Madrid's green spaces, parks, gardens and trees largely determine the quality of life of its residents and visitors. And, by snowball effect, this great green sets the tone for an eco-responsible destination for the many professional events held here.
The city's commitment in this area is reflected in the adoption, in 2019, of the Madrid 360 strategy Climate Change and Sustainabilitywhich includes a series of measures to strengthen adaptation to climate change, encourage the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, manage water resources, reduce emissions and waste and promote sustainable transport.
These measures also support the creation of green infrastructure and low CO₂ emission urban renewal methods.
Madrid, a green city
One of Madrid's greatest assets is its trees. Over 55 % of the city's streets are shaded by nearly 300,000 trees which help to improve air quality and make it the second city in the world with the most avenue trees.
Recently, Madrid was once again recognised as a The tree-lined city of the worldThis is a renewed commitment to this initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Arbor Day Foundation, which promotes good practice and raises awareness of the importance of caring for trees.
A rich natural heritage
With more than 200 parks, gardens and natural areas representing 6,400 hectares of green heritageThe city offers countless opportunities to enjoy a healthy environment. For example, you can visit Retiro Parka historic treasure located right in the city centre and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Madrid RíoThe park extends for ten kilometres along the Manzanares river, where you can organise group activities, go for walks, do sports and observe the many species that have repopulated the environment, thanks to its renaturation. La Casa de CampoA listed Site of Cultural Interest, the area also boasts over 1,500 hectares dedicated to leisure, sport and relaxation. An ideal place for outdoor activities.
But Madrid is not stopping there, and intends to create new green spaces, such as the metropolitan foresta a woodland belt extending over 75 kilometres and will include vast relaxation areas.
PLUS tool
As part of this commitment to the environment, the Madrid Convention Bureau offer to the business tourism sector a MICE sustainability guideand a pioneering digital platform in Spain, PLUSwhich helps you effectively manage the environmental and social sustainability of your events, in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda.
This recently enhanced tool produces a sustainability report for each business event held in Madrid, with recommendations before the event is held to reduce its environmental and social impact. The platform can also be used to calculate the event's carbon footprint.
One of the platform's most significant improvements in terms of carbon footprint is the classification it can now perform according to categorisation of emissions (category 1: direct emissions; category 2: indirect emissions; and category 3: supply chain emissions).
Committed to business tourism
One of the objectives of the Madrid Convention Bureau is also to support associations and private organisations that want their meeting or event to contribute to the evolution of the city. The organisation of meetings or events committed to the destination is a growing concern for the sector. More and more associations and companies are adapting their mission and vision to the objectives of the venues where they meet. The Madrid Convention Bureau is a a key contact to ensure that events organised in Madrid leave a positive mark on the city.
On the PLUS platform, organisers have access to the following services catalogue of associations and social organisations in MadridThis catalogue enables them to discover, select and integrate initiatives with a positive impact into their event programmes. This catalogue is complemented by an open directory listing the same associations and social organisations.
Organise a business event in Madrid, take a walk, breathe and leave a positive mark on the city: Madrid offers many possibilities for hosting any type of meeting or event with a sustainable approach, in the knowledge that together we are building a greener future. For Madrid, for the planet.
