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Austria Center Vienna becomes the nation’s first green conference centre

Austria Center Vienna was recently a warded first Austrian Eco-label for conference and meeting venues, and confirmed the venue’s status as an official green meetings certification body.

In addition to the criteria set out under Austrian Eco-label Guideline UZ 62 for Green Meetings and Green Events, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management has taken things a step further with Guideline UZ 203 which entered into force on 1 January 2014. Venues certified in accordance with UZ 203 must show that they comply with a raft of economic, environmental, social, cultural, quality and health and safety requirements, and that they have adopted various related measures. Focus on sustainable, eco-friendly building management IAKW-AG, which is responsible for operating the Austria Center Vienna and maintaining the Vienna International Centre, has implemented countless far-reaching environmental
measures over recent years, particularly with regard to energy savings.

“We are responsible for around 325,000m2 of space, all of which has to be heated, cooled and supplied with electricity. Our job is to provide a pleasant environment for more than 4,000 people working in both complexes as well as the 200,000 visitors to the Austria Center Vienna each year,” explained CEO Susanne Baumann-Sollner.

Using district heating for the heating and warm water supply cuts CO2 emissions by around 9,000 tonnes a year. Heat recovery systems cut the amount of energy required for ventilation, and cooling energy for the air conditioning systems in both buildings is delivered by state-of-the-art turbo water-cooled chillers. All of the electricity delivered by the ACV’s dedicated substation comes from renewable sources.

Due to the sheer size of the buildings, lighting and IT are two areas that offer significant potential for saving energy. With this in mind the Austria Center Vienna has already replaced 2,500 tube lights with LED lamps, and the entire signage system has made the changeover to energy-efficient LCD screens. When procuring new electronics and IT equipment, the centre now exclusively chooses Energy Star or TCO certified products.
WC flushes and watering systems for outdoor areas are entirely supplied by a non-potable pipeline.

Introduction of a joined-up waste separation and waste disposal plan has proven to be a key factor, particularly for large-scale events with extensive exhibitions. In office areas use carbon neutral printing and environmentally-certified paper from sustainable sources are taken as a matter of course.

Corporate social responsibility also shapes the company’s internal workings, with measures aimed at helping staff to balance work and family commitments and improve gender equality high on the agenda. Ongoing training opportunities ensure that the whole team are always familiar with the latest developments.

Benefits for organisers and delegates One major part of the new corporate strategy is to select the best service partners for the Austria Center Vienna’s customers, which also involves monitoring suppliers’ commitments to sustainable concepts. “Together we are making green meetings a reality, offering our customers a sustainable one-stop-shop that covers all the angles from providing initial advice and support, to granting certification and hosting the event,” said Baumann-Sollner.

The high-performance WiFi network supports paperless conferences such as ESOT 2013, which brought 3,500 delegates to the centre. To make getting to and from the Austria Center Vienna as environmentally friendly as possible the venue promotes the use of public transportation from the moment of arrival until departure, and also provides free e-filling stations for guests.

More eco advances in store
In future the venue is set prioritise protecting natural habitats and biodiversity, starting with the introduction of native species of plants in outdoor areas. The centre’s energy control systems will also be optimised in accordance with detailed energy and waste management analysis to improve the effectiveness of future measures. In line with its overarching strategy, the Austria Center Vienna also helps the conferences it hosts to public ise their messages. “It is important for us to communicate insights that are concentrated here over a relatively short period of time to a broader public. Many of our events focus on subjects that affect the Austrian population in some way,” Baumann-Sollner noted. The annual European Congress of Radiology marked its 20th instalment at the Austria Center Vienna in 2014, drawing more than 20,000 delegates. Held annually, this year’s event doubled up as a green meeting pilot project for the certification body.

Among the subjects under discussion by the radiologists at the congress, a focus on breast cancer inspired the Austria Center Vienna to support Osterreichische Krebshilfe organise its Pink Ribbon Gala in 2015.

“The fact that we are the first green conference centre in Austria gives us even more motivation to push forward with our sustainability activities,” concluded CEO Susanne Baumann-Sollner.

Photo caption: Austria Center Vienna becomes Austria’s first green conference centre.

Co-Founder & Chief Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | Website | + Posts

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

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