Skip to main content

Certified Sustainable Event by Greentime

Our well-established third-party certification for events can be achieved by meeting a number of requirements. The aim of the certification is for you to act more sustainably in the planning and execution of events by achieving the requirements. In this way, you will move forward and create a commitment to sustainability issues. With the help of the tool and experienced advisors at Greentime, sustainability work will be easier, clearer and feel more meaningful. We have helped hundreds of organizers to get inspired and motivated. Let us help you too!

We understand the challenge

We understand that sustainability work can feel overwhelming with ever-increasing demands from decision-makers, sponsors and even visitors. This is where Certified Sustainable Events comes in. We make the complex simple through a structured approach that gives you full control over your sustainability work – from planning to follow-up.

Why certify?

  • Promote credibility. Certification becomes a proof of actual achievement, attesting that activities have been carried out that lead to the achievement of sustainability objectives
  • Increase commitment. Certification as a final destination creates a common goal within the organization
  • Facilitate marketing. You can concretely highlight the work you do and communicate about your business in general.
  • Attract new customers, sponsors and stakeholders who want to identify with what you stand for.
  • Building skills that can be transferred to other projects

We are with you on the journey

We know from experience that organizations behind events often consist of people with many tasks and there is rarely time for sustainability work. Through the certification process and our support, we will help you bring order and structure to sustainability work. Then it goes from being a burden to being meaningful, inspiring and contributing to a better event. We dare say that it will be a better event because many of our customers say so. They have reduced costs for littering, better working environment, reduced food waste and much more.

The certification process

Start-up

Together with a dedicated project manager, you will go through the tool’s features and the mandatory requirements via a video meeting. You create a timeline and schedule review meetings to ensure progress.

01

Working in the tool

You will have access to our digital planning tool with 130 questions to guide you through the sustainability work. With the help of built-in support functions and concrete examples, you work systematically through the different areas.

02

Reconciliations

During the certification process, you will have review meetings with our sustainability advisors. They will review your responses to the mandatory requirements and provide valuable feedback to drive the work forward.

03

Review

Once completed, you submit your answers for certification. An independent auditor will review all responses in the tool and ensure that you achieve both the 41 mandatory requirements and at least 69% of the total points.

04

Certification

After passing the audit, you will be entitled to use the “Certified Sustainable Event” certification logo. Now you can communicate your sustainability work transparently and credibly to your stakeholders.

05

Site control

During the event, an auditor visits you to ensure that planning and reality match. This is an important part of maintaining the credibility of the certification. Should it turn out that you are not acting as you have described, the auditor has the right to withdraw the certification.

06

Follow-up

After the event, you will receive a detailed report with the auditor’s observations and suggestions for improvement. This will be a valuable basis for your continued sustainability work.

07

Evaluation and future planning

We go through the auditor’s minutes together, evaluate the work and set new goals for future events. This step is optional but recommended for continuous improvement.

08

About the certification: Sustainable Event

The Sustainable Event certification by Greentime is a third-party certification that can be achieved for a specific event by fulfilling a number of criteria. In Greentime’s Sustainability Tool there is a standard with the criteria for what should be achieved, where the standard consists of a number of questions with associated requirements.

The criteria

The criteria are based on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, Agenda 2030, and are based on a collective experience based on what is relevant and feasible for actors in the industry. To achieve the Sustainable Event Certification, the organizer must answer YES to 41 mandatory questions and reach at least 69% of the total maximum points. The Sustainable Event Certification is not limited to Sweden but can be used throughout Europe. The majority of events in countries other than Sweden have achieved the certification.

Download the criteria for 2025 here: Sustainable Event Certification – the 41 mandatory requirements 2025

Third-party certification

Greentime has followed the Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment’s process for the certification to be called third-party certification, which means that the criteria are written down, assessable, auditors are trained with the right skills and the auditors have no connection to Greentime. Requirements for auditors are that they have worked in the event industry for at least 2 years, have sustainability education at university level and that they pass Greentime’s audit training. In addition, the auditors must shadow an event together with an approved auditor before they can conduct an audit on their own.

Sustainable Event Certification Reference Group

A reference group consisting of stakeholders in the Swedish event industry has been involved in developing the criteria together with Greentime. The reference group meets every year to revise the criteria to ensure that the certification is up-to-date and relevant for organizers.

Download the criteria for 2025 here: Sustainable Events Certification – the 41 mandatory requirements 2025

The 2025 reference group consists of:

  • Broomé Sofie, Visit Skåne
  • Cecilia Perlind, Sponsorship and Event Sweden
  • Anna Pesula, Liwlig
  • Linnéa Bergman, Keep Sweden Clean
  • Cecilia Hall, ZeroMission
  • Jens Nexberg, TrygghetsKompetens
  • Karin Ryberg, Västtrafik
  • Sara Wiggberg, Wiggberg Consulting
  • Maud Wirén, By Maud Wirén
  • Jan Peter Bergkvist, Sleepwell

FAQ

What are sustainable events?

There is a model we can use to define an event as sustainable based on The Natural Step principles. A sustainable event is one that does not use fossil fuels, does not contribute to harmful chemical pollution, does not encroach upon ecosystems, and at the same time meets human needs—both for those working at the event and those attending it. These four principles apply to all services and products associated with the event.

Why are sustainable events important?

Naturally, it is important to work with sustainability issues for the sake of our shared future and for the next generation. That is the central reason. But it’s also important to understand the environmental and social impact an event has—something that sponsors and financiers increasingly want to ensure. Events often play a major role in creating lasting behavior change among people. Rather than seeing an event as a cost to the environment, it can be used as a platform for transformation. By working systematically with sustainability, we can minimize our environmental impact and inspire visitors and participants to act—making the event a platform for change towards a sustainable future. It is crucial that we take action now, especially in reducing our carbon emissions. All parts of society must contribute to the transition, and physical events are important meeting places for sharing ideas and inspiration.

What are some examples of sustainable events?

There are many events, both large and small, that have worked actively with sustainability, such as the Floorball World Championships, the Handball World Championships, Malmöfestivalen, and Lidingöloppet. What they have in common is that they have achieved the “Sustainable Event” certification, which requires organizers to act sustainably. Working toward certification gives event organizers structure and strength in their sustainability efforts, turning it into real value. You can explore certified events and see their answers and actions at: https://greentime.se/app/evenemang/ — scroll down and click on "Se referensprojekt" (See reference projects).

How can you plan a sustainable event?

During the planning phase, it’s important to have a clear structure since sustainability can often feel broad and complex. What we at Greentime offer is structure and inspiration. Greentime provides a sustainability planning tool that supports all aspects of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic. In simple terms, it’s about common sense and making smart choices that reduce environmental impact and create a safer, more inclusive event. You need to understand why you take certain actions and implement measures to minimize environmental impact and reduce the risk of discrimination—both for attendees and participants. As an organizer, you can plan sustainably by following a clear structure and doing things in a systematic way. When done right, sustainability can become a real asset—helping you, for example, reuse rather than buy new, improve waste management, and reduce littering, which can otherwise lead to feelings of insecurity. A well- structured sustainability approach can lay the foundation for long-term value.

What measures can be taken to reduce the environmental impact of events?

There are many actions that can be taken—for example, making it easier for visitors and participants to travel in a climate-smart way to and from the event (as travel often accounts for the largest share of emissions), reducing litter, or cutting down on red meat on the menu. You can also work on energy efficiency and review your purchases.

How can sustainability be promoted to visitors at events?

Sustainability and environmental messages can be communicated to visitors in many ways. For example, you can encourage climate-smart travel, highlight vegetarian food, make it easy for attendees to sort their waste, and ensure diversity on stage. These are actions that visitors can take home with them and apply in their daily lives, leading to long-term behavior change.

What are the economic benefits of sustainable events?

Working in a structured way with sustainability and environmental issues can lead to cost savings—for example, by enabling waste sorting and thereby reducing waste management costs, renting instead of buying new, coordinating transport, and much more. There may also be demands from funders or sponsors requiring you to demonstrate your sustainability efforts. Greentime’s sustainability certification, “Certified Sustainable Event,” serves as a tangible proof of your efforts. In the end, acting sustainably benefits everyone—it reduces dependence on fossil fuels and contributes to more inclusive events, which studies show benefit all people in more equal societies.

How can social sustainability be integrated into event planning?

Start by ensuring that no one—visitors, participants, or staff—is discriminated against based on the legally protected grounds (such as gender, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, age, or disability). A socially sustainable event is one where all individuals' needs are met without discrimination. Think through potential risks of exclusion and plan accordingly—for example, ensuring accessibility for those with limited mobility. Include diverse groups in your communication, use multiple languages, and set an early framework or policy for respectful behavior—something that everyone must adhere to. Greentime’s sustainability tool provides guidance in all of these areas.

Which organizations promote sustainable events?

At Greentime, we support event organizers in acting sustainably. While many organizations work with sustainability more broadly, we focus specifically on events through our sustainability tool and our certification, "Certified Sustainable Event." There is also an ISO standard (ISO 20121) directed at organizations behind events. We at Greentime work directly with specific events, which are the ones being certified.

How can sustainability performance at events be measured and evaluated?

Greentime’s sustainability tool allows you to calculate the CO2 emissions of your event. By inputting data on travel, food, waste, logistics, and energy use, you'll get an overview of the event's carbon footprint. While based on standard estimates, we’ve helped many events and have comparative data from a wide range of event types and sizes.

You can also measure sustainability performance by answering carefully selected questions in the Greentime tool and logging your responses over time—year by year or between events. Each answer provides a score: “Yes” gives 1 point, “Partially” gives 0.5 points, and “No” gives 0. You can also remove a question if it's not relevant and provide a justification. This generates a percentage score for your event’s sustainability performance.

What are the most common challenges for sustainable events?

The most common challenge is that organizers often lack sustainability knowledge, and without a clear starting point, the topic can feel overwhelming. In the worst case, it’s neglected entirely. Greentime provides structure and support—especially valuable when your own knowledge is limited. Another challenge is time—there’s often no one clearly assigned to take charge of sustainability. Make sure someone is given this responsibility early on and has the authority to act. Finally, many struggle to know what to focus on or how to communicate their efforts. It’s often hard to weigh different aspects, especially when comparing environmental and social issues. It helps to define focus areas from the beginning that offer the greatest impact.

How can food waste be reduced at events?

Train staff so they know what actions they can take to reduce food waste—this insight will save money. It could involve serving smaller portions, asking attendees if certain ingredients should be excluded, limiting menu options, and more.

What transport options are most sustainable for event visitors?

Generally, trains followed by buses are the most climate-friendly options—or of course walking or cycling if feasible. But it also depends on the type of fuel used. An electric vehicle charged with renewable electricity can have lower emissions than a full bus running on fossil fuels. Similarly, a bus using renewable diesel (e.g. HVO100) can be much less polluting than a single diesel car over the same distance. It's not just about the transport mode but also the event location. Choose a venue with good public transport connections, if possible. This not only lowers CO2 emissions but also reduces the need for large parking areas.

How can local communities be involved in sustainable events?

Prioritize local sourcing for both goods and services when planning your purchases. A good tip is to engage in dialogue with local producers or businesses to explore how they can contribute to the event and help spread your message. You can also reach out to local organizations and ask how you can collaborate. These conversations often generate added value for the local population.

Which material choices are most sustainable for event equipment?

Choose equipment produced without fossil fuels, free from harmful chemicals, and manufactured in ways that do not displace ecosystems while ensuring fair conditions for workers. Equipment that can be rented or reused extends its life beyond the event. As a general rule, avoid PVC plastic and choose cardboard or paper wherever possible.

How can sustainable suppliers be promoted at events?

Promote sustainable suppliers by setting procurement requirements, such as prioritizing local or eco-labeled products. This is easier if you have a clear policy guiding your purchasing practices. Sometimes strict criteria aren’t feasible—when that’s the case, encourage and inspire suppliers to take action.

What energy-efficient measures can be implemented at events?

Reducing energy use significantly impacts the event's overall footprint. Use LED-lighting, install manual or automatic controls to avoid unnecessary power consumption, and explore creative solutions like energy-generating dance floors for charging phones. Have an open dialogue with your sound and lighting providers to see what they can and want to contribute.

How do sustainable events affect climate change?

Sustainable events reduce their climate impact by limiting greenhouse gas emissions—for instance, by choosing fossil-free transport, using renewable energy, minimizing food waste, and sourcing local and vegetarian food. We all share responsibility. Greentime’s sustainability tool offers plenty of tips on how to reduce your event’s carbon footprint.

How can sustainability awareness be raised among event visitors?

Through clear communication, nudging, and interactive elements like sustainability tips, quizzes, signage, or guides. Know your audience and provide takeaways that can inspire long-term behavioral change—such as serving delicious vegetarian meals that visitors want to recreate at home.

What actions can reduce water use at events?

Use low-flow toilets, offer hand sanitizer instead of running water, minimize water use in food preparation, and avoid unnecessary watering. Examples include installing water- efficient toilet trailers and serving food with low water footprints, like legumes.

How can social inclusion be promoted at events?

Through accessibility adaptations, diverse programming and representation, subsidized tickets, and inclusive communication. Examples include offering audio description, sign language interpretation, or free admission for specific target groups.

What certifications exist for sustainable events?

Common certifications include ISO 20121 (sustainable event management), Greentime’s "Certified Sustainable Event", and Green Key for venues.

How can sustainability criteria be integrated into entertainment selection?

Choose artists and performers who align with your values, travel sustainably, and include environmental requirements in their riders. Prioritize local acts or those who tour fossil-free.

What are the most effective ways to communicate sustainability initiatives at events?

Clear signage, social media, moderators, in-app or printed sustainability guides, and storytelling in stage programs. For example, let the host highlight your sustainability work during the opening ceremony.

How can volunteers support sustainable events?

Recruit volunteers for recycling stations, educational outreach, and as sustainability ambassadors. Provide training and make their efforts visible. Example: a “Green Team” in green vests helping visitors sort their waste.

How can single-use plastic be reduced at events?

Use reusable cups, plates, and cutlery; ban plastic bottle sales; and provide water stations. Example: Introduce a deposit system for cups or implement a reusable system.

What are the social benefits of sustainable events?

Use reusable cups, plates, and cutlery; ban plastic bottle sales; and provide water stations. Example: Introduce a deposit system for cups or implement a reusable system.

Our independent auditors

The certification is run by Greentime but it is the external auditors who review and approve the events and thus issue the certification and give you the right to the logo. All auditors have experience in the event industry, have attended sustainability training of at least 2 years, completed approved auditor training through Greentime and shadowed an event before they can conduct an audit on their own.

Peter Reelfs, Northflash

Peter’s main competence is to support destinations and companies in the tourism industry as well as event organizers to gain strength in their sustainability work. It can be about achieving a certification or being a continuous support. Peter is, among other things, a certified auditor for Green Destinations and Sustainable Events. In addition, Peter trains in sustainable tourism, in sustainability at events and has expertise in sustainable business management and product development.

Valérie Hasler, Trossa AB

Valerie Hasler works as a sustainability consultant at Trossa. She carries out consulting assignments in materiality analysis, sustainability strategies and sustainability reporting as well as projects focusing on responsible sourcing, supplier monitoring/due diligence or sustainable events.

Valerie also has several years of experience in developing, implementing and auditing business processes in multinational companies from various industries, including the events industry. Valerie holds an MBA degree in Sustainability Management from Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (Germany). In her previous work, she has been an advisor and organizer for festivals and caterings in Switzerland and also holds a degree in hotel management.

Sofie Ullström, Swedish Icons

Sofie has many years of experience in sustainable tourism. She started in 2009 at Lund University where she wrote a master’s thesis on Costa Rica’s national certification for sustainable tourism. She has, among other things, run a sustainability network in Gävle municipality for companies and through the network supported several events and conferences to achieve environmental certification.

2018 – 2019 Sofie worked as a sub-project manager for the U23 European Athletics Championships in Gävle. There she was responsible for leading the sustainability work and certifying the entire event. Today, Sofie works with helping others to environmentally certify their business.

Evelina Holmqvist, Sustainable Concept

Evelina is a multi-tasker who works at a golf resort and runs her own company Sustainable Concept Örebro. The company she runs is an agency focusing on sustainable concept development, events and photographic content in the hospitality industry.

Evelina has many years of experience in the event industry where she has worked on major events such as Scandinavian Mixed.
Evelina has two degrees, one in concept development focused on the event industry and the other in sustainability

Emma Plantin, Exceed

Emma is an advisor, strategist and sustainable development specialist at Exceed.

After almost ten years at Kulturbolaget in Malmö (KB), where she worked with concert and festival events, Emma went on to study environmental science and later completed a master’s degree in Decision Making for Sustainable Development. Her accumulated experience has given her a cutting-edge expertise in event-related sustainability issues.

Emma was previously sustainability advisor and responsible for the Sustainable Event certification at Greentime.

Events using Greentime

The Certification Sustainable Events by Greetime is an international third-party certification developed by Greentime with the aim of driving sustainability work in the event industry forward.

LIDINGÖLOPPET

27-29 SEPT
2024

ORGANIZE

WORK ENVIRONMENT 9/9

100%%

SOUND ECONOMY 3/4

75%%

COOPERATE 2.5 / 5

50%%

COMMUNICATE 4.5/7

65%%

LEAD & PLAN 10.5/11

95%%

SOCIAL

GENDER EQUALITY: 6/6

100%%

QUANTITY: 4/6

66%%

AVAILABILITY: 8/8

100%%

LOCAL FOOTPRINT: 7.5/8

95%%

SAFETY & SECURITY: 13/13

100%%

HEALTH: 4/4

100%%

TRANSPARENCY: 4/6

66%%

ENVIRONMENT

ENERGY: 5.5/8

69%%

WASTE: 9.5/10

95%%

GOODS & SERVICES: 4.5/6

75%%

TRANSPORTATION: 9.5/11

86%

FOOD & DRINK: 7/9

78%%

CHEMICALS: 3/3

100%%

ACCOMMODATION: 3/3

100%%

GADDEN

6-7 NOV
2024

ORGANIZE

WORK ENVIRONMENT 9/9

100%%

SOUND ECONOMY 3/4

75%%

COOPERATE 2.5 / 5

50%%

COMMUNICATE 4.5/7

65%%

LEAD & PLAN 10.5/11

95%%

SOCIAL

GENDER EQUALITY: 6/6

100%%

QUANTITY: 4/6

66%%

AVAILABILITY: 8/8

100%%

LOCAL FOOTPRINT: 7.5/8

95%%

SAFETY & SECURITY: 13/13

100%%

HEALTH: 4/4

100%%

TRANSPARENCY: 4/6

66%%

ENVIRONMENT

ENERGY: 5.5/8

69%%

WASTE: 9.5/10

95%%

GOODS & SERVICES: 4.5/6

75%%

TRANSPORTATION: 9.5/11

86%

FOOD & DRINK: 7/9

78%%

CHEMICALS: 3/3

100%%

ACCOMMODATION: 3/3

100%%
APPROVED
  • 2025 M:brane Forum 10-13 mars, Malmö
  • 2025 Nordic Coffee Fest 1-2 mars, Göteborg
  • 2025 Skidskyttekampen 3 mars, Stockholm
  • 2025 SM-Veckan 3-9 feb, Borås
  • 2024 Junior-VM i ishockey 26 dec 2023-5 jan, Göteborg
  • 2024 EQT30 sept, Stockholm
  • 2024 Fjällräven Classic 9-16 aug, Abisko
  • 2024 GADDEN 6-7 nov, Göteborg
  • 2024 Göteborgs Kulturkalas 29 aug -1 sept, Göteborg
  • 2024 Industry Tallinn Baltic Event 15-22 nov, Tallin
  • 2024 Innebandy-VM, Malmö
  • 2024 Jernhusen Möts, Stockholm
  • 2024 Lidingöloppet, Lidingö
  • 2024 Malmöfestivalen 9-16 aug, Malmö
  • 2024 Mat- och sommarfesten 15 juni, Höganäs
  • 2024 O-Ringen Smålandskusten, Småland
  • 2024 Swedish Workshop 24-25 april, Stockholm
  • 2024 TEAM-dagarna 24-25 sept, Linköping
  • 2024 Uniaden 30 januari, Umeå
  • 2024 Utnarm 7 nov, Uppsala
  • 2024 Värdskapet Eurovision Song Contest, Malmö
  • 2024 Zürich Youth Masters, Zürich
  • 2023 Bauhausgalan 2 juli, Stockholm
  • 2023 Finnkampen 2-3 september, Stockholm
  • 2023 Fjällräven Classic, Abisko
  • 2023 GADDEN 8-9 nov, Göteborg
  • 2023 Gotland Runt 29 juni – 2 juli, Gotland
  • 2023 Kvalitetsforum Stockholms Stad, Stockholm
  • 2023 Malmöfestivalen 11-18 aug, Malmö
  • 2023 Mat- och sommarfesten 17 juni, Höganäs
  • 2023 SM-veckan 30 jan-5 feb, Skövde
  • 2023 SSAB Swedish Steel Prize, Stockholm
  • 2023 Stockholm filmfestival 7-19 nov, Stockholm
  • 2023 TEAM-dagarna 26-27 sept, Linköping
  • 2023 The Drop Conference 7 sept, Malmö
  • 2023 THS Armada 21-22 nov, Stockholm
  • 2023 Uniaden 24 januari, Umeå
  • 2023 Utnarm 9 nov, Uppsala
  • 2023 VM i Handboll Damer, Göteborg
  • 2023 VM i Handboll Damer, Helsingborg
  • 2023 VM i Handboll, Göteborg
  • 2023 VM i Handboll, Jönköping
  • 2023 VM i Handboll, Kristianstad
  • 2023 VM i Handboll, Malmö
  • 2023 VM i Handboll, Stockholm
  • 2022 TEAM-dagarna september, Linköping
  • 2022 THS Armada 22-23 nov, Stockholm
  • 2022 Trollhättan Action Week 20-28 aug, Trollhättan
  • 2022 Utnarm – November, Uppsala
  • 2022 Yrkes-SM 10-12 maj, Växjö
  • 2022 Fjällräven Classic 13-16 aug, Abisko
  • 2022 Forsränningen 2022, Uppsala
  • 2022 GADDEN 16 nov 2022, Göteborg
  • 2022 GADDEN 8-9 februari,Göteborg
  • 2022 Gefle Metal Festival 14-16 juli, Gävle
  • 2022 H22 City Expo 30 maj-3 juli, Helsingborg
  • 2022 Jamboree22 30 juli – 6 aug, Kristianstad
  • 2022 Kontaktdagen november, Uppsala
  • 2022 O-Ringen, Uppsala
  • 2022 SM-veckan 23-29 mars, Piteå
  • 2022 Swedish Workshop 18 maj, Falun
  • 2021 Finnkampen 4-5 september, Stockholm
  • 2021 Fjällräven Classic Sverige 13-15 aug, Abisko
  • 2021 Kontaktdagen 10 november,Uppsala
  • 2021 Kretsloppet 2 oktober, Borås
  • 2021 Skara Ostmässa 3-5 sept, Skara
  • 2021 Trollhättan Action Week 20 aug, Trollhättan
  • 2019 Barnfestivalen 8 sept, Lerum
  • 2019 Kronans Peppotek 31 jan- 2 feb, Malmö
  • 2019 Kunskapskalaset 13 oktober, Malmö
  • 2019 Moment, Stockholm
  • 2019 Scandinavian Invitation, Göteborg
  • 2019 Skåne Innovation Day 23 maj, Malmö
ANVÄNDER VERKTYGET
  • BUFF
  • Destination Uppsala
  • Fjällräven Classic
  • Gadden
  • Göteborgs Kulturkalas
  • Gothia Cup
  • Gothia Innebandy Cup
  • Järnvägsmuseet
  • Jul på Vallarna
  • Lidingöloppet
  • m:brane
  • Malmöfestivalen
  • Nationaldagsfirandet
  • No Emission Race
  • Nordea Open
  • Nordisk Panorama Film Festival
  • O-ringen
  • Partille Cup
  • PS Occasion
  • SM veckan 2025
  • Stockholm Filmfestival
  • TEAM-dagarna
  • Tiomila
  • Uniaden
  • Vafab Miljö
  • VM i Innebandy 2024
  • Östersjöfestivalen

 

Want to book a demo or get in touch with us?

Fill out the form, email us or call us, and we will get back to you!

+46340 – 144 00
info@greentime.se

– Simon Strandvik
Founder, Greentime

A selection of customers

Festivals Sports events Local & municipal events Fairs & conferences