BIEMH IS ACCREDITED AS A SUSTAINABLE EVENT WITH THE AWARD OF THE ERRONKA GARBIA SEAL

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 organising 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 minimisation of waste and its selective collection, the use of sustainable elements in signage and the development of awareness campaigns, through communications, social networks and website, on these and other issues with an impact on the environment, such as the use of public transport by attendees.

Bilbao Exhibition Centre begun certifying its events with the Erronka Garbia seal in 2022, in line with its commitment to sustainability and using the SDG 2030-Sustainable Development Goals agenda as a roadmap. Thus, aware of the importance of sustainability in today’s world, BEC has implemented various initiatives in the field of renewable energies that demonstrate its firm intention to reduce its environmental footprint and promote responsible practices throughout its value chain.

These actions include the expansion of its solar photovoltaic plant, which is entirely dedicated to the energy supply of the site and supplies 18% of the energy needed, the expansion of its network of charging points for electric vehicles and the use of renewable energies in its daily activity. In this respect, it is worth noting that 53% of the energy consumed at BEC today comes from renewable sources.

The inclusion of the BIEMH as an Erronka Garbia-certified event joins the accreditations previously awarded to events such as Steel Tech, Gustoko, Egurtek and Expovacaciones, all of which are organised by Bilbao Exhibition Centre.

Department of Communication, 20 June 2024