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Sustainability & Legacy
Since opening our doors more than 20 years ago, ExCeL London - with the backing of ADNEC - has firmly established itself as one of the UK's leading international exhibition and conference centres.
Yet this success is not just down to providing world-class facilities. We encourage, our staff, event organisers and exhibitors to share our wider purpose of creating a positive impact on the local community and the world around us. We truly believe in caring for our people and our planet.
More importantly, our aim is to use our platform - and the four million people who grace our venue every year - to inform and inspire others to play their part in tackling the climate emergency.
As well as supporting five local charity partners, we are immensely proud of our achievements to date, most notably being certified carbon neutral in 2022 - and the first UK venue to achieve the internationally recognised PAS 2060 status.
We also use 100% renewable electricity, send zero waste to landfill (and have done for more than 10 years), earning the 'Triple Crown of Sustainability' and even housing one of the UK's largest wormeries. We have also signed up to the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge, committing us to a 50% emissions reduction by 2030 and to become net zero by 2050. This, of course, we intend to exceed and will be publishing our roadmap in 2023. Our vision is to be a sustainability leader within our industry by shaping the future of events into one that is net zero, resource efficient and equitable.
In October 2023 we published our Sustainability Strategy, which outlines our long-term ESG ambitions driven by five key pillars that support our core business both sustainably and ethically.
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ExCeL London's Sustainability Strategy
In October 2023 we published our Sustainability Strategy, which outlines our long-term ESG ambitions driven by five key pillars that support our core business both sustainably and ethically.
Download our Sustainability Strategy
Our five pillars outlined below, and their detailed action plans, were developed following a double materiality assessment undertaken at the end of 2022, with over 600 stakeholder representatives across key groups including event organisers, exhibitors, visitors, employees, suppliers, event industry partners and ExCeL’s local community.
Venue Sustainability Features
100% of electricity comes from renewable sources and all gas is accounted for through Voluntary Carbon Offsets (VCOs)
We are home to one of the largest commercial wormeries, containing 300,000 worms to recycle food waste
We have operated a zero waste-to-landfill policy since 2012, with 71% of waste recycled in 2021 and the remaining 29% used to create refuse-derived fuels
We have water fountains installed throughout the venue which result in 200,000 fewer plastic bottles used every year
The venue’s waterless urinals save enough water to fill 6 Olympic-size swimming pools each year
25% of our catering menus serve plant-forward, vegan or vegetarian options and 80% of our menus use British seasonal fruit and vegetables
Our living wall along the promenade has 9,000 plants which remove air pollutants
Used cooking oil is collected for recycling into biofuel. HVO is used for plant and machinery across the venue which has up to 93% emissions saving compared to white diesel
Charity Engagement
ExCeL are partnered with five local charities:
Bonny Downs Community Association is a dynamic community-led charity that serves a diverse cross-section of residents in the Borough of Newham. We provide multi-faceted support through annual funding, volunteering opportunities and various forms of donation.
Community Food Enterprise (CFE) works in East London to provide access to healthy and nutritious food, particularly for local nursery and school children. We support CFE with annual funding, staff donation drives during times of shortage, and donations of surplus food from events, wherever possible.
London Academy of Excellence is a free sixth-form school committed to the development of their sixth formers to give them broad and rich life choices, regardless of socio-economic backgrounds. Our funding plays a small part in the school’s success in helping students win places at top universities.
Newham All Star Sports Academy (NASSA) helps young people thrive through sport by providing coaching, training, and after-school activities. Funding from ExCeL London enables NASSA to further its reach locally.
Richard House Children’s Hospice provides support to more than 300 local families. ExCeL London contributes through annual funding, providing fundraising opportunities from events and raising the profile of the incredible work of the hospice and its team.
Download our sustainability documents & certificates
