Madrid – helping events achieve their sustainability and legacy goals

A WEALTH OF GREEN SPACES

Madrid’s trees are one of the city’s greatest assets. Recently named again Tree City of the World, a distinction awarded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Arbor Day Foundation, which promotes good practices and acts to raise awareness of the importance of trees and their care, more than half of its streets are tree-lined. With nearly 300,000 trees helping to improve the capital’s air quality, Madrid is home to the world’s second-leafiest streets.

A RICH NATURAL HERITAGE

With more than 200 parks, gardens and natural spaces covering almost 6,400 hectares, Madrid offers countless outdoor settings to enjoy. One standout is El Retiro Park, an historical treasure and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of the capital. Another is Madrid Río Park, which stretches for ten kms along the banks of the River Manzanares, the ideal place for group activities and admiring the area’s ecological restoration, which has led to the return of numerous species. Casa de Campo Park is also very close by. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), it offers more than 1,500 hectares for leisure, sports and outdoor events.

Madrid is also developing new green spaces such as the Metropolitan Forest - a planned 75-km green belt around the city featuring vast open areas.

PLUS PLATFORM

Madrid Convention Bureau (MCB) has developed the MICE Sustainability Guide and digital platform PLUS to assist event organisers to effectively manage the social and environmental sustainability of their events in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

The tool was recently upgraded and enables the creation of specific sustainability reports for every meeting organised in the city, including recommendations that can be implemented at the planning stage to minimise environmental and social impact. After the event comes to a close, the platform can also be used to calculate its carbon footprint.

A major enhancement is that the platform can now classify emissions by scope (Scope 1: direct emissions; Scope 2: indirect emissions; and Scope 3: supply chain emissions).

MEETINGS WITH A MISSION

Another of MCB’s objectives is to support international associations that want to ensure their conferences and events help bring about positive change in the city. There is a growing conviction in the sector that event organisation should be underpinned by respect for the destination, and associations are increasingly bringing their missions and visions into line with the aims of the places where they hold their meetings. MCB is a key point of liaison, working to ensure that meetings held in Madrid leave a positive legacy in the city.

The PLUS platform provides organisers with a catalogue of social organisations in the city to work with to ensure a positive impact.