Sustainability is a topic that increasingly appears on the priority list of many organisations with growing urgency. But whereas in some cases it might be more of a box-ticking exercise rather than a genuine desire, at the Beurs van Berlage, it is quite different. Sustainability is a topic that increasingly appears on the priority list of many organisations with growing urgency. But whereas in some cases it might be more of a box-ticking exercise rather than a genuine desire, at the Beurs van Berlage, it is quite different. “Sustainability in business must be driven by genuine commitment, not just external pressures", explains Marketing Director Willemijn de Vet. “Sustainability goals driven solely by external factors stand no chance of succeeding." In this interview, we asked Willemijn everything about her sustainable mission and the journey towards a climate-neutral Beurs van Berlage by 2050. Can you tell us about the importance of sustainability for the Beurs van Berlage? “Sustainability is a top priority for the Beurs. As Marketing Director, I ensure that we stay on track to meet our goals. But for us, sustainability is certainly not a marketing gimmick or sales pitch; it's a given. Of course we are sustainable. And of course it's high on our agenda." What are the main reasons for investing in sustainability today? “It's our collective responsibility, and its urgency is becoming increasingly apparent. Earth Day—the day we've used up the Earth's resources for the year—comes earlier each year. It's really absurd that by April or May, we've effectively used up the Earth, needing two and a half Earths for a year. So we all must act now." How did the integration of sustainability initiatives start at the Beurs? “About five years ago, we began to better chart our sustainability. During the pandemic, we had other priorities, but afterwards, we picked it up again. We entered a certification process with Green Globe, an international certification body for the tourism and events industry. For that, we had to collect a lot of information, which gave us insight into what we were already doing and what we still need to do."
Where are you now in this process? How is sustainability integrated into the daily operation? “Sustainability is a common goal for all employees and departments at the Beurs. It's often in the details. For instance, we no longer use cardboard cups and have banned all single-use plastics. Naturally, we separate our waste as much as possible and are very sharp on wastage. In our kitchen, we mainly use local seasonal products to minimise the carbon footprint as much as possible. We are also very proud of our sustainable heating system, which has allowed us to reduce our gas consumption by 75%! Sustainability for us is also about making a societal impact. For instance, we offer job positions for people with barriers to employment. Moreover, we are located in a national monument from 1903, listed by UNESCO as one of the most important buildings worldwide. Preserving this building is our most crucial reason for existence." What are your sustainability goals for the near future? “Our goal is to be completely climate-neutral by 2050. Therefore, we have set targets in terms of gas, water, food waste, and rubbish. For example: from 2026 we want to stop transporting water to the Beurs. Our tap water is fine, so we are working with Join the Pipe (a foundation that promotes drinking tap water worldwide) to get fixed water points in the Beurs. Also, we are soon getting a new toilet group downstairs, and we continuously maintain the building, repairing or replacing everything in a sustainable manner. We are also further greening our foodbook to emphasise the effect on certain food choices. If we ask conference organisers if they want to serve vegetarian or vegan dishes, the answer is often 'No', you see. But if we explain that the dishes in the foodbook promote biodiversity, people usually go along with it. Especially if we tell them how little vegetables will be left if we continue producing food the way we do now. This is a shockingly small amount. By using pesticides and exhausting the soil we damage important ecosystems, resulting in the extinction of millions of insects, mammals and plants. Our chef finds this very important, as does our canteen cook. She makes the tastiest meals from the leftover products after events." How do you motivate the rest of the organisation to work sustainably? “I think it's very important that sustainability comes from within the organisation. I can't do it alone, and that also wouldn't be credible. When we started, I noticed that the importance of sustainability kept slipping into the background. But we kept hammering away at it, and now it's really a mindset in the organisation that every decision is checked for sustainability. More and more colleagues are coming up with ideas. For example, the chef recently came to check with me whether he could use plastic pipettes for the salad dressing, so he could serve the salad apart from the dressing and the food would stay fresh longer. This of course to prevent having to throw salad away. The answer was 'No', because we don’t want single-use plastics on our events, but I'm very happy that he came to ask. It means the subject is alive within the organisation." That sounds positive! But there must also be challenges. Can you tell us a bit about those? “There are still things happening that we have no control over. We had a conference a few weeks ago where we expected 500 visitors, but only 300 came. In such a case, we have 200 meals left over. Then we really are at a loss because we serve everything in portions in our own crockery, making it difficult to donate the surplus to, for example, the Salvation Army. We also notice that especially international visitors are not yet used to tap water. We can’t blame them of course, because you obviously can't drink from the tap everywhere. Another challenge is that we are in a monumental building, which has all sorts of restrictions. We can't just put double glazing everywhere or install solar panels on the roof. And now we want to get off gas, which has a huge price tag. But we'll manage it, I’m sure!” How do you work with other companies in the industry to promote and implement sustainable practices? “We have joined an industry initiative called 'Net Zero Carbon Events'. You don't have to reinvent the wheel as an event venue every time. All event venues worldwide are dealing with the same problems and challenges. It's important that we join forces so that sustainability becomes the norm. Then you stand much stronger as a location when you tell a conference organiser that you only offer local products or that you don't print banners that are thrown away after one use. We just don't do that anymore as an industry." What are the most important learnings that the Beurs van Berlage has gained in the process of sustainability? “Sustainability really has to come from within your organisation. You need someone who keeps putting the topic on the agenda and continuously shows how important it is. Finally, we've learned that we need to share more of what we do. Not out of self-promotion, but to set a good example. Because it has a positive influence on the events industry and everyone who comes into contact with the Beurs. We want to inspire people to do the same. It really starts with yourself, even at work! No matter how small your company is." Read all about the Beurs van Berlage sustainability strategy in this section of our website »
Interview Our sustainable strategy is embraced throughout our entire organisation
