Sustainable Maastricht

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When is a city, a supplier, a meeting planner or any other person “green”, “sustainable” and when do they show “corporate social responsibility”?

After Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth, the environmental problems are again high on everyone’s agenda. The meeting industry has a new international policy: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Success is no longer measurable by economic growth. Today, we have to rely on a sustainable development, which relies on social, ethical and green standards. This adds up into CSR; we have to do business in a sustainable, social responsible and eco-friendly way.

We gladly inform visitors of Maastricht & surrounding area on meeting "green". 

Maastricht thinks about the future of our children and our planet.

 

What does the city of Maastricht do regarding sustainability?

The city of Maastricht involves its inhabitants and local companies in the implementation of their sustainablity plans. Some examples are:

  • Residual heat of factories are used to heat houses
  • Cooling water of one company is used as warm water source for another company
  • Free use of bicycle parkings to stimulate people to come to the city by bike
  • Maastricht is the only city in the Netherlands where the wall lizard still lives, population sea trout is increasing because of the quality of the Maas river (which runs through the city) and hancyon and nightingales broods. 
  • Maastricht does more waste disposal comparing with the rest of the Netherlands (against the tendency).
  • Since 2001 there are municipal rubbish bags obliged for every inhabitant of Maastricht. The aim is to stimulate the citizens to waste as little as possible. Waste process is very expensive.
  • Click here to read an article about Sustainable Maastricht.

 

 

How do you organise a green event?

A green meeting or event incorporates environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment.

10 tips for a green event: 

1. let delegates travel climate neutral

2. use public transportation

3. choose local suppliers

4. communicate without paper

5. make sure the venues you use have a green policy regarding water, energy and waste

6. make sure airco, heating en lights in the meeting rooms are not turned on unnecessary, and that audio-visual equipment is turned off when possible

7. for your dinners, use regional season products

8. ask your caterer to not use individually packed meals and plastic bottles

9. prevent the use of disposable forks, knives, spoons etcetera

10. work with venues and suppliers who acknowledge the CSR-rules


Calculate your CO2 emission:

By becoming climate neutral you will inspire others to do the same. Climate Neutral Group aims to make it easy for people and organisations to become climate neutral. In this way global warming can be countered. On the website of Climate Neutral Group you can calculate your CO2 emission. For conventions and special events you can contact Climate Neutral Group to make a measure made calculation for you. For more information, please visit their website.


What can hotel or convention centers do?

There are many ways to be a sustainable location. One of the acknowledged eco-label is The Green Key for tourism products. To obtain The Green Key the company has to fullfil a long list of environmental requirement. These requirements are contained in a number of criteria. Besides pure environmental demands, the criteria inclide demands on policy actionplans. Click here for more information about The Green Key.

 

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