People in search of relaxation are spoilt for choice with Berlin’s numerous parks. A total of 2,500 public green areas are the perfect setting for relaxation, sport and entertainment. Spacious parks and exotic gardens with artistic landscaping shape the face of the city, as do the 425,000 trees that line Berlin’s streets. More than 32 percent of the city area is covered with green areas or forest.
The green image of the city continues in the field of climate protection. The energy refurbishment of residential buildings and the installation of about 7,900 solar energy units have led to a drop in carbon dioxide emissions of several million tonnes. The Berlin Senate has set itself the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2020 compared with 1990; an Alliance for Climate Protection was signed in October 2008 to support these efforts, under which 13 large Berlin companies have undertaken to implement further climate protection projects.
Following the introduction of a low-emission zone, only vehicles that meet specific exhaust gas requirements may now drive into downtown Berlin. This reduces the levels of fine dust and nitrogen dioxide. Support programmes to encourage the use of public transport and the extension of cycle paths serve the same purpose.
A sustainable stage
The growth in environmentally aware practices is a global trend, including within the travel industry. This positive development also increases demand for environmentally friendly venues and accommodation. Conventions, meetings and incentive trips have an impact on the environment. Participants frequently travel large distances and use transfers between their accommodation and the venue. This inevitably causes CO2 emissions and consumes vast amounts of paper, water and electricity at hotels and event venues.
Various Berlin providers are aware of these problems and are increasingly offering eco-friendly services, such as switching to recycled paper, eco-electricity and energy saving lamps. The Berlin Convention Office has created a unique website to support their initiatives: Berlin Green Meetings. This site offers a database of the many providers which have implemented ecologically sustainable practices and undertaken to use natural resources responsibly. Users are not only given a detailed overview of the various service providers, but are also furnished with interesting facts about green Berlin; with this move the city of Berlin takes the lead on the global stage.
Since January 2008 Berlin has also boasted the first climate-neutral venue. The Tempodrom, in a central location near Potsdamer Platz, is operated according to a unique holistic ecological concept. The guiding principle is energy efficiency – greenhouse and CO2 emissions are to be avoided from the very outset. From the first days of design and construction of the building, attention focused on the responsible handling of natural resources. The Tempodrom now has a solar and photovoltaic energy system as well as a geothermal heat exchanger, and runs on eco-electricity. Unavoidable emissions are converted and donated to other environmental protection projects.
Environmental events
With 1,500 events every day Berlin has the largest cultural offering in Europe, including a whole series of events dedicated to the environment. The eleventh annual Berlin Energy Days, for example, drew around 6,000 people to the Ludwig Erhard Haus from May 10-12. Hundreds of thousands of Berliners and visitors to the city are expected to flock to this year’s Environment Festival at the Brandenburg Gate. This year for the first time it will be spread over two days, June 5-6. Approximately 200 exhibitors from across Germany will present their products encompassing the entire spectrum of environmental protection and nature conservation on Europe’s biggest ecological theme mile. Die Grune Liga, the organiser of this event, also stages the Advent Ecomarket every year on Kollwitzplatz.
On June 6 the ADFC, the largest bicycle organisation in Europe, will invite sports enthusiasts to switch from their cars to their bicycles for a colossal bike rally. This tour is now a fixture in the capital’s event calendar and is regularly staged in the spring. On 18 routes – starting from outlying towns like Oranienburg, Strausberg and Erkner – cyclists will converge on the Großer Stern in the centre of downtown Berlin.
In Berlin there are more and more fashion labels which produce clothing exclusively from organic materials. Numerous green fashion labels will exhibit their collections from July 7-10 at the ‘thekey.to’ trade fair.
Clean Tech World showcases the latest environmental technologies in a historical setting. The international exhibition and conference will be staged for the first time this year on the site of the old Tempelhof Airport. From September 15-19 around 300 exhibitors will present their innovative products and technologies. The highlight is the presentation of the Clean Tech Media Award 2010 on September 16.
Berlin Convention Office, Am Karlsbad 11, 10785 Berlin; tel +49 30 26 39 183; fax +49 30 26 47 48 965; berlin-convention-office@b-c-o.com; www.berlin-convention-office.com
