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GOOD PRACTICES OF SUPPLIERS
Bilbao Dendak has a pilot project underway in collaboration with Elika Fundazioa to reduce food waste
06/07/2023
Nine retail and catering companies in Bilbao, members of Bilbao Dendak, are participating in a pilot project for the reduction and management of food surpluses. The project is an initiative in collaboration with the Elika Food Security Foundation, backed by the Basque Government and forms part of the Basque Strategy against Food Waste Basque Green Deal – Euskadiko Itun Berdea. Other partners of the Bilbao Convention Bureau, such as Oreka Circular Economy, which acts as a facilitator of the process, and Iruña Catering and Yandiola restaurant are participating to reduce and improve the management of surpluses in their respective businesses.
The project methodology involves a first phase of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the waste generated, through the monitoring, characterisation and analysis of causes in the different sub-sectors: catering, confectionery, bakery, greengrocery and delicatessen.
In a second phase, the feasibility and design of the surplus donation project and its potential impact will be studied and then validated, creating a personalised waste reduction and surplus management plan. It will serve as a model for other similar companies in anticipation of the passing of the Food Loss and Waste Prevention Act, which is expected to come into force in 2023, obliging all food companies to have a Food Surplus Management Plan.
BEC has organised and environmental volunteering excursion to clean up waste fromt the river Castaños in Barakaldo
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.
Bilbao Exhibition Centre, in collaboration with Repsol has extended its electric vehicle recharging network
29/06/2023
Bilbao Exhibition Centre, in collaboration with Repsol, has extended its network of electric vehicle charging points with the installation of 24 new spaces, in addition to the 3 that were already in operation at Entrance C to the Basque venue’s car park. The new charging points located on level -1 of the north and south transepts of Hall 4 have different types of chargers to meet the needs of electric vehicles with different capacities and requirements.
The new facilities include: 6 three-phase dual wall chargers with their respective hoses, providing 11 kW power at each point; 4 single-phase dual wall chargers with their respective hoses, providing 7.4 kW power at each point; and 2 single-phase dual wall chargers with 2 conventional 7.4 kW
Bizkaia Arena will offer reusable beakers at its concerts
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.
Bilbao BBK Live and BBK join forces for environmental sustainability, launching two new initiatives
23/06/2023
BBK and Bilbao BBK Live have teamed up to raise awareness of sustainability at this year’s festival through two new initiatives: the new mountain walk to Kobetamendi and a creation by the renowned Portuguese artist, Bordalo II.
The initiative arises from the commitment of both entities to promote actions that in favour of environmental sustainability. On the one hand, BBK works to promote environmental protection and a more sustainable model of society through the development of nature conservation and environmental awareness projects. Bilbao BBK Live is a benchmark in terms of sustainability, recognised by the Erronka Garbia seal and recently, the festival’s promoter has become a member of the BCorp community, which recognises companies for their compliance with high standards in terms of social and environmental performance, transparency and corporate responsibility and which are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy that is transforming the global economy to benefit all people and the planet. The festival is firmly committed to the 2030 Agenda and the search for solutions to reduce the environmental impact.
The extension of the BEC solar power plant is alredy in operation and supplies 18% of its consumption
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.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao joins the Gallery Climate Coalition – GCC
10/05/2023
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.
BilbaoDendak launches a home delivery service based on sustainability and social inclusion
03/05/2023
The BilbaoDendak association has launched a home delivery service for local commerce in Bilbao based on sustainability and social inclusion (SDGs 7, 10 and 13), in collaboration with two local startups, the delivery platform Adresles and the The Good Riders special employment centre.
The system makes it possible to make purchases by phone at participating shops, allowing you to choose the exact date and time you wish to receive your order. Delivery is made by electric bike or motorbike by The Good Riders, a local logistics company dedicated to social inclusion that employs people with disabilities.
BEC, Oreka Circular Economy and Iruña Catering join forces to reduce and manage food surplus at the I4C international conference
24/04/2023
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.
Bilbao BBK Live becomes the world´s leading ‘B Corp Festival’
09/03/2023
Bilbao BBK Live becomes the world’s leading music festival to join the B Corp community, alongside Cala Mijas and Azkena Rock Festival, also organised by the Last Tour promoter and social activator. B Corp is a global movement that evaluates and confirms the efforts that an entity such as Bilbao BBK Live makes to generate a positive social impact for society, the people linked to it and the environment, as well as to continuously revisit its purpose of social transformation.
This recognition is the culmination of a rigorous two-year analysis and evaluation process that is only passed by 4% of the companies that are evaluated. Some of the keys to becoming part of the B Corp community are the actions carried out by Bilbao BBK Live to reduce its environmental impact through a strict system of waste reduction and recycling by means of waste separation, energy efficiency measures, free drinking water at the venue or services related to a chemical-free network, among others. The promotion of sustainable mobility, prevention and awareness programmes against sexist attacks and in favour of gender equality, as well as the programming of free concerts have also been valued. Its contribution to the community and the significant economic impact on the city of Bilbao have been key to becoming part of the B Corp community, highlighting the employment of local teams, donations for the reforestation of forests and aid for disadvantaged groups through the Bizkaia Food Bank, Zierbena Sarea, Ongi Etorri Errefuxiatuak, Ukraine Euskadi and Zaporeak, as well as the initiative to support live music professionals during the pandemic.
BEC to expand its solar power plant, achieving a self-supply capacity of 10-12%
28/10/2022
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).
BEC begins accreditation of its events in sustainability with the Erronka Garbia seal of approval
06/10/2022
True to its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, the Bilbao Exhibition Centre has begun to certify its events with Erronka Garbia certification, awarded by the Basque Government’s Public Company for Environmental Management (Ihobe). The first to achieve this were the annual trade fairs Expovacaciones and Egurtek, which underwent exhaustive certification in six key areas: mobility, energy, water, procurement, infrastructure and waste, measuring their contribution to SDGs 6, 7, 12 and 14.
Vincci Consulado de Bilbao gets Ecostars certification for its commitment to the environment
28/09/2022
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.
Ocean Health, a new area dedicated to marine sustainability at Itsasmuseum
06/06/2022
As part of the process to continuously improve its permanent exhibition, Itsasmuseum, together with AZTI , has unveiled “Ocean Health”, a new permanent area dedicated to raising awareness about the environment and marine sustainability. The museum wants to use it to contribute to achieving SDG 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources) by contributing to highlighting the increasing degradation of these ecosystems due to the irresponsibility of human beings.
KSpain Travel and Leisure publish the new Sustainability Policy
04/05/2022
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/
WindEurope closes 2022 edition at BEC
08/04/2022
The WindEurope 2022 edition was successfully held at the BEC on 5, 6 and 7 April.
More than 9200 professionals from the wind power sector from 78 different countries attended the event. Moreover, according to the organisers, over half of the participants came from abroad, clearly indicating the importance of this event at European level.
More than 300 talks were given over the 3 days and visitors were able to visit 330 stands. The event is estimated to have had a total impact of 19 million on the GDP.
https://www.europapress.es/euskadi/noticia-windeurope-cierra-edicion-2022-bec-9200-profesionales-78-paises-impacto-19-millones-pib-20220408143807.html
Millenium opens Radisson Collection hotel Gran Vía Bilbao
22/03/2022
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
Initiative to improve waste collection from the NON DOMESTIC sector
17/01/2022
As part of the different waste collection and recycling initiatives, Bilbao City Council is firmly committed to improving the waste collection strategy. As a result it is setting up a new initiative for waste collection.
Moreover, the objective is also to promote and raise awareness about the recycling of organic waste for its subsequent composting.
Focussing on major producers such as hotels or restaurants, and in collaboration with the Convention Bureau, following consultation with the participants, it aims to introduce a selective organic waste collection system, as well as for residual waste and packaging.
For this, it has installed new bins equipped with innovative technology (opening controlled by card or with volume control) in the different hotels and purchased new lorries able to weigh the load.
In addition to increasing the percentage of recycled waste, this will permit continuous communication with the hotels, as they will receive weekly data reports.
Meliá, the most sustainable hotel chain in Europe, according to S&P Global
04/12/2021
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/
Euskalduna Palace Bilbao is the first conference centre and concert hall in Spain to ratify the healthy organisation management certificate
22/11/2021
Euskalduna Palace has managed to ratify the Healthy Business certificate obtained in 2019. Thanks to the Healthy Business Management System introduced in recent years which serves to promote and protect the health, safety, and welfare of employees and the sustainability of the working environment, it has become the first Conference Centre to ratify the certificate.
The certificate aims to promote the welfare, protection and comfort of the workers and their stability at work, with the objective of making progress and improving people management.
https://www.euskalduna.eus/en/noticia/euskalduna-bilbao-primer-palacio-de-congresos-y-auditorio-de-musica-del-estado-en-ratificar-el-certificado-de-gestion-de-organizacion-saludable
Transfer of knowledge, networking and sustainable leadership, the main players at Steel Tech, held at the BEC
21/10/2021
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/
Azkuna Zentroa nominated for the New European Bauhaus Award of the European Union
17/06/2021
The European Commission has selected Azkuna Zentroa as one of the nominees for the New European Bauhaus Prize. The aim of the prize is to give “visibility to examples and concepts that illustrate the beautiful, sustainable and inclusive places in our territories, our communities and our practices and to prepare the way for the future”.
Azkuna Zentroa has entered the competition under the eighth category (Mobilisation of culture, arts and communities, as an example of the impact of art on the sustainable construction of communities) thanks to the project “Prototipoak. International Biennial of New Artistic Forms”.
https://www.azkunazentroa.eus/es/prensa/azkuna-zentroa-alhondiga-bilbao-opta-al-premio-new-european-bauhaus-de-la-union-europea/
San Mamés, first stadium to join the Hostelería #PorElClima initiative
05/06/2021
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
Bilbao’s Azkuna Zentroa certified for universal accessibility
12/03/2021
Azkuna Zentroa- Alhóndiga Bilbao, Society and Contemporary Culture Centre of Bilbao City Council, has obtained the universal accessibility certificate awarded by AENOR, the UNE 170001 standard.
This certificate confirms the management system for universal accessibility for everyone, evidence of the efforts made by Azkuna Zentroa to ensure that everyone feels comfortable in the installations and is able to enjoy a complete and satisfactory experience.
When making any change or renovation, the criteria of this standard were considered. In addition, the use of audio guides was promoted for listening to certain exhibitions or guided tours where the different senses such as touch, sight and hearing come into play.
https://www.en.aenor.com/conocenos/sala-de-informacion-aenor/noticias/azkuna-zentroa-de-bilbao-certificado-en-accesibilidad-universal
Renovation of the Hotel Ercilla
07/03/2021
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
At the Hotel Gran Bilbao we open the doors to sustainability and recycling
13/02/2021
The Hotel Gran Bilbao is firmly committed to sustainability and following an audit has detected the areas in which it plans to take action to minimise the hotel’s environmental footprint. The measures adopted include the absolute priority given to materials coming from recycled processes, the elimination of a large part of the single-use plastics used at breakfast and the disappearance of plastic water bottles.
https://www.hotelgranbilbao.com/es/2020/02/13/en-el-hotel-gran-bilbao-abrimos-las-puertas-a-la-sostenibilidad-y-el-reciclaje/
LEED Certificate for San Mamés Barria stadium
08/06/2021
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#
Euskalduna Palace obtains the LEED-EBOM sustainability certificate
09/10/2013
Bilbao’s prestigious conference centre, Euskalduna Jauregia Palace Bilbao, has been awarded the LEED-EBOM certificate. This certificate recognised the options offered by the Palace in terms of sustainable building and resource management, and which are always environmentally friendly. LEED-EBOM is one of the most important building certificates in terms of sustainability in existence.
This is the first conference centre to obtain the certificate and the indicators assessed include energy savings, water consumption efficiency, the reduction of CO2 emissions, the improvement of interior environmental quality and comfort, efficient waste and resource management and awareness policies.
https://www.construction21.org/espana/articles/h/el-palacio-euskalduna-obtiene-el-certificado-leed-ebom-de-sostenibilidad-es-el-primer-centro-de-congresos-de-europa-que-la-consigue.html
