A sustainable roadmap for organising your event in Tallinn
11.05.2022
Tallinn is a green city where people are future and development oriented while valuing their heritage.
In Tallinn, greenery is always close by there are many boulevards, city squares, parks, city forests, beaches and backyards.
Tallinn is also a vibrant metropolitan, with its creative, innovative and happy residents. Dreams come true in Tallinn.
Tallinn 2035 development strategy (in Estonian)
In Tallinn, greenery is always close by there are many boulevards, city squares, parks, city forests, beaches and backyards.
Tallinn is also a vibrant metropolitan, with its creative, innovative and happy residents. Dreams come true in Tallinn.
Tallinn 2035 development strategy (in Estonian)
Tallinn - European Green Capital 2023
Tallinn has been recognized by the European Commission as the European Green Capital 2023.As one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tallinn is characterized by a diverse and mosaic nature of its landscapes and communities, which also serve as habitats for rare species.
Tallinn’s strengths are its holistic approach, free public transport, brownfield reconversion and green ambassadorship. Among the areas of the green capital, Tallinn has good indicators regarding air quality, nature protection and biodiversity, but the city has greater challenges in the areas of sustainable mobility and the circular economy.
You can read about Tallinn’s journey to the European Green Capital 2023 and its activities for a greener urban environment on the Green Capital website.
Tallinn has joined:
- Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy
- OECD Programme on the Circular Economy in Cities and Regions
- European Green City Accord
- Mayors Alliance for Green Deal
- OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth
- Pesticide Free Towns
- Global Destinations Sustainability Index
Events noted for their responsible behaviour
JCI World Congress Tallinn 2019
In 2019, Tallinn hosted the JCI World Congress, an event organised by the international organisation of entrepreneurial youth. The congress brought more than 5000 delegates to Estonia. The event, along with its parallel programme, lasted for five days.
Why was this event significant?
- Over 600 kilogrammes of saved food was used to make lunch for the delegates.
- At least 100,000 pieces of disposable tableware were left unused.
- Digitalisation helped to save tonnes of paper which would have otherwise been used for advertisements and notes. Instead of a printed schedule, it was posted online on the conference homepage or app. The lanyards used for the conference pass cards were reusable.
- The organisers of the congress made sure to keep the event’s ecological footprint as small as possible. Rubbish was recycled and packaging returned to collection points. Guests used reusable dishes at special events.
- Tallinn supported the event and provided free public transport for congress guests.
4th Baltic Sea Conference on Literacy. Searching for a Common Language.
In 2020, the 4th Baltic Sea Conference on Literacy ‘Searching for a Common Language’ took place in Tallinn. The event lasted for five days and had over 300 participants.
Why was this event significant?
- Tallinn provided free public transport for delegates
- Most events took place in areas easily accessible by tram
- Participants were encouraged to use public transport, walk or, at a last resort, choose electric cars for taxi rides
- The organisers did not provide disposable tableware
- No custom-made bags, pens or folders were used at the conference
- Instead of using printed materials, there was a special conference app
- Reusable cups made by masters with special needs from Support Centre Juks were used during coffee breaks
- Tap water was offered for drinking
- Many hotels providing accommodation had been awarded the Green Key eco-label
How to recognise a sustainable service provider?
When organising a sustainable event, choose a local partner, which follows the principles of sustainability when offering service.
Such companies can be identified by a certificate or label:
Such companies can be identified by a certificate or label:
- Environmental management systems, such as ISO14100 or EMAS
- Estonian Responsible Business Index (further as RB Index)
- Green Key eco-label (further as GK)
- Partner has described their sustainability principles on their website.
Arriving to Tallinn
Tallinn Airport has the Responsible Business Index (2020), ISO14001 certification and contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, Tallinn Airport plans to be carbon neutral by 2035.
The Port of Tallinn is certified with the Responsible Business Index (2019) and contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Half of the trains in Elron, which organises passenger transport by rail, are environmentally friendly electric trains, and the company favors to outsource services from companies with an environmental management system.
By 2035, Tallinn's public transport plans to have only electric buses and trams in its fleet. By 2025, all diesel buses will be removed
Explore on foot or use (free) public transport
Tallinn city centre is compact, which means there are short, walkable distances between sights, hotels and meeting places. This minimises the event organiser’s need to hire transport for delegates, since visitors can easily walk between locations.
The public transport in Tallinn is varied, which allows even longer distances to be travelled quickly and conveniently.
Tallinn provides free public transport for the delegates of international events (conferences, culture- and sports events).
Sustainable hotels
Sustainable convention centres and event venues
Sustainable restaurants
Estonian handicraft and reuse based companies
The opportunity to put your hands to work and make something yourself, can be useful for the doer, the environment and the community. Many Estonian designers have integrated recycling into their creations and are ready to involve guests in their workshops.
Conscious and unique experiences
There are many exciting activities that have a rather modest impact on the environment but are extraordinary to experience. Such as nature tours, mushroom and berry picking trips, taste experiences.
Sustainable food and beverage tips
Find the right partners
Select local caterers and suppliers who follow a sustainability approach. They will have the best overview of the market availability of the relevant products.
Keep it local, organic and fair-trade
Work with your partners to choose products that are fair-trade or that are locally-produced. Select healthy and seasonal regional food. A wide variety of local products and ingredients can be found in Estonia for every preference and purpose.
Provide tap water and skip the bottled
Supplying jugs of tap water is an excellent way to avoid the waste associated with bottled water. If bottled water is absolutely necessary, use glass bottles instead of plastic. Avoid disposable cups and cutlery, instead prefer biodegradable and recycled necessities.
Reduce food waste
In order to minimise food waste, accurately calculate your attendance number and inform the caterers a few days prior to the event. If you still end up with excess food, arrange a donation to a local charity such as the Estonian Food Bank.
Avoid small packages
Have your food and beverage suppliers use bulk packages and reusable dispensers for water, sugar, salt, pepper, cream and other condiments.
Source: Estonian Convention Bureau
Ask for advice
When organizing a sustainable event, we encourage you to ask for advice:
Meeli Jaaksoo, Business Tourism Manager - meeli.jaaksoo@tallinnlv.ee
or by sending an e-mail to convention@tallinnlv.ee
For more information, take a look at ISO 20121 sustainable events.