As of 2020, Messe Frankfurt, the world’s largest trade fair organiser, will change over completely to green power, sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy. This includes the power supply for the stands, halls and exhibition grounds at the company’s Frankfurt base in Germany.
The move away from conventional energy sources is said to be a further milestone in implementing its long-term strategic measures in the field of sustainability. The company’s cooperation partner is Frankfurt-based energy service provider Mainova AG.
Messe Frankfurt’s average energy needs are comparable with those of a town with around 40,000 inhabitants.
“By switching over entirely to renewable energy sources, we eliminate some 19,000 tonnes of CO2 a year,” says Uwe Behm, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt. “Given that 80 trees compensate for approximately a tonne of CO2, you would need more than 1.52 million trees a year to offset this quantity of CO2.
“As a partner, we are acting on the desire among our exhibitors and guest organisers for an environmentally friendly approach to trade fair management.”
Renewable energy has been a priority for the exhibition grounds for years, with three photovoltaic systems currently being operated there. Since late 2018, the third photovoltaic system – located on the roof of Hall 12 – has been generating energy from the sun’s rays. In future, an estimated 2 GWh of energy is to be harvested every year, which is roughly equivalent to the requirements of 500 households.
Since 2010, Messe Frankfurt has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact – the first German trade fair organiser to join its ranks. The company is responsible for organising many events for the textile industry, including Techtextil, Texprocess, Intertextile and Heimtextil.
