A CSR policy for present-day and future events
The venues managed by Lyon events have been implementing an active environmental policy for several years now. In line with the GL events Group's CSR policy, we aim to further reinforce our commitment in this area by taking every dimension of sustainable development into account, reducing our carbon footprint and the use of disposable items, promoting diversity and contributing to local economic and social development.
This being said, we are firmly aware of the ecological footprint of events and we actively aim to reduce it. At the same time, we are also convinced that by "bringing people together", we contribute to building and reinforcing the social values and bonds that our societies are so much in need of today. Above and beyond simply complying with regulatory requirements, at Lyon events we aim to share our social and societal values and commitment to making Lyon an environmentally-friendly destination for events.
Our policy is built on a social and societal approach that addresses the combined expectations of all our stakeholders (customers, employees, local authorities, suppliers, etc.).
The Lyon Convention Centre, Eurexpo Lyon and La Sucrière venues are all ISO 20121 certified and committed to taking a proactive approach to ensuring the events we host are managed responsibly. Moreover, we are convinced that this objective represents a genuine opportunity to strengthen our collective performance by giving meaning to our missions. Consequently, we invite all our stakeholders to play an active role in this challenge and thereby contribute to building a sustainable future for generations to come.
As part of its CSR policy, Lyon events' venues are committed to taking concrete action on a daily basis to make their operations and activities more responsible:
Waste management
For the last two years, Eurexpo has been the top-ranked venue in the Group in terms of furniture-recycling, thanks to its partnership with Valdelia, an eco-responsible recycling organisation. In addition, the creation of a new partnership with Elise regarding the management of office waste has had a dual impact by improving waste-sorting processes and promoting social integration. In 2023, a total of 62 tonnes of wood were recovered for re-use in the professional sector. For a number of years now, Eurexpo Lyon has also been working with ECOVALIM, an eco-responsible organisation that collects bio-waste from restaurants and caterers and recycles it into compost. Moreover, since 2024, Eurexpo Lyon has been working with them to recycle exhibitors' waste right from the start of the fair/Exhibition, notably by establishing a platform and a waste-sorting process with a view to setting up a waste collection centre on site. The first conclusive tests were carried out during the Foire de Lyon, Japan Haru and Art3F events.
La Sucrière works with the company Paprec to process their non-hazardous industrial waste and has installed two skips for cardboard and a skip for glass on site.
Meanwhile, the Lyon Convention Centre collected and sorted over 12.9 tonnes of bio-waste in 2023. This figure has been rising steadily since 2018. This bio-waste is collected by our partner, the AIDEN association. The waste is composted and then used to grow vegetables in a market garden on the Abbé Rozier farm. The work in the farm's market garden is carried out by young people on social integration schemes. The vegetables that are grown are then sold at "solidarity" markets. Magner, our catering partner at the Lyon Convention Centre, purchases produce from the AIDEN association for the services it provides in our venue. In addition, a waste collection centre has been set up on site to manage and recycle all the waste produced, whether during events or not. Finally, water fountains are progressively being installed in our venues, in order to do away with plastic bottles. This eco-responsible solution is in line with the GL events' CSR policy, pre-empting certain French regulatory requirements concerning establishments that are open to the public. These self-service water fountains provide chilled water from the Lyon Metropolitan water network. This environmental initiative also aims to involve all our visitors – whether professionals or the general public – in a responsible collective approach that will benefit future generations. Above and beyond the existing regulatory requirements, which our venues already fully comply with, this initiative reflects the pro-active commitment of our teams. Since 2019, our venues have been using locally-sourced reusable glass bottles, replacing plastic water bottles. This represents some 50,000 plastic bottles that are removed from our event-cycle every year.
Collection and redistribution of food
In order to reduce our carbon footprint, and notably in terms of consumption, our venues actively seek to combat food waste by recovering and redistributing unused food. For example, in2023, at the Lyon Convention Centre, more than 17,000 meals were redistributed, with the support of three partners: Fédération de l'Armée du salut (Salvation Army), Les amis de tous (part of the Petits frères des pauvres federation) and Le Chainon manquant association. To do this, we ask our customers to count and register the participants in their event before 11.00am, in order to set aside any food that has been ordered but which will not be consumed. These meals are then redistributed with the help of our partners, while complying with hygiene and health requirements and respecting the cold chain.
At Eurexpo Lyon, a total of 2.28 tonnes of used cooking oils were collected by Paprec in 2023, compared with 910kg in 2022, an increase of more than 150%. The oil collected is recycled and turned into a new type of oil, such as demoulding oil or chainsaw oil.
Lyon's other venues, La Sucrière and Matmut Stadium, also collect unused food during events and redistribute it through their caterers.
New facilities for more eco-responsible venues
Our Eurexpo Lyon venue has translated its CSR commitments into tangible actions by installing a large solar-panel facility covering almost 13 hectares in the car parks and re-landscaped the outdoor spaces, covering the pedestrian walkways and creating shaded areas. The new layout of the outdoor spaces also aims to protect biodiversity, in particular certain animal species that are present on our site, such as the stone curlew (bird) and the common toad. LED lighting has also been introduced in all the buildings to ensure effective energy management. This work aims to enhance the event spaces with lighting, while promoting sustainable development.
In addition to this, the Lyon Convention Centre has undertaken various renovations throughout the venue to improve the customer experience and reduce energy consumption. These renovations include the installation of air destratification fans, air handling units and new doors in the foyers. Thanks to an expert Building Management team and a single contact person for each project, these measures enable us to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the buildings, thereby optimising and reducing energy consumption.
In 2023, a programme aimed at monitoring energy consumption was put in place at La Sucrière, resulting in a 25% reduction in energy, compared with the previous year. This reduction was achieved by setting up a platform to monitor and manage the building's energy performance, and by sharing best practices with all stakeholders (employees, service providers, customers, etc.).
Culture accessible to everyone
The Amphithéâtre 3000, Lyon's flagship performing-arts venue, has established socio-cultural partnerships with a number of associations including Secours Populaire, Le Chainon manquant and the Salvation Army, to facilitate access to culture by redistributing tickets for shows. In 2023, nearly 170 tickets were redistributed to single-parent families and volunteer workers, so that they too could enjoy the pleasures of attending live shows. This initiative notably provides an opportunity to thank volunteer workers for their work throughout the year, without which the associations could not function.
All the teams that work in the venues managed by Lyon events are committed to continuous improvement. All our staff are encouraged to play an active role in helping to build a sustainable future.