Climate protection is per se sustainable, and not just at the ecological level. Helping to avoid major climate change creates stability and ensures long-term success at the social and economic levels. Climate protection is therefore a core concern from an entrepreneurial perspective, as well.

As a public-sector company we are committed to doing our share to implement the climate protection policy set forth by the Senate of the State and City of Hamburg. We have compiled the principles of our approach to operational climate protection in our Climate Protection Policy.

Furthermore, since the year 2009, an HMC Sustainability Officer, sometimes supported by interns, has been in charge of tracing and further developing our company's sustainability strategy, continuously monitoring its effectiveness.

99% of the energy we use for heating our buildings is recovered waste heat from the district heating network. The heat is first supplied to other consumers, then to HMC where it passes through heat exchangers. This form of heating could be described as ‘heat recycling’. It is an excellent long-term option, especially since the City of Hamburg owns the district heating network and is planning to substitute the legacy high-greenhouse gas incineration stations with regenerative energy sources.

We also take a sustainable approach to electricity consumption. We have been purchasing 100% eco-friendly energy generated from water or wind power since 2011.

In technical terms, the HMC exhibition halls are equipped with waste heat recovery systems to reduce thermal losses. By replacing the existing energy-saving lamps in our lighting installations systematically with LEDs, we are further reducing our energy consumption

By virtue of their central location in the inner city, the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg and the exhibition halls make a significant additional contribution to climate protection.

Trade Fairs business unit:

Through our cooperation partnership with the national railway operator Deutsche Bahn, we can offer our customers eco-friendly travelling opportunities using 100% renewable energy. Holders of event tickets issued by bahn.corporate travel to and from our exhibition centre CO2 emission-free.

CCH business unit:

From the “Dammtor” mainline and commuter train station, visitors have barrier-free access to the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg.

As an added benefit, the CCH uses the cooling effect of the adjacent “Planten un Blomen” park to minimise the need for artificial night-time cooling during the summer months. When Hall H of the CCH was built, one of Europe's largest herbaceous plant rooftop gardens was created on its roof. It serves as a habitat mainly for insects while helping reduce the inner-city traffic and other sealed surfaces.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems of all halls can be controlled individually to avoid wasting energy in unoccupied rooms. The ventilation systems are connected to a heat recovery plant.

The state-of-the-art LED lighting and media technology used by the CCH is extremely energy-efficient.