Environmental responsibility is still strongly at the center of Helsinki Horse Show’s values, and has been since 2017. With the Horse Show’s Jumps Green environmental program, environmental goals and measures are implemented and harmful environmental effects are minimized. We measure our environmental impact annually using a carbon footprint calculator.
In 2024, the carbon footprint of the Helsinki Horse Show per visitor was 19.4 kgCO2e (kilograms in carbon dioxide equivalents). This corresponds to a little more than 19 large beach balls filled with carbon dioxide.
In 2024, we succeeded better in recycling than previous years. The amount of biowaste increased, which means that the amount of mixed waste decreased considerably. Biowaste is reused and it is further processed into renewable fuel. In addition, we effectively recycled the cardboard, paper and plastic waste generated at the event. The circular economy mindset and material efficiency has reduced the amount of waste as a whole. The manure from the event is delivered to HorsEco’s ecological manure processing facility, where the manure is further processed into mulch.
We also managed to reduce emissions from food by 15 %. Red meat was consumed 23 % less, while the consumption of vegetables (+15 %) and fish (+98 %) increased. Food accounted for 9 % of the carbon footprint of the entire event (11 % in 2023).
The largest greenhouse emissions still come from traveling, accounting for 67 % of the emissions of the entire event. Traveling is the biggest challenge of our event and we will actively take measures to reduce these emissions. Horse Show travel includes the travel of visitors, riders, horse transports, exhibitors and subcontractors. The use of renewable diesel would significantly reduce the carbon footprint, as it reduces the driver’s carbon footprint by up to 90 %. Visitors’ traveling by public means of transport would also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse emissions. For example, the emission factor of the train in the carbon footprint calculator is zero, which means that after walking and cycling, traveling by train is the best and most sensible form of transport.
EcoCompass
One important tool for developing, reporting and monitoring the Jumps Green environmental program is the environmental management system EcoCompass. The EcoCompass certificate was awarded to the Helsinki Horse Show in 2019. The re-audit was done at the 2024 event, and the continuity of the certificate guarantees the Horse Show the tools to continue developing its sustainability work.
Responsible volunteering
Each year approx. 500 volunteers work at the Helsinki Horse Show. We are constantly developing our operations so that we can ensure the well-being and safety of the volunteers. We have especially invested in measures against discrimination and harassment, and we strive to ensure that volunteers become part of a safe community. We hope that volunteers get to experience the joy of helping and participating, as well as a sense of belonging. We want the volunteers to feel valued and to feel that they are accomplishing meaningful things together at our event.
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