Report. With the publication of its first Sustainability Report, Amsterdam RAI has given a clear indication of its ambitious CSR goals for the future. The RAI aims to become the leader in the European conference and events industry with regard to sustainability within the next five years. With this in mind, the Amsterdam exhibition and conference centre has developed a wide range of initiatives whilst seeking to find an ideal balance between social and economic considerations.
The initial emphasis has been on finding solutions within the RAI complex itself, and the new RAI Elicium building has a major role in this respect. During the course of 2008, the CSR policy has been awarded various marks of quality, including Green Key and Green Globe.

Balancing interests “In the rich history of Amsterdam RAI, business decisions have never been taken based purely on economic grounds,” commented Chairman of the Board Hans Bakker. “The social impact of our activities on Amsterdam and the surrounding region has always played an important role. And now that we have entered an era of sustainable investments in the future, the RAI’s influence on society and the environment is more relevant than ever. Taking this as our starting point, Amsterdam RAI translated its goals into a concrete CSR policy in 2008. In addition, we have chosen sustainability themes based specifically on the sector in which we operate and the expectations of our clients.”

Meeting GRI requirements The first Sustainability Report was written in partnership with the BECO Group and drawn up based on the widely accepted guidelines issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The report gives a balanced overview of Amsterdam RAI’s economic, environmental and social performance in 2008. The key points addressed are energy and climate, mobility, water, waste, employees, procurement and exhibition packages, and social involvement. The entire report can be accessed via www.rai.nl.