Sustainable Venues in London: Why They Are Important?

There are plenty of reason to choose sustainable venues. Did you know that the global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century?
And that the global temperature has risen by 0.9 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century? This may seem insignificant, but trust us, it’s not.
Global warming is largely down to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and other harmful gases we produce.

A picture of ice caps and mountains. The mountains are in the background and they are sat on the water.
But, it’s not just global warming that’s become increasingly worrying in the last few years.
As a society, we are obsessed with single-use products. We are highly dependent on plastic and we don’t recycle enough of it.
Almost 50% of the plastic we produce is single use. This means it ends up in landfill, or worse, in our oceans. According to the Ocean Conservancy, plastic has been found in more than 60% of all seabirds and 100% of sea turtle species.
This image is ground level image of lots of plastic that is left on the beach with the sea in the background. There are plastic bags, bottles and rubbish.
Ultimately, it’s everyone’s responsibility to make sustainable changes. On a personal level and from your company’s perspective. It’s important to start making environmentally friendly changes. Unless we do, nothing will change.

The events industry has recently launched a vision to become waste-free by 2020. How can we do this?

There are plenty of small things you, as an event planner, can do to make more sustainable choices.

Firstly, by choosing a sustainable venue for your event. London is a progressive city and although there’s still a long way to go. There are some amazing sustainable venues in London you can choose from for your next event. Let’s get started shall we?

Sustainable Venues

 

BMA House

BMA house is one of London's best sustainable venues. The Space is of the great hall at BMA House. It has high ceilings and grand pillars down either sides of the walls. There are rows of soft blue chairs set our facing the back wall which has a screen on the back wall.
BMA House is steeped in history and architectural beauty. BMA House has been home to the headquarters of the British Medical Association since 1925.

The magnificent Grade II listed building was designed in 1911 by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The Space makes an impressive setting for corporate events and special occasions.

BMA House provides an opulent setting for both exclusive hire and corporate events.

This image shows the great hall at BMA house from the stage. The image shows the back of red chairs which are on the stage and they look out and down into crowd. Their are cabaret style tables and chairs set out for the audience. The great hall has very high ceilings and red pillars down the walls.
With two outdoor Spaces adjoining their indoor event Space, it offers plenty of flexible breakout areas for your next event.

BMA House has been accredited with a gold rating under the Green Tourism Business Scheme for its sustainability.

This was awarded to the venue for a variety of reasons. From sourcing ethical suppliers to the effective use of the latest technologies for sustainability.

BMA House made lots of small changes which contribute to an overall sustainable goal. Standout projects at BMA House include using digital signage to guide guests throughout the venue instead of creating paper waste.
They also compost their food waste, use energy efficient equipment in their kitchens and filter their water onsite to reduce reliance on bottled water.

The Crystal

The Crystal is the most sustainable venue in London. Specifically designed for environmentally friendly purposes. The building is a large glass structure with pointed edges and large glass walls.
First opened in 2012, The Crystal is based in London’s Victoria Dock and is one of the world’s most sustainable venues.
The Crystal is a sustainable initiative by Siemens. The Crystal is home to the world’s largest exhibition on the future of cities.
The venue is the only building in the world to achieve the highest certification in both the BREEAM and LEED schemes.
Siemens use technologies throughout the building to ensure the highest energy efficiency and CO2 standards are met.
The Crystal is a pioneer in London sustainability.  It has 70% less CO2 emissions than comparable offices in the UK.
Incredibly, the annual heating bill at The Crystal is £0 as they use 100% natural heat sources. 199 ground source pipes totaling 17km in length and reaching as deep as 150m heat and cool the building meaning it uses no fossil fuels at all.

The Crystal showcases state-of-the-art technology to make buildings more efficient.  
The building incorporates a range of environmentally friendly technology including:

  • Rainwater harvesting
  • Blackwater treatment
  • Solar heating
  • Automated building management systems.

Not to mention, incredibly, 100% of their WC flushing uses recycled water. So, if you’re after the best sustainable venues in London, The Crystal should be at the top of your list.
With meeting rooms starting from just £450 per day, it’s a great venue hire option.

The Ritz London

The Ritz London is one of the most iconic venues in the city. The Music Room at The Ritz is a grand venue with high ceilings and baby pink pillars. The Space has large oil paintings hanging from the walls and a huge chandelier in the middle of the room.

One of the most prestigious names in London, The Ritz London is a quintessentially British venue. From private dining rooms to meeting rooms and event Spaces, they have something for everyone.
But what makes The Ritz one of London’s best sustainable venues?
In 2015, The Ritz decided they wanted to reduce their energy use by 3% every year. They have decided to focus on a few key projects in order to do this. Their projects include an emphasis on recycling, pollution control, sustainable food and drink and through The Ritz bees.

  • Sustainable food and drink at The Ritz.
    The Ritz has a policy of purchasing the freshest seasonal ingredients available. Where possible they aim to use local suppliers. This helps them reduce their carbon footprint, but also in an effort to support the local community.The Ritz is also a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association. They aim to use Fairtrade produce wherever they can, and all the meat on their menu is British.

This image shows the beehives on the top of the Ritz. In a small rooftop garden there are several small beehives and lots of plants surrounding them.

  • Bees at The Ritz London
    In case you didn’t know, bees are essential to a healthy ecosystem. We rely on them to pollinate most of our fruit and vegetables. Bees are under threat, and without them, so is our food and economy. Bees pollinate approximately 80% of our flowering crops. So, losing bees could affect many aspects of our lives, including what we eat.
  • The Ritz has made a promise to help the bees. If you choose The Ritz for your event you can support the quest for a greener future.  

    As part of their green initiative, The Ritz have installed three beehives on the 6th floor of their offices. Their beehives are home to 20,000 buckfast bees as well as a queen bee. 
  • The natural honey the bees produce will be used in the kitchens by their chefs. Cool, right? The Ritz has also pledged to work with Green Park to plant more bee-friendly forage in the royal park

ZSL
The space is of the terrace at ZSL. A large event space with arched walls and high ceilings. The room is full of people but the focus point is the gorilla in the middle which is lit up in yellow light.
We all know and love ZSL and they have lots of great unusual event Spaces, from the Tiger Territory to the Reptile House, as well as their big event Spaces and meeting rooms.

On top of being a great venue to hire in London, ZSL is one of the best sustainable venues in the city. ZSL is working hard to reduce negative environmental impacts and enhance ecological and social benefits.

ZSL are focusing on six key areas to help them work towards reducing their environmental impact. ZSL are improving their waste management, reducing water waste and focusing on energy efficiency.  They are also focusing on sustainability training and awareness.

In a power house like ZSL, this latter point is important. Educating colleagues and visitors is important in spreading the word and increasing understanding both nationwide and globally.
With thousands of visitors every year, ZSL is the perfect place to educate people about environmental issues and sustainability.
ZSL demonstrate green ideas to visitors with signs around the site on how to protect the environment and conserve local wildlife.

This awareness of how to enhance biodiversity paired with reducing waste and carbon footprints is a great move from ZSL.  It shows simple ways you can educate your Guests.
Leading by example is really effective, so hire this venue and teach your Guests something new about sustainability.
Here East
Here East is a sustainable venue in the city. This shows the outside area of Here East which is a large terrace area that is have stones and half wooden terrace. Here East is on the right.

With 1.2 million sq ft in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Here East brings together business, tech, media and data in the pursuit of innovation.

Here East is a unique meetings and event Space located in the heart of East London.
The Space is ideal for a wide range of events, from cultural and arts events through to corporate conferences, product launches and exhibitions. Here East boasts a capacity of 1,000 Guests, with a blank canvas reception area of over 1,200m2.
So how did they become one of the top sustainable venues in London?
Here East has repurposed the Olympic Landmark into a sustainable working community.  Designed with both the economic and environmental prosperity of the area in mind.
The Press Centre at Here East is fitted with solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint by producing more renewable energy.
Their Broadcast Centre roof also collects rainwater for use on the premises. Finally, they have a centralised recycling point on campus for collection and sorting.
Here East is a great demonstration that no matter how big the Space, you can do things to become more sustainable.
 
So, if you’re an event planner think of hiring Here East for your next event. It’s the perfect Space for a corporate conference or private party, and do your bit towards saving our planet.
There you have it, some incredible venues that champion sustainability in different ways.
So, why not take some inspiration from their forward thinking behaviour and book a sustainable venue for your next event?

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