Sustainability
Sustainability at Hamburg Messe und Congress
Sustainability is a key element of our corporate strategy and a highly relevant topic for the future of Hamburg Messe und Congress. We are continuously working on making our trade fair and event management more sustainable. Our sustainability strategy helps us stay focused on these efforts. As a company owned by the State and City of Hamburg, we are undertaking these efforts as a contribution to a Hamburg metropolitan area that is ready to face the future.
The Vision of Hamburg’s municipal economic strategy states:
“We build the future city of Hamburg – a sustainable metropolis where everyone can have a good life.”
Sustainability strategy
How can we become a sustainable and carbon-neutral trade fair and event organisation by the year 2040? To answer this question, we launched an internal process in 2022 and created our sustainability strategy in 2023.
Three Value Circles of the sustainability strategy of Hamburg Messe und Congress
The three Value Circles represent the areas of activity of our sustainability strategy. They address the dimensions of Environment, Social Affairs and Governance.
In 2025, one strategic focus was on drafting climate transition plan. It mainly relates to the Circular, Climate-friendly Events Value Circle. We are developing other topics in the fields of Environment, Social Affairs and Business in parallel and will report on these in 2026.
Sustainability organisation
For Hamburg Messe und Congress, good corporate governance includes a clear sustainability governance structure. The responsibility for sustainability rests with the Management Board. The Sustainability department is charged with coordinating our sustainability activities and implementing the sustainability strategy jointly with the other departments.
As a company owned by the State and City of Hamburg, Hamburg Messe und Congress adheres to the Hamburg Code of Corporate Governance (HCGK), which includes mandatory minimum standards for transparency, management accountability and reporting. The Management Board is required to inform the Supervisory Board on the status of our sustainability performance.
Furthermore, we are part of various networks of the State and City of Hamburg and participate actively in the Sustainability working group of our industry association AUMA. This ensures a continuous exchange of information and the adoption of industry best-practices. For more information refer to the Networks and Memberships section.
Climate protection
Protecting the climate is a core objective of Hamburg Messe und Congress. To us, minimising or entirely avoiding greenhouse gas emissions is a prerequisite for our company’s continued positive economic development. Furthermore, it is our contribution to the long-term stability of our local business community and part of fulfilling our responsibility towards society to counteract the global climate crisis.
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (FHH), Hamburg Messe und Congress remains committed to doing its share to implement the objectives of Hamburg’s Municipal Economic Strategy and the Hamburg Climate Plan to achieve net zero carbon by 2040.
In 2025, we prepared a comprehensive greenhouse gas balance sheet based on the internationally recognised GHG Protocol standard for the first time. This standard forms the basis for drafting a climate strategy. In keeping with the goals of FHH, we are pursuing the following climate-related goals:
- Milestone 2030: Reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50 per cent, Scope 3 emissions by 25 per cent
- Net-zero emissions by 2040: Reduce Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions by 90 per cent compared to reference year 2024
The greenhouse gas balance sheet reveals that the greatest potential to reduce direct emissions from stationary installations and the vehicle fleet (Scope 1) as well as indirect emissions (Scope 2) from purchased electricity, heat and cooling is inherent in our heat supply, in particular externally supplied heat. When it comes to Scope 3 emissions, we focus on the ‘hot spot’ areas of purchased products and services as well as waste.
Another focal category is our visitors’ and exhibitors’ trips to and from our events. Due to the complex data situation and our limited options to influence these emissions, we address this category individually, deriving special reduction targets and measures to take. This approach has been coordinated with industry working groups.
We will finish defining our climate strategy and continue driving implementation measures in 2026. The development of our strategy was supported by the National Climate Protection Initiative. For more information please refer to Co-funding for the Hamburg Messe und Congress Climate Protection Concept
Title: Preparing An Integrated Climate Protection Concept Including Climate Protection Management For Hamburg Messe Und Congress GmbH – Initial Project
Funding ID: 67K24154
Term: 01-06-2023 to 17-3-2026
Objectives & Content: Funding from the Climate & Transformation Fund for an initial project including preparation of a climate protection concept and establishment of a climate protection management system at Hamburg Messe und Congress. This provides the basis for achieving the climate goals for public sector organisations of the City of Hamburg by the year 2040.
The German Federal Government created its National Climate Protection Initiative (NKI) in 2008 to help launch and support numerous projects which contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The programmes and projects under this initiative cover a wide range of climate protection activities, from developing long-term strategies through to providing specific support and investment capital. This variety promotes good ideas while helping climate protection take root locally. Consumers and enterprises, communities and educational institutions alike stand to benefit from this initiative.
For more information on the support programmes please consult Nationale Klimaschutzinitiative.
Certifications
The modernised CCH was awarded a Gold Certificate by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
Energy management certificate
Sustainability reports published pursuant to the German Sustainability Code (DNK)
Networks, initiatives and memberships
Trade fairs are meeting places for business, scientists and society at large that promote cooperation, innovations and solutions for a sustainable future. As such, they support the transition to a climate-friendly and responsible economy.
Our active involvement in relevant networks and initiatives reflects this aspiration.
Initiative to promote decarbonisation of the events industry
Voluntary commitment to environmental action beyond legal requirements
Member of Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V. (AUMA), the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry
Participation in the Diversity Netzwerk der Stadtwirtschaft Hamburg (diversity network of Hamburg’s business community)
Founding member - WOMEN IN EXHIBITIONS DACH
Sustainability Report
Since 2020, Hamburg Messe und Congress has been submitting sustainability reports pursuant to the German Sustainability Code (DNK) in fulfilment of the legal requirements of the City and State of Hamburg. Under the EU’s so-called Omnibus Initiative, the legal reporting obligation in line with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will end for both, Hamburg Messe und Congress and Finanzholding HGV - Hamburger Gesellschaft für Vermögens- und Beteiligungsmanagement mbH. However, under the Hamburg Code of Corporate Governance (HCGK), Hamburg Messe und Congress will submit reports according to the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard (VSME) at least every two years.
* Electricity from a tariff where our annual consumption is fully covered by electricity from renewable energies, as verified by certificates of origin from our energy supplier.
Do you have any questions regarding sustainability at Hamburg Messe und Congress?
Feel free to write to our Sustainability Team: