Gothenburg is making Longines FEI European Championships the most sustainable event

Gothenburg is the top international destination for sustainability according to the ICCA Global Destination Sustainability Index. This will be reaffirmed when the city hosts the Longines FEI European Equestrian Championships on 21–27 August.

“Our ambitions are high. The goal is to make this one of the most sustainable sports events in Europe this year,” says Katarina Thorstensson, Sustainability Officer at Göteborg & Co.

The city of Gothenburg has won several international awards for its efforts to promote sustainability. They include the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI), in which Gothenburg was recently ranked in first place among destinations around the world.

This achievement has spurred on the city’s efforts to improve the sustainability of meetings and events. Sustainability was therefore given a high priority during planning of the FEI European Championships.

“It covers all three elements of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. Because Gothenburg already has a strong lead it makes our work easier, for example almost all our hotels are environmentally certified and we can focus on pushing the development of sustainability issues,” says Katarina Thorstensson.

Almost all big meetings and events in Gothenburg now gain environmental diplomas, just like the FEI European Championships. August is an eventful month in the city, and both the Way Out West festival and Gothenburg Culture Festival have won awards and publicity for their sustainability efforts. The FEI European Championships will be the third big event of the month.

“Sustainability requires collaboration and cooperation to solve the various challenges. This is something we are good at in Gothenburg. We have long experience thanks to hosting a number of European championships with a high sustainability profile, and of course the Culture Festival and other annual events.”

More information: Katarina Thorstensson, Göteborg & Co, +46 31 368 42 85

See also: http://gothenburg2017.com/en/the-event/a-sustainable-event/

Facts about Gothenburg as a sustainable destination:

• 86 per cent of hotel rooms in Gothenburg are environmentally certified.
• Landvetter Airport has held the highest level of environmental accreditation – “European Airport Carbon accreditation” – since 2011.
• 90 per cent of public transport in Gothenburg runs on renewable energy.
• There are 1,000 “Styr & Ställ” city bikes to rent at 60 different locations in the city.
• In autumn 2013, Gothenburg became the first city in the world to issue a green bond for investments that benefit the environment and the climate.
• Gothenburg is a green city, partly thanks to its closeness to forests and parks, but also to the compact layout of the city. Gothenburg is a small city where almost everything is within walking distance.