Stockholmsmässan receives Penguin Prize

Stockholmsmässan has been awarded the Penguin Prize for its innovative ways of communicating with exhibitors and visitors in order to increase the volume of recycled material, which is one of many important climate goals for the City of Stockholm.

On a monthly basis, the City of Stockholm selects a company or a city department to be awarded the Penguin Prize, based on the degree of engagement in reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint. In November 2020, this prize was awarded to Stockholmsmässan at a virtual ceremony by Sara Nilsson, representing the Environment Department of the City and project manager of “Climate-Smart Stockholmers”, a project aiming to make Stockholm citizens climate-smart.

The jury’s statement:
Stockholmsmässan has adopted a holistic approach to climate and energy issues and was the first venue in Stockholm to obtain the ISO 20121 certification, an international standard for sustainable events. An important part of the company’s sustainability policy is converting waste into resources through recycling and reuse. Sustainability Manager Linda Elmén and her team have introduced innovative ways of communicating with exhibitors and visitors in order to increase the volume of recycled material. Their work contributes to meeting the City’s ambitious environmental and climate goals. As a major venue in the area, Stockholmsmässan has the capacity to lead the way forward towards more sustainable events and exhibitions.

“We are pleased and proud to have received the Penguin Prize. Our aim is to offer a sustainable conference and exhibition venue for organizers, visitors and, of course, for the events that we organize ourselves. As the largest venue in the Nordic region, we want to be role a model and set a good example,” says Christian Clemens, CEO at Stockholmsmässan.

Linda Elmén, Sustainability Manager at Stockholmsmässan, is also happy about receiving the award:

“We want to ensure that waste is handled correctly during all stages of an event. In 2019, 98% of our waste was reused, recycled or used for energy recovery. In addition to this, we have improved our communication with exhibitors and visitors, for example highlighting sustainable choices in our online shop. We have also trained staff and suppliers in more efficient waste management and produced tailormade mobile recycling bins, available where they are needed the most.”

About the Penguin Prize
The Penguin Prize recognizes everyday heroes in the City of Stockholm who are working to help the City achieve its climate and environmental goals. The prize was launched in 2012 and since then there have been countless great examples of climate work in the City – everything from the practical climate work of schools, preschools and other operations to the long-term strategies of whole administrations and enterprises.