CCB Magazine

The Blue Angel (Blauer Engel) is one of the oldest and most renowned seals in Germany. Since this year, it has also been available for the event industry. We spoke to Nora Dorn, who was involved in the certification process, about the focus and requirements for the industry. 
 

INTERVIEW  JULIETTE HOLTZ

CCB Magazine: Mrs Dorn, since January 2025, event organizations of all kinds, such as concerts, trade fairs and theater festivals, have been able to apply for the Blue Angel sustainability certificate. Who is being certified there and according to what criteria? 

Nora Dorn: All event venues in Germany can apply, regardless of whether they are concerts, festivals or indoor or outdoor events - the award criteria were scientifically developed by the Federal Environment Agency in collaboration with experts from the event industry. They were determined by the independent “Environmental Label Jury”. The original idea of certifying events with the Blue Angel came from the European Association for Events (EVVC), which approached us. 

CCB Magazine: Certifications such as the ISO 20121 standard for sustainable event management already exist to promote sustainable change in the event industry. What is the difference? 

Nora Dorn: The main difference is that the ISO 20121 standard is an international standard that sees itself as a systemic approach: While the Blue Angel is limited to individual events in Germany and focuses primarily on specific environmental aspects, the ISO 20121 standard is a holistic and systemic approach that looks at the entire organization, not just individual areas. The ISO 20121 standard also does not set clear targets for the percentage of waste or CO2 emissions that must be reduced, for example. It is about a concept that covers the entire organization and gradually makes it more sustainable. We, on the other hand, set clear guidelines in certain areas that must be adhered to - we are guided by the Austrian Ecolabel and have divided the criteria into so-called “CAN” and “MUST” criteria. 

The Blue Angel has existed since 1978. In contrast to ISO standard 20121, which does not specify what percentage of waste or CO2 emissions must be saved, we demand clear savings

CCB Magazine: What are the “CAN” and “MUST” criteria? How many of these must an event fulfill in order to receive certification?

Nora Dorn: The MUST criteria are mandatory environmental standards that strongly affect the mobility sector, as this causes the highest CO2 emissions - up to 80 percent of CO2 emissions at events are attributable to this. The venue must therefore be accessible without a car. Flying must be avoided. A subsequent use concept must also be available for new buildings. Sustainable water supplies, environmentally friendly mobile toilet facilities, correct waste separation and the use of ecological cleaning agents must also be used on the site itself - and organic and seasonal food and predominantly vegetarian or vegan dishes should be offered for catering. The CAN criteria, on the other hand, include measures such as saving drinking water, using sustainable stage materials, offsetting greenhouse gases or passing on catering leftovers. In contrast to the MUST criteria, there is a points system for the CAN criteria - a minimum score of 45 points must be achieved for certification, which corresponds to 30 percent of all CAN criteria.
 

The criteria were developed with experts at the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau.  Photo © UBA/Susanne Kambor

CCB Magazine: Who checks the certification at the end? How expensive is such a seal? And who checks the processes afterwards? 

Nora Dorn: On the one hand, there is always a responsible environmental officer on site who checks the implementation directly at the festival. On the other hand, we work together with the certification body “RAL gGmbH”, which is responsible for awarding the seal. However, the organizers themselves can also obtain an assessment beforehand. For this purpose, we offer an application software that can be used to check all criteria and evidence in order to know how far away you are from certification. And the price: RAL charges a fee of 600 euros via a label usage contract. After that, a percentage of the turnover of the certified event is payable. The Blue Angel is therefore not expensive: an event with an annual turnover of up to 250,000 euros costs a mere 350 euros. With a turnover of more than 40 million, which would be the highest level, fees of 13,500 euros would be incurred.

The Blue Angel is first and foremost an ecological eco-label. However, the new certification program also takes social aspects into account, such as awareness concepts against sexualized violence, gender mainstreaming and diversity

CCB Magazine:The Blue Angel is one of the oldest renowned seals in Germany. It has been awarded by the federal government since 1978. Initially, it was mainly products that were awarded, such as recycled paper, cleaning agents, paints and the like. Nowadays, more and more services are also being certified by the Blue Angel - for example, caterers can now also be awarded the Blue Angel. It is noticeable that ecological sustainability is at the forefront of everything. Are social aspects also taken into account in your new certification program? 

Nora Dorn:Absolutely! First of all, it is true that the Blue Angel is primarily an ecological eco-label. However, we do take social aspects into account in our new certification scheme, such as awareness concepts against sexualized violence, gender mainstreaming and diversity, and a barrier-free website also falls under the so-called “CAN” criteria. We also pay attention to the statutory minimum wage. However, it is also clear that we are now entering the first term and only then will we take stock. If experience shows that certain social issues such as accessibility or awareness need to be given even more weight, we will make improvements. 

CCB Magazine:Back to the process: How long does it take from the application to the awarding of the Blue Angel seal for an event? And how long is the certification valid for? 

Nora Dorn: The duration depends on how well the criteria are met and documented. It usually takes a few weeks to a few months. The contract remains valid for the duration of the four-year term. The same event can therefore be held several times without any problems. In the event of changes, a change or extension application must be submitted. This costs another 300 euros. 

CCB Magazine: Ms. Dorn, the whole world and not least the event industry is striving to become more sustainable. What further steps towards sustainability is the Blue Angel planning for the future? 

Nora Dorn: We are currently investing all our energy in this project. We are gathering important experience and, as with all Blue Angel products, evaluating the project during its term. On this basis, we can then take the next steps to make events in Germany even more environmentally friendly.