EUROPE - Exhibition and conference centre, Amsterdam RAI has joined “an elite group” of sustainable global convention centres and tourism operators by achieving the EarthCheck Gold certification.
Amsterdam RAI has become the first exhibition and congress centre in Europe to achieve the prestigious Gold status from EarthCheck, the sustainable benchmark in the business tourism sector.
“Attaining EarthCheck Gold certification is not an easy task,” said CEO of EC3 Global and EarthCheck Stewart Moore.
“It requires commitment from the entire personnel to achieve better results in terms of sustainability each year. The challenge is to continually prove the integrity of an organisation's operational practices and then be willing to have everything checked and measured by an independent third party."
With eleven of the assessed EarthCheck indicators at or above the qualifying level, Amsterdam RAI has demonstrated an exemplary performance and a continuous improvement in sustainability, according to EarthCheck.
The firm also said that Amsterdam RAI scored above ‘Best Practice’ level on waste separation and waste recycling. This makes the RAI the second exhibition and congress centre in the world of sustainable business tourism operators to have been certified Gold by EarthCheck. The Gold Coast Convention Centre in Queensland, Australia, was the first to achieve Gold status earlier in 2013.
“It is fantastic to be awarded EarthCheck Gold status,” said Amsterdam RAI CEO Hans Bakker. “We are only the second congress centre in the world to meet the stringent requirements of EarthCheck for five consecutive years. And that is something to be proud of. The many initiatives within the RAI and, in particular, the dedication of our employees to achieving sustainable results strengthens our belief that we will continue to play a defining role in the exhibition and congress industry in the coming years.”
Earlier this month, the RAI announced the venue is set to own the largest solar roof in the Netherlands when 1,632 solar panels are installed on the roof of Hall 8.
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