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Prof. Dr Markus Große Ophoff is Head of the DBU Centre for Environmental Communication and a columnist for tw tagungswirtschaft. Photo: DBU Archive
Prof. Dr Markus Große Ophoff is Head of the DBU Centre for Environmental Communication and a columnist for tw tagungswirtschaft. Photo: DBU Archive
The Blue Angel for sustainable events
Column by Prof. Dr Markus Große Ophoff, Technical Director and Authorised Signatory DBU Centre for Environmental Communication at the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)
The award criteria for the Blue Angel for events have been published since August 2024. The basis for this was an application submitted by the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) to the Federal Environment Agency in 2020. The catalogue of criteria for the Blue Angel for Events with over 80 pages can be downloaded here. It can be applied for from January.
The Blue Angel is the best-known environmental label in Germany. Until now, the Blue Angel was mainly known for products such as recycled paper or environmentally friendly paints. The Blue Angel for events is one of the first ecolabels for sustainable services in Germany. It is awarded to individual events that meet high sustainability criteria. The aim of the Blue Angel is to recognise only the best products and services.
The Blue Angel for events (DE-UZ 236)
It will be possible to apply for the Blue Angel eco-label from January 2025. The new ecolabel for events offers organisations the opportunity to apply for the ecolabel for their business events such as conferences and trade fairs, as well as cultural events such as concerts and theatre festivals, if they comply with a high level of environmental and sustainability standards.
Why another Blue Angel?
Why a Blue Angel when there are already numerous certifications? Thanks to its neutral control and state sponsorship, the Blue Angel has the highest credibility of all environmental awards. The Blue Angel is not an award for a single company, but recognises the interaction of many stakeholders in the planning and implementation of a sustainable event. It therefore does not compete with company-related environmental management systems such as environmental management in accordance with ISO 14,000 ff or the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) environmental management system or lower-threshold certificates such as Ökoprofit or Green Globe. All these certificates characterise the environmental management system of an individual company. However, companies that have already achieved these certificates will find it much easier to provide the requirements and data for the Blue Angel. However, for an event to be sustainable, all stakeholders, such as the organisers, the halls, the caterers, the technology companies, the hotels and the management companies, must implement a coordinated sustainable concept. In addition, the requirements of the Blue Angel are often much more specific than the abstract requirements of the management systems.
"Thanks to its neutral control and state sponsorship, the Blue Angel has the highest credibility of all environmental awards."
Prof. Dr Markus Große Ophoff, Technical Director and Authorised Representative DBU Centre for Environmental Communication
The Blue Angel for events will not be easy to achieve. Many criteria from the award criteria must be realised. On the one hand, this means a lot of effort, but on the other hand it also leads to a special unique selling point if the Blue Angel award is achieved. Blue Angel events will be the absolute pioneers in terms of sustainability in the event market. The award criteria are valid until 2028. After that, they will be revised, adapted and also tightened in line with the experience of the first four years if targets can now be achieved better or more easily.
How did the Blue Angel for events come about?
Following the application by the EVVC, the Federal Environment Agency commissioned adelphi to develop the award criteria. An initial information event was held in spring 2023 at the Sustainable Events Conference (SECON) in Osnabrück. The first draft of the award criteria was then presented and discussed in several online hearings. There was a great deal of feedback from the industry regarding the type and level of the requirements as well as their practicability. Most of these points of criticism were included in the final award criteria. The aim was to achieve a good compromise between the feasibility of the application and a high level of ambition. More than 100 representatives of the relevant industry associations, companies, institutions and academia were involved in the process. My impression is that something useful has emerged. However, the test is taking place in reality. The next few years will show how many events apply for and are awarded the Blue Angel. In Austria, which served as a model, the corresponding state eco-label was well received.
What does the Blue Angel regulate for events?
The first challenge is that the Blue Angel - for it to make sense - has to be communicated before the event takes place. It used to be different for all other products. An environmentally friendly paint could be tested before it was even sold in stores. However, you can only conclusively check whether an event was really sustainable once it has been organised. Then, however, a product-related award makes little sense, as it can no longer be used to promote the event. The application was therefore divided into two phases. Many criteria can and must be demonstrated at an early planning stage. Once this evidence has been provided, the Blue Angel can also be used in the announcement phase of the event if the company undertakes to fulfil the other criteria that can only be verified later. Furthermore, a distinction is made between "must" criteria, which must be fulfilled in any case, and "can" criteria. In addition to the "must" criteria, at least 30% must be achieved in order to be awarded the Blue Angel. The criteria are divided into the following areas:
- General
- Mobility
- Accommodation
- Event venues
- Procurement, materials and waste management
- Gastronomy
- Communication
- Social aspects
- Offsetting greenhouse gases
A total of 140 requirements must be observed, some of which are divided into further subgroups. Of these, 71 requirements are "must" criteria that must be fulfilled in any case in order to achieve the Blue Angel.
Now we're off!
From 2025, the Blue Angel can be awarded for sustainable events. I hope that many will take advantage of this new credible environmental award. Especially at the beginning, it offers the opportunity to present yourself as a pioneer in terms of sustainability. My recommendation:
- Use the award criteria as a checklist for the sustainability of your events.
- Have the confidence to apply for the Blue Angel for events.
- Take the opportunity to position yourself as a pioneer for sustainability.
But even if you are not yet sure whether you want to take this step and can fulfil the requirements: The published award criteria are a treasure trove for anyone who wants to organise an event sustainably in order to find potential for optimisation, improve processes and benchmark their own performance.
Prof Dr Markus Große Ophoff