Bordeaux's events sector goes green
Bordeaux Métropole’s Tourism and Congress is continuing to expand its already substantial efforts to make events more sustainable, with a constant commitment to improving quality of service, raising awareness and educating all stakeholders about the importance of sustainable development at the territorial level.
The board has established a dedicated sustainable development department, tasked with supporting local professionals with their sustainable transition efforts.
With a host of training and awareness-raising activities, as well as support with certification processes, the Bordeaux Tourism and Congress is working hand-in-hand with the events sector to accelerate the transition.
How do you support partners on a day-to-day basis with regard to their ecological transition?
We offer our partners a full cycle of support, from education and training through to human and financial help with certification processes, backed up with funding from Bordeaux Métropole. We have developed a number of tools to make this possible, including workshops to co-construct CSR charters, personalised coaching initiatives, best practice discussion days and webinars designed to help all partners manage their ecological transition at their own pace and in line with their own specific priorities.
What targets have you set for the period to 2026?
In 2022, 35% of the Bordeaux Tourism and Congress members already had sustainable transition strategies in place.
We want to see that number rise to 50% in 2024, and 80% by 2026. Certification processes take time, generally somewhere between nine and twelve months, and we know how important it is to give professionals the long-term support they need to make their green transition a success.
In concrete terms, what actions have you put in place?
One of the concrete actions we are currently developing is a training programme for event organisers, in partnership with ADEME (national ecological transition agency). The goal is to train professionals on how to organise environmentally friendly events with lasting benefits for the territory. There is currently no such training programme available in France, and launching the first of its kind would be a major addition to our existing resources available to help partners organise more responsible events, in Bordeaux and elsewhere.
Since 2021, the Tourism and Congress has been ISO 20121 certified for its environmentally-responsible events management activities, including Bordeaux Fête le Vin.
- 93% The proportion of the city's large hotels accessible within 30 minutes using public transport
- 262 The number of partners of the Bordeaux Tourism and Congress already committed to sustainable transition efforts
- 75% The percentage of Bordeaux's winemaking estates with environmental certifications
