Press release

Hamburg will become the international hub for energy transition and sustainability in autumn 2024

16 August 2024
Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and addressing climate change are among the greatest challenges of our time. This autumn, the focus will be on solutions from the fields of science, business and politics when over 100,000 international experts come to Hamburg for the “Big Three of Energy Transition”, which refer to the leading industry trade fairs of WindEnergy Hamburg, Hydrogen Technology Europe and the leading maritime trade fair SMM. Moreover, it will be the first time that the Hamburg Sustainability Conference is held, with high-ranking international guests expected to attend.

Four events in 2024 are set to make Hamburg the global hub for energy transition and sustainability. In October, the new Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) will have its premiere. And in the same month, the hydrogen trade fair Hydrogen Technology Europe will be held in Hamburg for the first time. Important industry events such as WindEnergy Hamburg and SMM, the leading maritime trade fair, will open their doors in September, enabling the industry to present concrete solutions for the energy transition. The new Hamburg Sustainability Conference will offer a trailblazing format that is intended to lead to concrete processes and initiatives. So, while the focus is often on the questions and problems of achieving sustainability and climate targets, Hamburg as host city offers the international expert audience a platform for answers and feasible solutions.

The events in Hamburg at a glance:

SMM the leading international maritime trade fair (3-6 September 2024):

The maritime economy is in the midst of the green transition, and advanced technologies are the enablers of this sweeping transformation. At SMM, international exhibitors will showcase the latest products and ideas paving the way into the future of shipping. Under the motto “SMM – driving the maritime transition”, the 31st SMM will focus in particular on the maritime energy transition and digital transformation. As the world's leading trade fair and conference event for the maritime industry, SMM 2024 will bring together around 40,000 participants from over 120 countries and serve as a unique platform for business, the exchange of ideas and cooperation.
www.smm-hamburg.de

 

WindEnergy Hamburg (24-27 September 2024):

The goal is set! By 2030, the EU aims to generate 425 gigawatts of electricity from wind energy. The energy transition can only succeed if new wind farms are quickly connected to the grid and the electricity can be distributed as needed. WindEnergy Hamburg brings together the international wind energy industry – from plant and component manufacturers, to project developers and operators, through to scientists and politicians. Every two years, the industry meets at the world's leading networking hub for wind energy, Hamburg. More than 1,500 companies from 40 countries present their innovations and solutions along the entire value chain of wind energy to up to 40,000 participants from 100 nations in ten exhibition halls.
www.windenergyhamburg.de

 

Hydrogen Technology Europe (23-24 October 2024)

Produced from renewable energies, hydrogen is the central element of a climate-neutral industry. The hydrogen economy is currently experiencing a boom, opening up enormous opportunities. Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe is the world's largest supplier fair for the corresponding technologies. More than 300 international speakers and over 15,000 visitors will present and discuss the latest solutions for marketing hydrogen as a clean, renewable energy source. In addition, more than 700 exhibiting companies provide an international showroom for solutions and innovations for climate-friendly hydrogen production, efficient storage and distribution, as well as applications in a wide range of stationary and mobile applications.
www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com

 

Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) (7-8 October 2024)

The new Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) is an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Michael Otto Foundation and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Leaders from politics, business, science and civil society are planning to implement a joint process to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Hamburg Town Hall. The focus is on the conception of political frameworks for joint action and the co-creation of breakthroughs to achieve the SDGs by 2030. In the international conference calendar, this conference offers a platform for initiatives that seek to win new partners in order to achieve their goals quickly and effectively in strong alliances. www.sustainability-conference.org

Hamburg as a driver of sustainability and the energy transition

It is no wonder that Hamburg will become “the place to be” for the implementation of the global energy transition in autumn 2024, when a total of around 100,000 people from science, business, politics and civil society will come to the North German city to contribute to achieving the goals with solutions along the entire value chain.

With the KlimaCampus Hamburg, universities and scientific institutions are conducting cutting-edge research on climate, climate change and climate impacts. The surrounding metropolitan region of Hamburg is one of the birthplaces of today's wind power industry, with numerous headquarters of international players. In recent years, this location has developed into a model region for the energy systems of the future and is on its way to becoming Northern Europe's hub for green hydrogen. It was back in 2011 that Hamburg was named one of the first European Green Capitals by the EU, because Hamburg, with one of the most important container ports in the North Range and as a vibrant logistics and industrial centre, had already set itself ambitious climate targets at an early stage. At the same time, Germany's second largest city is not only a leader in economic power, but also offers a very high quality of life and a friendly environment for new ideas.

Hamburg is a testing ground for innovative solutions in the fields of mobility and energy. As one of Europe's strongest start-up locations, the city successfully encourages green tech start-ups. 1KOMMA5° is one of the most recent German unicorns from Hamburg, and the company is currently expanding internationally to advance the energy transition. In 2023, Hamburg launched its own digital SDG dashboard, demonstrating that the city is taking responsibility for implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is made transparent using 107 indicators.

Finally, Hamburg is more than just the stage for these high-impact industry events; it is also a showroom for trailblazing approaches to how large cities can respond to global challenges. Thanks to its high level of international networking, stakeholders are in constant dialogue with other cities and regions around the world in order to learn from each other. After all, many of the most important measures for achieving sustainability and climate targets are developed and implemented where people live – in the cities and metropolitan regions.

Sources and further information

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