From the Charter of Diversity to the UN Global Compact

EMAS

Messe Frankfurt uses the environmental management system EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme). The company opted for this cross-sector system to continually improve its environmental protection and sustainability performance at its Frankfurt base. This involves setting ourselves targets for systematising our sustainability measures while simultaneously securing a certification as a seal of excellence.

EMAS is an internationally recognised programme developed by the European Union. The strict requirements and regular independent assessments by EMAS extend to almost all areas of the company. The core indicators are the energy, emissions, material, water, waste disposal and land usage/biodiversity sectors. Other indicators such as social responsibility are also evaluated. The entire process and the information included in environmental statements are audited by independent external environmental verifiers. The EMAS assessment system is supervised by the Federal Ministry for the Environment.

In the first step, we are aiming to have our company and location certified by the end of 2023. This covers the organisational structure and the services provided at our Frankfurt base by Messe Frankfurt GmbH, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH and Messe Frankfurt Venue GmbH, and by the subsidiaries Messe Frankfurt Medien und Service GmbH and Accente Gastronomie Service GmbH.

EMAS will also take the place of the mandatory energy audit (in accordance with EN-DIN 16247) conducted every two years and goes far beyond its requirements. It should also be noted that, according to EMAS, Messe Frankfurt is the only trade fair company that is pursuing EMAS certification at present.

UN Global Compact

Messe Frankfurt has been a member of the UN Global Compact, the world’s most important initiative for sustainable corporate management, since 2010. This initiative is founded on ten universal principles relating to the environment, labour standards, corruption prevention and human rights. Signatories of the Global Compact are called upon to promote the general aims of the United Nations, and in particular the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Every year, participating companies are required to submit a report documenting the measures taken to promote these principles and the progress that has been made. Up until now, companies have been able to compile these reports in a narrative format. Starting this year, however, members are required to submit their progress reports in a standardised reporting format. In this way, the UN Global Compact hopes to promote greater accountability on the part of companies while making their sustainability efforts more transparent.

At present, the information provided is not checked and points are not awarded and compiled to arrive at an overall score, as is the case with many other ratings. The commitment of the participating companies and their CEOs is deemed sufficient.

Being a member of the UN Global Compact gives Messe Frankfurt a strategic advantage because it helps to establish it as a highly qualified partner with an outstanding international reputation. In addition, numerous rating systems – including the ESC – include questions about membership of the UN Global Compact.

ESG rating

In addition to our own efforts to become more sustainable, our customers are increasingly calling for us to present measurable results for our sustainability measures and to step up our efforts in this area. In 2022, Messe Frankfurt participated in the ESG rating system for the first time.

ESG, which stands for Environmental Social Governance, has become an integral part of the worlds of business and finance – not least because sustainable business practices are increasingly important for investors.

The ecological, social and ethical aspects of business activities are assessed through a very extensive catalogue of questions, each of which must be backed up by relevant documentation. If the process is completed satisfactorily, a seal of approval (similar to a credit rating) is awarded. It is possible to earn a bronze, silver or gold medal – it is also possible that an organisation might not qualify for any certification at all. Messe Frankfurt worked with provider EcoVadis and has earned a bronze medal.

While the ESG ratings and UN Global Compact have historically been independent entities, the complex catalogue of questions required to qualify for an ESG rating occasionally overlaps with the UN Global Compact questions. In our case, this is also because EcoVadis specifically enquired about participation in the UN Global Compact.

We view these questions and the findings of the rating process as essential in our efforts to improve our sustainable processes and supplement our plan of action. That is why we intend to continue with the ESG rating process in years to come.

To sum up: although the UN Global Compact, ESG rating and EMAS are all separate entities, they still impact one another. As a result, introducing an EMAS system will have a positive impact on the ESG rating and UN Global Compact Communication on Progress.