Hamburg, January 2025- An innovative place for exchange and inspiration: The 3rd Sustainability Day at the Empire Riverside Hotel attracted many interested participants on January 7, 2025, who joined experts to explore sustainable concepts and visions. With insightful presentations, interactive workshops and impressive examples of best practice from the renowned Hamburg lifestyle and design hotel, the event demonstrated how sustainability can be put into practice in the hotel industry.
Sustainability as a guiding principle
The Empire Riverside Hotel pursues sustainability as an integral part of its business strategy. It is guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and focuses on the three pillars of sustainability - environmental, economic and social. "Sustainability is more than just a trend for us - it's our commitment," explains Hotel Director Enrico Ungermann. "We want to take responsibility and take concrete steps towards a more environmentally friendly and fairer future. So that we are not alone in this philosophy, we want to make the knowledge of sustainability experts accessible to a broad public."
Workshops: Developing solutions together
The central element of the day in the afternoon was therefore forward-looking workshops, which were designed to be practical and interactive:
- StraßenBLUES e.V.: No warm bed in winter, that's a real nightmare for homeless people in many German cities at the moment. The StraßenBLUES initiative shows how homeless people can be supported with innovative approaches such as "social impact storytelling". Participants were given insights into creative solutions to tackle this social challenge.
- Anna Manzke - Self-determination and participation:What is it like to be dependent on other people's help for the rest of your life? In her workshop, Anna Manzke, a social worker, shed light on the challenges faced by people with disabilities, particularly with regard to career choices, partnerships and self-determination. The participants' perspectives were sharpened through an exciting self-experience experiment and the subsequent exchange.
- Time for the future - Mentors for children e.V.: It is still just a pious hope that every child in Germany will have the same starting opportunities. But initiatives such as Zeit für Zukunft are working to change this. For example, with volunteer mentors who can offer children in Hamburg prospects. The participants learned how they themselves can become part of the program and what lasting effects these mentorships have.
- Hanseatic Help e.V.: Wear it once and then get rid of it - that's the perfidious philosophy behind fast fashion. Hanseatic Help e.V. shows that there is another way. They are concerned with the sustainable use of resources, especially textiles. The workshop provided insights into their work with donated clothing and highlighted the impact of textile production on the environment and society.
- Hamburger Tierschutzverein von 1841 e.V.: Unfortunately, even in our enlightened society, animals are repeatedly the victims of violence, neglect and abuse. The Hamburg Animal Welfare Association provided information and many tips on how animal and species protection can be integrated into everyday life. There was also a discussion on how the hotel and catering industry can do more to protect animals.
Optimized use of resources thanks to digital processes
In addition to the workshops, the Empire Riverside Hotel was able to present pioneering successes from its own sustainability efforts, for example:
- CO₂ reduction: from 2023 to 2024, CO₂ emissions were reduced by 2.75%.
- Conservation of resources: Paper consumption was reduced by 13.9%, which corresponds to a saving of 0.56 tons
- Digitalization: Digital processes such as menus and check-outs contribute to the sustainability strategy and optimize the use of resources.
Goals for the coming years include the complete switch to LED lighting by 2026 and a further reduction in energy consumption.
Sustainably networked into the future
The 3rd Sustainability Day not only provided space for knowledge and exchange, but also showed how important it is for everyone involved to work together. "It is impressive how many creative ideas and commitment come together here," was the conclusion of many participants. The organizers are therefore already looking forward to the next Sustainability Day in 2026, where the involvement of guests and partners is to be expanded even further. "Together we can create change - step by step," concluded the Empire Riverside Hotel.
About the Empire Riverside Hotel:
Right in the heart of St. Pauli, between the harbor, Elbe and Reeperbahn, the impressive, bronze-clad tower of the Empire Riverside Hotel - designed by British star architect David Chipperfield - rises 76 m into the sky. The timeless elegance and Hanseatic understatement of the design and lifestyle hotel has been a feature of Hamburg's skyline and harbor crown since it opened in 2007. Floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in the 327 rooms and 12 suites offer a unique view of Hamburg. Guests can enjoy and linger in the restaurant waterkant, the lobby bar David's and the Skyline Bar 20up. In addition to a spa area with steam bath and sauna, the Empire Riverside also offers a training area and event rooms for up to 1000 people. Further information can be found at: www.empire-riverside.de
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