Sustainability in Leipzig

Sustainability-related initiatives for meetings and events in Leipzig

On this page, we showcase selected projects and partners from Leipzig who can support event organisers with specific aspects of sustainability. These include, for example, mobility, resource conservation, waste prevention, procurement and social responsibility. Some venues in Leipzig hold sustainability certifications or are implementing specific measures in areas such as energy efficiency, waste management or resource conservation. Details of these measures, along with supporting evidence, can be found on our partners’ respective information pages.

Leipzig’s commitment to sustainability

How can events actually be organised in a sustainable way? Leipzig doesn’t have a magic formula for this either, but an awareness of personal and social responsibility is reflected in a host of exciting ideas.

Growing into a smart city

Development concepts for making cities more sustainable, efficient, technologically advanced, future-proof and socially inclusive are also the focus of Triangulum, the EU’s smart cities project in which Leipzig has been involved since 2020.

The topic is also receiving new attention with the creation of the city administration’s new Department for Sustainable Development and Climate Protection in the summer of 2021. This is where the city will manage sustainability and climate processes in the future, and where citizens will be able to participate more in energy and climate protection activities.

This institutional commitment goes hand in hand with many civil society initiatives such as the Forum Nachhaltiges Leipzig (Sustainable Leipzig Forum), which promotes sustainable growth.

Meetings and conferences in Leipzig - View of the skyline with the illuminated Grimmaischen Steinweg at dusk

Meetings and conferences in Leipzig – View of Augustusplatz from above with the opera, Gewandhaus, and City Highrise

Urban life of tomorrow

In 2018, Leipzig City Council adopted an Integrated Urban Development Concept, which has been continuously evaluated and launched as the Leipzig Strategy 2035.

With the Leipzig Strategy 2035, the city is responding to current challenges such as climate change, social changes and economic uncertainties. The revised vision of the urban strategy is ‘Leipzig grows sustainably and serves the common good’. Key areas of action include a business-friendly administration, international cooperation, a healthy city and inclusive citizen participation. In addition, the city has set itself the political target of becoming climate-neutral by 2040.

Note: This climate-neutrality target is a goal adopted by the City of Leipzig; it does not represent a state that has already been achieved. The basis, interim steps and measures can be found publicly under the ‘Leipzig Climate Budget’ and the ‘Energy and Climate Protection Programme’.

Sustainability in tourism

As a forward-looking and cross-cutting issue, sustainability plays a central role in strategic tourism development. With regard to business travel, Leipzig is gradually expanding its range of services for sustainability-focused conferences and meetings. This includes highlighting partners’ sustainability-related measures, providing links to guidelines, offering information on certified venues, and integrating mobility options.

Sustainability in the conference industry

The meetings and conferences sector faces the challenge of incorporating environmental and social considerations into event planning. It is a complex task to describe an event as sustainable in its entirety, as numerous factors – such as travel to the venue and on-site transport, catering, waste management, accessibility and social criteria – all interact. The Leipzig Convention Bureau supports event planners in specifically incorporating individual sustainability aspects into their planning and in identifying suitable partners, measures and evidence.

Sustainable service partners for your event

In Leipzig, there are service providers offering individual sustainability-related services for events, for example in the areas of catering, transport, technology, use of materials or waste prevention. The specific measures and evidence should be checked with the relevant provider.

Conference hotels

Some conference hotels in Leipzig hold sustainability certificates, which are listed in the relevant partner profiles. These certifications relate to defined criteria specific to each hotel’s operations, but do not assess the planning of individual events. When planning an event with sustainability in mind, additional aspects such as energy consumption and waste management should also be taken into account.

Examples from the events industry

Current examples illustrate how events can be organised in a sustainable manner. For instance, the City of Leipzig has already successfully collaborated with the organisers of the International Broadcast Centre at the Leipzig Trade Fair for UEFA EURO 2024 and has continued this collaboration for other major events, such as the 2025 International German Gymnastics Festival. In May 2026, OTWorld served as a real-world laboratory for new approaches to resource management as part of the KRIDEM research project (‘Circular Economy in the Trade Fair Industry’). Leipzig’s commitment is demonstrated, amongst other things, by its support for event organisers in incorporating environmental considerations at an early stage into event planning.

Glas hall of the Eventlocation Congress Center Leipzig – presented by the Leipzig Convention Bureau

Tagung & Konferenz Leipzig Convention: Leipzig-Stand auf der IMEX Frankfurt 2024 mit Ansprechpersonen

A conference location with team spirit

The Leipzig Convention Network is also committed to sustainable collaboration.

The team spirit and ongoing cooperation between conference and event venues, conference hotels, service agencies, local PCOs and logistics partners benefit organisers right from the planning stage and later on during the organisation and delivery of their events in Leipzig. Furthermore, the network consistently whets the appetite for Leipzig with creative presentations at major industry events, such as IMEX.

Fairground with Green Globe standards

Speaking of sustainability in the events industry: in 2009, Leipziger Messe became the first German trade fair organisation to be certified to Green Globe standards and has successfully passed the annual sustainability audit every year since then.

The measures implemented at the exhibition grounds and the Congress Centre Leipzig (CCL) focus on resource conservation, energy saving and social aspects. Sustainability is viewed as part of corporate responsibility and as a sensible investment.

Exterior view of the event venue Kongresshalle am Zoo Leipzig – presented by Leipzig Convention Bureau

Sustainable mobility

Innovations for sustainable mobility

Leipzig Public Transport (LVB) is implementing various projects in the field of mobility. These include the ABSOLUT project on autonomous local transport and the app-based on-demand service ‘Flexa’. In 2021, LVB was awarded the Tolerance Prize by the Saxon State Ministry of Social Affairs in recognition of its social commitment.

As part of the Leipzig Strategy 2035, the City of Leipzig is also pursuing further projects through its Sustainable Mobility Concept, which address specific aspects of local transport. When planning events in Leipzig, rail and public transport links, routes between the main station, hotels and event venues, as well as supplementary mobility services, can be taken into account. Which options are suitable for a specific event depends on the participant profile, venue and schedule, and enquiries can be made directly to the LVB.

Meetings and conferences in Leipzig – tram in front of the main station

Want to address sustainability aspects in your event planning?

Leipzig Convention Bureau can help you identify suitable venues, service partners and practical guidance for topics such as mobility, catering, resource use and social responsibility