Sustainability at events and meetings

In your sustainability work, you need, in addition to adhering to your own sustainability policy, also to follow laws and regulations, the city's guidelines, and any rights holders' sustainability policies.

• Appoint those responsible for sustainability work who will follow the event from planning to evaluation. For larger events, it may be worthwhile to seek help from an external consultant.
• Anchor the sustainability work at the management level. It is important that relevant key stakeholders understand the event's sustainability profile.
• Develop goals and strategies for sustainability work, and consider sustainability certification or another form of third-party evaluation.
• Plan for as low resource consumption and climate impact as possible. There are tools on the market that can help you get an overall picture of the event's climate impact.
• Educate all staff on the event's sustainability policy, both internal and external staff, including volunteers.
• Consider diversity and gender equality in the organization and implementation of the event.
• Investigate which legal requirements are applicable to your event.
• Apply for the permits required for the event from the Police and the City of Stockholm.

Permits and rules for events (In Swedish)

Sustainable organization, Verksamts website (In Swedish)

Measure the event's climate impact, Event & Climate website (In Swedish)

Equality Authority's website (In Swedish)

Choose a local venue or facility with an established sustainability effort and that meets the requirements to carry out a safe and secure event. 

• Choose a venue that is easy to reach via sustainable travel options, such as public transport and cycling, as transportation accounts for a large part of the climate impact.
• Take safety and accessibility into account.
• Consider the working environment, both for your own and the facility’s staff.
• Ensure that the rental cost is reasonable based on your event budget.
• For outdoor events, choose a location with the possibility of temporary electricity and temporary water connections.
• Choose a venue that suits your event and takes into account local ecosystems such as soil and water, as well as nearby residents in terms of noise and traffic disturbances.

Find a venue or space

Practical conditions for events and meetings

Here you who run a music business can find information about your responsibility regarding noise disturbances.

Noise from music businesses (In Swedish)

An event often uses large amounts of textiles, such as work clothes for staff, banners and other promotional materials. Much of the material is only used for a few days even though it lasts for several years. Did you know that the climate impact can be almost halved if a garment is used twice as long?

The City of Stockholm has goals to increase the reuse of textiles and also the proportion of organically certified and sustainability-labelled textile products. As an organiser, you can contribute in many different ways.

• Reuse work clothes, banners and decorations between events. Choose neutral designs and avoid special prints that quickly become outdated, such as the year, date or event-specific messages.
• Buy reused garments. Several upcycling companies offer new printing or reprinting of branded clothing.
• Minimise logos where possible. Consider whether certain garments, such as bottoms, can be completely without prints and whether identification can be achieved with armbands, vests or name tags.
• Choose the right materials and buy environmentally labelled products. Focus on recycled polyester and organic cotton. Avoid materials that release microplastics, such as fleece.
• Create a plan for textile waste and reuse. From 2025, textile waste must be collected separately from other waste. Larger quantities are regarded as business waste and require you to hire a contractor. The best approach is to prevent textiles from becoming waste by reusing them. There are companies that create new products from discarded banners (not PVC).

Stockholm City Environmental Programme 2023 (pdf, In Swedish) 

Textile, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's website (In Swedish)

Maintain a good dialogue with nearby residents and businesses that may be affected by the event to create participation and avoid dissatisfaction with any complaints. It is always the main organizer's responsibility to communicate the event to the relevant parties, both during the event's execution and also during setup and dismantling.

• Set sustainability requirements for materials and products with suppliers. For example, it is important that they do not contain harmful substances and are, as far as possible, recyclable or reusable.
• Avoid disposable items and strive to use products that are sustainability-labeled.
• Set requirements for sustainable transport and deliveries to and from the event. 

Reusable packaging (In Swedish)

Plastic, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's website (In Swedish)

Event 117 (Swan-labeled event), Swan's website

By choosing the right food and drink, the environmental and climate impact of the event can be significantly reduced.

• Prefer locally produced and organic food.
• Prefer vegetarian food. If meat is served, game or poultry usually has the least environmental impact.
• Require certification according to labels such as KRAV, Fairtrade, and MSC.
• Avoid serving bottled water; instead, use locally produced fresh water.
• Ensure that there is effective waste sorting and material recycling for packaging and food waste generated during serving.

Practical conditions at events and meetings

Håll Sverige Rent has developed a guide showing how organizers can reduce the amount of plastic and litter at their event.

Guide for a litter-free festival, Håll Sverige Rent's website (In Swedish)

One should always be able to feel safe at events in Stockholm. It is always the organizer who is responsible for the event's safety.

• Create a plan for safety and security that also includes a training component for the event staff.
• Inform the audience and visitors about the safety and security measures.

Deepen your knowledge in event security and accessibility

By informing about sustainability efforts, positive marketing is created for the event and visitors are inspired to make good choices. At the same time, it becomes a good example for other organizers.

• Use the event's platform to influence visitors to live more sustainably; one tip is to refer to the city's website Living sustainably.
• Communicating sustainability also strengthens the brand.
• Prioritize digital information, avoid printed materials as much as possible.

Sustainable Living

Evaluate the sustainability work after the completed event.

• Remember to evaluate from the three sustainability perspectives – social, economic, and environmental.
• Compare your forecast for climate impact with what actually occurred.
• Describe how you have contributed to sustainable development and what effects your sustainability efforts have produced.