As one of the world’s leading organisers of trade fairs, congresses and events with their own exhibition grounds, we want to be a driving force for climate protection and a sustainable event business.
Ecological, social and economic responsibility is part of our business strategy. In all three dimensions, we are gradually developing objectives that will lead us closer to a sustainable future for events.
“Messe Frankfurt’s binding ecological target is to be climate-neutral at its Frankfurt base by 2040 at the latest. We see this as attaining greenhouse gas neutrality and establishing a sustainable water management system.“
“We work closely together with the sectors to increase awareness of the need for greater sustainability within our events. As part of our Texpertise Network, for example, we have been working extensively for the last 15 years to promote sustainable innovation and change in the textile and fashion industry. Here, we are backed up by partners like the United Nations Office for Partnerships.”
“All Messe Frankfurt teams are involved in the transformation process that we are initiating at our Frankfurt base. The aim is to develop long-term measures for the ecological, social and economic dimensions. To this end, we have created a sustainability target architecture that not only maps out long-term targets but also short- and medium-term milestones.”
Our sustainability target architecture
With our Sustainability Board – which includes senior management from different disciplines – and our Sustainability Management, Messe Frankfurt has established a broad base for dealing with sustainability issues throughout the Group. Here, targets are formulated and followed, measures identified and verified, and new processes established.
To work systematically towards our targets, we have designed a comprehensive sustainability target architecture. This helps us to define the direction in which we implement our strategy resolutely in our various roles (as a company, as a venue operator, as an event organiser and as a service provider) – both at our Frankfurt base and as part of our activities around the world.
Climate neutral by 2040 at the latest. For us, this means greenhouse gas neutrality and sustainable water management.
Our aim
We at Messe Frankfurt aim to create substance, transparency and measurability in everything we do, based on German and international standards.
Messe Frankfurt’s overall Code of Conduct defines our own internal standards in ethical and legal conduct and the expectations of our business partners.
We are following our sustainable course resolutely and, in doing so, set great store by working together with our customers and business partners in a spirit of partnership. To help them plan their events, our sustainability guide includes an overview of the key topics that can be integrated into planning processes when organising sustainable events and that invite exhibitors and event organisers to follow suit:
For all Group employees, Messe Frankfurt’s Sustainability Governance Code is the internal framework for sustainable development within the Group and at our worldwide events.
Our commitment
Our sustainable business practices are founded on a wide range of voluntary commitments. We were one of the first trade fair companies to decide of their own accord to introduce the environmental management system EMAS. (Eco Management and Audit Scheme).We take part in ESG ratings and actively support German and international sustainability initiatives. We are participants in the United Nations Global Compact, the Charter of Diversity and the Fairpflichtet sustainability code.
EMAS certified
Messe Frankfurt has introduced the internationally recognised environmental management system EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) at its Frankfurt base. The EMAS validation, which also meets the requirements of environmental management norm ISO 14001, is another milestone in the company’s efforts to reach its ambitious environmental targets at the latest by 2040 and is an important step towards establishing a sustainable trade fair sector.
Messe Frankfurt signed the UN Global Compact in 2010, committing itself to the ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption. We feel bound to adhere to these principles, not least when implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2022, Messe Frankfurt completed an Ecovadis ESG rating (Environmental, Social and Governance) for the first time and was awarded a bronze medal. This involved examining a number of areas, namely environmental protection, labour and human rights, sustainable procurement and ethics. The company plans to continue its ESG rating.
In recognition of its efforts to become a sustainable event business, Messe Frankfurt has received the AEO Excellence Award 2023 in the Best Sustainability Initiative category. As summed up by the panel of judges, the UK-based Association of Event Organisers (AEO) awarded this in recognition of Messe Frankfurt’s fine work, excellent statistics and long-term sustainability projects.
We maintain partnerships with our events around the world. For example, when working together with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network in 2019, we set ourselves the target of promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at our global textile events.
We are supporting German trade fair association AUMA and its sustainability initiative in its efforts to achieve climate neutrality in the German trade fair sector by 2040.
Messe Frankfurt signed the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge in 2022. This is supported by various organisations and associations in the trade fair and event sector, including UFI and AUMA. All organisations that sign the pledge commit to making their events climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest.
Since 2013, Messe Frankfurt has been a member of right and fair, the sustainability code for the German-language event sector that represents the industry’s commitment to the sustainable organisation of events.
