Environmental strategy of Tampere Hall provides systematic procurement guidance

The environmental targets of Tampere Hall include among others minimising their carbon footprint and continuous improvement of environmental performance. The environmental goals and the Swan label guide systematically guide Tampere Hall's procurement practices. The strategic and systematic approach to procurement is guided by Tampere Hall's environmental strategy and the Swan label. Sustainability aspects are taken into account in three stages of the process: • Prior to the actual procurement process the environmental aspects of planned purchases are analysed. • During the individual procurement process, the environmental aspects and sustainable development goals are emphasised, and • After the procurement, the suppliers and partners are encouraged to adopt the same level of environmental management. This approach allows Tampere Hall to explore a variety of options of how to consider the environmental impacts of product groups, and to take into account impacts generated throughout the products' lifecycle. Taking into account impacts along the entire lifecycle offers a possibility to use new, innovative solutions which may be more expensive in the beginning but in the end have lower total costs (lifecycle costs). Examples: - Use of fair trade, organic and local food: • Fair trade, organic and local foods are favoured when available. Since 2009, Tampere Hall has followed the Steps to organic (Portaat luomuun) program for professional kitchens. Currently Tampere Hall are at the fourth level (out of six) in use of organic produce in food services, reaching for the fifth level. On the fourth level at least 8 and on the fifth level at least 20 significant items of organic raw materials (such as coffee, tea, cocoa, cereals, juice etc.) are in permanent use in the kitchen. - Carbon footprint: • Tampere Hall tracks the carbon footprint of its operations. Carbon footprint of the food is calculated mostly based on information received from wholesalers and it affects menu planning of the restaurant. Based on the calculations it is possible to offer B-to-B customers more climate-friendly meal choices. - Continuous reduction of the amount of waste: • Tampere Hall pays continuous attention to reduction of waste and waste separation at the source. • Recyclability is emphasised in procurement through agreements with suppliers, where recycling of the used goods (e.g. building materials) is the supplier's responsibility. • Building and set-up of exhibitions and trade fairs have been identified as a major source of mixed waste. Consequently, the contractors now receive more specific guidance on how to sort the waste. • The disposable dishes used in Tampere Hall are biodegradable. The amount of waste is measured by several different indicators. Over the years, the waste management has been organised to increase recycling and utilisation of waste materials, and to increase the proportion of waste that can be sorted on site. Some of the waste is recycled into new products, such as mascots made of well-worn fabric of the seat covers. - Cleantech solutions: • Cleaning the kitchen premises is now done with Ozone water instead of chemicals. Ozone water is produced by an ozonator coupled to the cold water tap. • Tampere Hall has a titanium oxide coated bituminous roofing, which helps to depollute the air of nitrogen oxides. Titanium oxide functions as a catalyst for a reaction where nitrogen oxides convert into nitrates that are washed off the roof by rainwater. Success factors A continuous, holistic approach in environmental management which is founded on the Swan label and takes procurement strongly into account. The impacts of procurement decisions are monitored and used as feedback into guidance and to provide motivation for the continuous improvements. Novelty The strategic approach of Tampere Hall in environmental management takes procurement strongly into account. The Nordic Swan label guides Tampere Hall's environmental targets, which is seen in practice for example in procurement of food produce and other supplies, and in the use of innovative cleaning methods and other cleantech solutions, to the creation of which Tampere Hall together with suppliers has also contributed. Sustainability Impacts Tampere Hall has managed to continuously increase the share of recycled and utilised waste. In 2014 the share of disposed waste was 0,23% and consisted only of broken porcelain plates, when 13,67% of waste was recycled and 86,10% utilised. In 2014, the use of energy for heating was reduced to nearly half the amount used in 1991, and there are also significant reductions in the use of electricity. The annual greenhouse gas emissions of Tampere Hall have been measured from year 2011. Using the indicators of Green Building Council Finland, the CO2-emissions are calculated for the property and the catering services. The emissions of the catering represent a third of the total amount. In addition to this, a total visitor-orientated carbon footprint is calculated. The 2014 carbon footprint was 4,3 kg CO2/visitor, which is 0,5 kg CO2/visitor less than in 2013 and 2012. A target to further reduce the carbon footprint is included in the environmental strategy of Tampere Hall. Some of the greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by the air cleaning roof. A 130 m² area removes nitrogen oxides from the air to the same amount that a Euro5-marked passenger car produces over 15 000 km. The titanium oxide coated bituminous roofing already covers 2050 m² of the roof. With the new extensions installed in June 2015 it will compensate for emissions equivalent to over 400 000 km of driving per year. The roofing material has a lifecycle of 50 years and a feature that lowers thermal load, which in turn reduces need for cooling. Titanium oxide also repels algae, which lowers the maintenance costs of the roof as well as reducing the amount of cleaning chemicals used. Using ozone water in cleaning of the kitchen facilities has significantly reduced the use of chemicals. It has been possible to abandon nearly all cleaning chemicals without lowering the cleaning results. Procurement of the ozonator has lowered the cleaning costs and the device paid itself in less than a year's time. Cost-effectiveness Due to the environmental strategy of Tampere Hall the personnel is allowed to procure new, sustainable solutions, even if they are more expensive in the short-term than traditional solutions. Innovative solutions may become less expensive in use owing for diminished maintenance costs. For this reason, the lifecycle costs are emphasised in decision making. Challenges and potential for further development It has turned out that in planning of larger procurement processes, it may sometimes be laborious to find a suitable environmental criterion that can be scored.