively work towards a balanced and inclusive programme.
Accessibility Guides
- Wheelmap (in Swedish) helps you find wheelchair-accessible locations.
- The Accessibility Database provides information for residents and visitors about physical accessibility at registered venues.
Contribute to the local community
- Explore ways to contribute to your goals while creating lasting, positive impacts in the local community.
- Encourage participants to engage in activities that benefit the local community or environmental organisations.
- Share knowledge and organise outreach activities together with local organisations such as science centres and festivals.
- Ask your suppliers to donate surplus materials and food.
- Collaborate with a non-profit organisation.
Communication and marketing
- Inform participants about your sustainability ambitions and the measures being taken.
- Prioritise digital communication and marketing.
- Engage and challenge participants to contribute to a sustainable event.
Make gender equality a priority
Gothenburg has developed a concept for gender-equal events, aiming for a 50/50 balance between female and male acts and across all aspects of an event.
- Aim for a 50/50 balance across all aspects of the event, including employment, pay, artist bookings, communication and content.
- Ensure balanced representation of women and men on your stages. Make sure that female and male artists receive equal stage time, visibility and comparable placement in the programme.
- Allocate the budget evenly between genders. It is particularly important to consider how headline artists and other on-stage participants are compensated.
- Take into account that gender is not always a binary category and that male/female can provide a direction but is not a perfect measurement tool. Ethnicity, gender identity, expression, ability, sexual orientation, religion and age are all aspects of an inclusive perspective that should be considered when creating an inclusive event environment.
- Integrate gender equality messaging into event communications and ensure that representation in communications reflects a 50/50 balance. Use the event as a platform to drive issues that contribute to greater societal value.
- Educate staff and participants on the importance of gender equality and provide them with the tools to actively contribute to a more equal event experience.
Staff
- Recruit local staff.
- Ensure that staff are insured and have good working conditions.
- Aim for broad diversity among staff.
Contribute to social sustainability
Social sustainability is just as important as environmental and economic sustainability. A socially sustainable event should make it easier for people to come together. Actively working with programme planning to achieve a good mix of content helps create a welcoming meeting place where no one feels excluded on the basis of gender, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion or age.
