ECOSYSTEM

28/06/2024

Solidarity is one of the aspects in which BEC firmly believes, and for this reason, through the Bilbao Convention Bureau, part of the furniture has been donated to the Basque Red Cross. This action not only allows BEC to support a social cause but also to contribute to sustainability by giving the furniture a second life. The Red Cross has been a fundamental pillar in supporting those most in need, and the BEC team is proud to be able to contribute to its mission. The furniture will be used for the Pausoka project for the elderly. The rest of the material will be used in the shelter set up through Trapezistak, at premises in Bilbao where assessments are carried out and help is given to families in vulnerable situations, as well as for the Harrera project and the Red Cross facilities that host the employment program.

Open Day with the Bakuva Association

Along the same lines, BEC opened its doors to Bakuva, a non-profit organization that has been facilitating the social integration of children, adolescents, and young people in the Bilbao La Vieja neighborhood since 2007, with the aim of getting to know all the ins and outs of the venue and the different events that are held and organized there.

20/06/2024

BIEMH, the International Machine Tool Show, has been awarded the Erronka Garbia seal, which accredits it as a sustainable and environmentally friendly event. The certification, awarded by Ihobe Publicly Owned Environmental Management Company of the Basque Government, thus rewards the efforts made by the organizing team of one of Bilbao Exhibition Centre’s most important events.

The audit was carried out during the 32nd edition of the industry event, held from 3 to 7 June, which attracted 1,604 exhibiting firms from 29 countries and 37,614 visitors from 67 countries, generating an impact of more than 66 million euros. These figures underline the value and complexity of certification.

To achieve this, the leading trade fair for advanced manufacturing has implemented an impact reduction plan with six areas of action: mobility, energy, water, procurement, infrastructure, and waste. Some of the measures implemented are the adjustment of light intensity and temperature to the different time phases, the reduction of energy use in the stands, the minimization of waste and its selective collection, the use of sustainable elements in signage, and the development of awareness campaigns through communications, social networks, and the website, on these and other issues with an impact on the environment, such as the use of public transport by attendees.

29/05/2024

The Basque Circular Summit, the largest circular economy event in Southern Europe, will be held again in 2025. The event will take place on 2, 3, and 4 April 2025 at the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao, and will bring together professionals and specialists from the industrial and environmental fields across the continent to analyse the implications of transitioning to a circular model within the European Union.

Organised by the Basque Government’s Public Company for Environmental Management, Ihobe, the event aims to explore the challenges and opportunities that the circular economy offers to companies and the broader socio-economic fabric of the Basque Country, while showcasing the progress already made as an inspiring example for future actions. It will also provide a platform for attendees to discuss business opportunities and ways to improve competitiveness within this emerging economic model.

25/03/2024

The first web tool is now available to calculate the carbon footprint, environmental footprint, and a series of circular economy indicators from an organisation approach, along with the simplified life cycle assessment and carbon footprint from a product and services approach; while all using the same baseline information. It has been created by Ihobe, the environmental management agency of the Basque Government.    

The tool draws on the expertise on the integrated calculation of organisation and product metrics generated by Ihobe over the last 10 years, thanks to the work of the Basque Ecodesign Center, the most important ecodesign and circular economy public-private partnership in Spain.

28/02/2024

12/02/2024

The non-profit association, Goazenup has organised, in collaboration with Itsasmuseum, a campaign for the collection of plastic waste along the Bilbao estuary on Sunday 18 February, and are joined by Euskalduna Palace, as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations.

This is an all-encompassing day of awareness and action, open to everyone. It will take place on land, with several teams scouring the banks of the estuary, and on the water, where teams will work from on board SUPs and kayaks, supported by a number of motorised vessels, in order to reach every last corner.

The principal objective of this event is to demonstrate the awareness and involvement of society in the environmental conservation of their environment, while also cautioning about the harm caused by the use of single-use plastics.

Participants will meet at 10:30 at Itsasmuseum Bilbao, where they will receive a briefing and be assigned to areas of action according to their characteristics. Gloves, overalls and rubbish bags will be provided. Each group will be accompanied by members of the organisation who will give instructions and help at all times.

There are three main routes: the first leaves towards La Ribera Market, the second heads to Zorroza point along the Deusto canal, and the last route goes towards Murueta shipyards via Olabeaga.

The initiative is open to everyone: families, groups, groups of friends, individuals who come alone, young people, the elderly, sports clubs and associations, people experiencing disabilities… everyone is welcome!

Please register first at goazenup@gmail.com in order to optimise the coordination and subsequent festivities.

Festivities

Teams will be back at the museum by 13:30h. To celebrate the end of the collection campaign, volunteers are invited to a hamaiketako in Nave 9 – the Itsasmuseum café – and will be given two tickets to visit the museum in 2024. 

The finishing touch to the day will be a concert given by the rock and blues band Barriomania, at 13:30h.

A second life for plastic

In line with the principles of the circular economy, after being sorted, the plastic waste collected will be given a second life, as it is transformed into a street bench which will be on display in The Health of the Oceans, the museum exhibition space dedicated to the protection of the marine environment.

08/02/2024

18/01/2024

23/10/2023

Ihobe, the Public Environmental Management Company attached to the Department for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment of the Basque Government, today presented the “Erronka Garbia” methodology for the organisation of sustainable events as part of the annual Turespaña convention held in Donostia-San Sebastián between 23 and 25 October.

“Erronka Garbia” is a procedure developed by Ihobe that allows the negative impacts on the environment associated with the holding of events to be minimised. The application of this methodology and its subsequent recognition with the “Erronka Garbia-Sustainable Event” certificate seeks to raise awareness among the attendees at the event and the organisers about the need to mitigate the negative impacts associated with hosting multitudinous events.

20/10/2023

01/08/2023

Our partner, Hotel Gran Bilbao, committed to looking after the the environment and people and has gone one step further by transforming its old bedspreads and sheets into new aprons for its staff. An initiative that reuses textile waste, avoiding the waste of 44,000 litres of water and the emission of 110 kg of CO₂eq.

It is the first hotel in the Basque Country to collaborate with the circular economy startup Deleite Wear, which, using a method before recycling, upcycling or suprarecycling, does not process or produce new fabric but rather sanitises and eliminates the deteriorated areas of existing fabric. It gives it a second life by making uniforms and work clothes in perfect condition.

As for the already worn-out waste, Deleite Wear has a pilot recycling project underway to avoid using new resources as far as, as they stand for over half of the pollution generated by the textile sector. This startup also works from a social dimension, as all products are made in social insertion workshops in Spain.

06/07/2023

26/06/2023

This week, the Bilbao Exhibition Centre has organised an environmental volunteering excursion with an educational itinerary for its entire workforce. While the team from the Basque site has participated in the cleaning of waste in an urban section of the River Castaños in Barakaldo, it has also had the opportunity to learn about the river’s ecosystem and its need for protection, as well as the Recovery Plans for the Castaños-Galindo area. Awareness-raising is a key aspect for working on sustainability both internally and externally, as far as the Bilbao Exhibition Centre is concerned.

The excursion took place on the banks between the Hierros Barakaldo and Montero factories, where a total of two sacks of waste were collected. This excursion has been described by all the participants as an opportunity to get actively involved in the conservation of the area’s natural heritage. The route ended at Tellaetxe Park, where the BEC staff were able to learn more about the Recovery Plan, a long-term initiative aimed at restoring and protecting the natural beauty of the river and its surroundings. By renaturalising the riverbed and promoting reforestation, the aim is to improve water quality, preserve biodiversity and create a healthy environment for local flora and fauna. This commitment has gained momentum and recently the City Council has obtained a €2 million grant from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge’s Biodiversity Foundation.

Along the same lines of commitment, the Bilbao Exhibition Centre organised a training and awareness-raising session on sustainable events for its entire workforce last June. The talk was given by Grunver Sostenibilidad, in charge of providing technical assistance for the management of the Erronka Garbia certificate run by Ihobe, the Basque Government’s Public Environmental Management Company. Grunver has handled the certification of more than 300 events, including events such as Expovacaciones and Egurtek, organised by BEC. Steel Tech, Congress & Expo, which will be held next October, is in the process of obtaining it. The session shared knowledge on the definition, impact and benefits of making events more environmentally friendly, along with the success story of Expovacaciones 2022 as a responsible trade fair with a positive impact.

29/06/2023

26/06/2023

Bizkaia Arena will offer reusable beakers with images of the most emblematic places in Bizkaia for its upcoming shows. The aim of this action is to generate more sustainable and responsible consumption, as a result of the Bilbao Exhibition Centre’s commitment to the SDG Agenda for 2030.

After carrying out a pilot test at the Sabina concerts held on Friday and Sunday, distributing beakers with images of Gaztelugatxe and the Santa Katalina lighthouse, Bizkaia Arena plans to distribute up to 10 different beakers. Drinks will be served in a reusable beaker for a €1 deposit. As the material is resistant, it can be used as many times as you want, and at the end of the event you have the option to return the beaker and get a refund for the amount deposited.

The Iruña Group (approved supplier to the entire BEC hotel and catering industry), through Basorlegi, is coordinating the initiative, which has the support of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia with the #visitbiscay campaign, promoting the tourist resources of Bizkaia in a collection of 10 designs that will be unveiled in the upcoming concerts.

Bilbao Exhibition Centre upholds its commitment to sustainability with a specific committee in charge of aligning its internal and external activities. Furthermore, the team responsible for the venue has joined the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative supported by UFI-Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, along with another 150 entities. Along the same lines, BEC is also involved in “Bilbao Arima Berdea”, a sustainability plan for the MICE sector. Its main objective is to collaboratively move forward in building sustainable strategies, action plans and practices in its organisations.

23/06/2023

19/06/2023

The expansion of the solar photovoltaic plant at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre has been completed and is operational. After being hoisted to the roof and their installation, the systems have now been adapted for connection to the internal network. The new solar plant will be entirely dedicated to self-consumption in order to supply BEC’s own energy needs. This new structure is the largest rooftop photovoltaic installation in Bizkaia and joins the one already installed in 2004, which will continue to feed energy into the general grid.

A total of 1,800 solar panels have been installed with the aim of generating electricity with a nominal output of 990 kW. Photovoltaic generators, devices that provide clean, renewable electricity, have been placed on 10-degree sloping structures on the roof of Hall 6. Operational since the end of April, the plant has produced 217,523 kWh in almost two months of operation on a self-consumption basis without selling surpluses to the grid. This production represents around 18% of the energy consumed by BEC in the same period.

Starting today, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is an “Active Member” of the GCC, an international community of arts organizations working to reduce the environmental impacts of the museum sector. The GCC’s main goals are to facilitate a 50% reduction of C02 emissions by 2030 and to promote zero waste. With this membership, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has become the first museum in Spain to be part of this coalition, which includes museums on the cutting edge of environmental matters, like MoMA or Tate.

The GCC distinguishes institutions that meet a series of requirements related to environmental sustainability as its “Active Members,” and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao meets all three conditions: it measured its carbon footprint in 2021 and 2022; it created the Gu-Zero working group in 2021 made up of staff members from different areas to inform the Museum personnel, suppliers, and society, raise their awareness, and get them involved; and in 2021 it published its Environmental Sustainability Strategic Framework allied with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is thus advancing with its continuous commitment to environmental sustainability. In 2023, sustainability is a transversal theme in its operations with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030.

Local start-up Oreka Circular Economy, which is dedicated to reducing and combating food waste, will be collaborating with Iruña Catering and Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC) at the end of May as part of the World Bank Group´s Innovate4Climate (I4C) international conference, which will be hosted by BEC between May 23 and 25.

Every day, officials from both local companies will meet to quantify, deliver and donate the surplus from the conference, which has attracted 1,000 delegates from around the globe. As usual, the process will be carried out in such a way as to make sure that the temperature and food safety conditions are maintained at all times until it is delivered to the Conde Aresti residence in Bilbao. The traceability and measurement of economic, social and environmental impact through Oreka Circular Economy technology will ensure that the process continues to improve.

This collaboration is aligned with SDGs 2, 10 and 13. In addition to this, at the I4C buffet, Iruña Catering has employed workers from Peñascal Kooperatiba, a non-profit organisation from Bilbao committed to training disadvantaged groups and integrating them into society and the workplace.

09/03/2023

Bilbao Exhibition Centre has announced that it is in the process of expanding its solar photovoltaic plant, which is already one of the main wind farms in the Basque Country. The installation of 1,850 550 kW solar panels, which is currently underway, will make it possible to generate a power capacity of one megawatt. This improvement will allow the site to generate 10-12% of its own energy by March 2023, a significant step towards SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy).

The Vincci hotel chain has announced that 11 of its 38 hotels, including the Consulado de Bilbao have been awarded Ecostars certification for their commitment to sustainability (SDGs 7, 9 and 13). This globally recognised certification is aimed at hotel businesses, which are assessed on multiple markers such as energy efficiency, water consumption, CO2 emissions, waste management, use of renewable energy, sustainable food and social ethics.

The receptive tour operator, KSpain Travel and Leisure, reasserted their commitment to sustainability after updating their Sustainability Policy with two documents: Commitment and Roadmap.

Here they define their mission and vision, revealing strong commitment to the environment. At the same time, the tour operator falls into line with certain SDG and defines the measures it will take in line with these objectives.

For further information about KSpain’s Sustainability Policy, please do not hesitate to consult the Commitment and Roadmap documents at the following link:

https://www.kspaintravelandleisure.com/sobre-nosotras/ 

The Millenium chain is opening a new hotel on the Bilbao Gran Vía, the new Radisson Collection Gran Vía.

A five-star hotel with 137 luxury rooms, a restaurant headed by the renowned chef Eneko Atxa, a gym and a full spa.

In addition, the hotel has been awarded the LEED Platinum rating, a certificate which assesses quality and sustainability standards.

https://www.hosteltur.com/150667_millenium-abre-el-radisson-gran-via-bilbao-su-segundo-hotel-en-la-ciudad.html

Meliá Hotels International is ranked second in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), an index which rates the sustainability performance in more than 10,000 companies from various sectors. It considers the social, economic and governance areas. Thus, the hotel chain confirms its leadership with respect to sustainability in the sector. Although ranked in second place, the hotel obtained more points than any other business in the area of Climate Change Strategy.

This recognition has been obtained thanks to the roadmap designed to eliminate single-use plastics, the reduction in food waste or their work on energy savings.

https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2021-12-04/melia-hotels-international-sostenibilidad-bra_3334500/

Over the last two days (19 to 21 October), Bilbao Exhibition Centre has hosted the first edition of Steel Tech, Congress & Expo, an event organised in collaboration with the Cluster Association of Steelworks, Siderex.

The event achieved the transfer of knowledge, networking and sustainable leadership among the participants, and aims to become the meeting point of reference in southern Europe for the steel sector.

This year there were a total of 576 participants, but the organisation hopes to exceed this figure in the second edition to be held at the BEC from 24 to 26 October 2023.

https://bilbaoexhibitioncentre.com/en/knowledge-transfer-networking-and-sustainable-leadership-the-main-attractions-at-steel-tech/

San Mames has become the first stadium to form part of the #PorElClima Community, an initiative which aims to encourage people, businesses, organisations and public administrations to be consistent and carry out measures established in the Paris Agreement to reduce Climate Change.

The central ring of the stadium, San Mames BAT is committed to reducing its water consumption, consuming more responsibly and improving waste management, thus significantly reducing their negative impact.

https://www.athletic-club.eus/noticias/2021/06/05/san-mames-primer-estadio-en-sumarse-a-la-iniciativa-hosteleria-porelclima

Major renovation work has been underway over the last few months at a hotel in central Bilbao, the Hotel Ercilla.

The renovation work took sustainability, a topic in everyone’s mouth nowadays, into account: it was decided to restore a significant number of items of furniture found in the hotel and, in this way, give the objects a second life.

https://www.elmundo.es/viajes/hoteles/2021/03/07/603ccda6fc6c83131b8b456e.html

San Mames has become the first European football field to receive the LEED certificate. The certificate in question, awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) measure the degree of sustainability of buildings.

It considers indicators such as water and energy consumption, the installation of renewable energy sources and the environmental impact of the materials used for the construction.

The prize has been awarded in part due to the energy saving capacity obtained by San Mames. Compared to other buildings of a similar size and activity, it has managed to significantly reduce the emission of pollutants and it has used environmentally-friendly materials.

https://re-magazine.saunierduval.es/2017-08-10/la-uefa-mas-sostenible#