Environmental impact of events

How to organize an event while ensuring that the environmental impact is as low as possible?

A good event organizer also takes care of other possible ways to reduce the environmental load of the event. An event that has been organized in accordance with the principles of sustainable development offers a clean environment for the public and the city residents, and increases environmental awareness and a positive attitude towards the environment.

Espoo is committed to promoting sustainable development and increasing the city residents’ opportunities to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives. Espoo was the first city to join the Finnish Society’s Commitment to Sustainable Development in 2015. As a Fairtrade City, it makes fair and ethical choices in its procurement and encourages others to do so.

Below, you can find more information on all the things that the organizer of a major event must take into account in implementing the event. In addition, the environment guide (in Finnish) has tips on what issues should be taken into account in order to plan and organize an ecologically, socially, culturally and financially sustainable event.

According to the decision of the Espoo Environment Committee, the environmental requirements apply to all outdoor events with more than 500 participants in Espoo, at which unpackaged food is served or sold.

Read more about events environmental issues from ‘Siisti tapahtuma!’ environment guide(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish) published by The joint Helsinki Metropolitan Area project Greening Events.

The event organizer must contact the Espoo Environment Department at least 60 days before the event in order to find out if it is obliged to make a noise notification, which must be delivered to the Espoo Environment Department at least 30 days before the event. The waste management plan must be delivered to the Environment Department 30 days before the event in accordance with the environmental requirements.

More detailed additional information on environmental permits and notifications can be found in the section on permits for events on the Environment Department website.

The joint Helsinki Metropolitan Area project Greening Events has published the ‘Siisti tapahtuma!’ environment guide(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish), intended to provide advice and assistance for event organisers in taking good care of environmental issues. The guide includes a compilation of practical tips on choosing the event location, movement, making logistics more efficient, procurement, and energy consumption. The guide also has information on noise and food safety as well as waste management, and offers guidance for serving food and beverages sustainably.

An event can be organised to be environmentally friendly, and an environmental certificate can be granted to it. The EcoCompass is an environmental system and certificate targeted at events and event locations. If the event has an EcoCompass, a discount of 30% of the rent for the use of the area can be given. The service is offered for events in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area via HSY’s Climateinfo.

More information about the EcoCompass(external link, opens in a new window).

Environmental impact of events

Environmental requirements for events

Environmental permits and notices

Siisti tapahtuma! environment guide

The EcoCompass event – an environmental system