Moody’s Recommended London Sustainable Venues

Central London Sustainable Venues

Here is our collection of the best sustainable venues in Central London.

8 Northumberland

Hailed as London’s most central venue, 8 Northumberland Avenue is a stunning events venue whose commitment to sustainable practices is evident.

The venue has implemented a number of policies to reduce its environmental impact, such as putting a rainwater harvesting system in place to reduce water consumption, ensuring they are 100% plastic free, as well as utilising technology such as mirrored digital screens to ensure they’re paper free, too. These measures, as well as many others, have been taken in order to reduce the building's carbon footprint and make it a more sustainable event option.

Best for: Conferences, Award Ceremonies, Christmas Parties

Glaziers Hall

Glaziers Hall is a stunning 19th-century warehouse turned event venue near London Bridge with contemporary, bright spaces, from exposed brick arches to wooden-panelled banqueting rooms. Sustainability is high on the agenda for this venue and they follow a strict ‘Reuse, Recycle and Reduce’ policy. For example, the venue is completely plastic-free, as well as trying to make as many green choices as possible, such as providing pencils made from recycled newspapers for delegates.

To save electricity, movement sensors have been installed throughout Glaziers Hall, allowing lights and air conditioning not to be wasted while the room isn’t in use. Large windows in many of the spaces allow natural light to flood in, reducing the need for lighting during the day.

Best for: Conferences, Meetings, Corporate Events

BMA House

One of the more well-known sustainable event venues in London, BMA House has a number of sustainability policies in place to help reduce its environmental impact. These include reducing energy consumption, minimising waste and promoting sustainable travel options.

The building is part of the Mayor of London's Better Buildings Partnership, which aims to improve the energy efficiency of office buildings in the city. BMA House has undergone a number of energy efficiency measures, including installing LED lighting and low-energy heating and cooling systems.

In terms of waste reduction, BMA House has introduced a comprehensive recycling program. All office waste is sorted and recycled where possible. The building also has a composting system in place for food waste.

To encourage sustainable travel, BMA House offers a number of facilities for cyclists, including bike storage and showers. The building is also well-connected to public transport, with several bus and tube routes running nearby.

BMA House is also amongst the first venues in the world to achieve Greengage’s ECOsmart Platinum accreditation!

Best for: Conferences, Award Ceremonies, Meetings, Workshops, Summer Events

Central Hall Westminster

Home to the 2021 edition of EventLAB, Central Hall Westminster is committed to reducing its environmental impact and operating in a sustainable way.

The venue was awarded a Gold Standard rating by the London Climate Change Agency and is working towards becoming carbon neutral. Central Hall Westminster's sustainability policies include reducing energy consumption, recycling and waste reduction, water conservation, responsible sourcing, and promoting sustainable travel. For example, they only use paper and timber products that are sourced from certified sustainable forests, and they also ensure their in-house catering partner, Green & Fortune, use locally sourced ingredients and reduce waste as much as possible.

For example at EventLAB, the venue served delicious meals made using non-commonly used parts of fruits, vegetables and even meat and fish. Central Hall Westminster is an exemplar of best practice in sustainable event management and is leading the way in making London a more sustainable city for events!

Best for: Conferences, Award Ceremonies, Exhibitions, Workshops

Searcys At The Gherkin

Searcys at the Gherkin is committed to sustainable practices and has implemented a number of policies to ensure that its impact on the environment is minimised.

The company has installed energy-efficient lighting and heating systems, and ensures careful management of water usage. They also operate recycling and composting facilities onsite, as well as encouraging employees to use public transport where possible.

The venue also sources seasonal food from local suppliers where possible, and works with suppliers who share its commitment to sustainable practices. Searcy's at the Gherkin is constantly reviewing its policies and practices to ensure that it is doing everything it can to operate sustainably and in an eco-friendly manner.

Best for: Conferences, Award Ceremonies, Corporate Dinners, Parties

One Birdcage Walk

One Birdcage Walk is a historic yet versatile event venue in Central London. The venue is extremely dedicated to providing event spaces that are as sustainable as possible. For example, in order to reduce their impact, they aim to minimise the consumption of all their resources, including water. They operate paperless communication systems, recycle and reuse as much as possible and dispose of waste in the most environmentally-friendly ways possible.

When it comes to catering, One Birdcage Walk works with a range of suppliers to provide their Chefs with a wide choice of Fairtrade and environmentally friendly products - from rapeseed oil to free-range meat.

Best for: Conferences, Award Ceremonies, Corporate Dinners, Parties

RSA House

RSA House (Royal Society of Arts) is one of London’s most sustainable venues which works continuously to improve its environmental performance. They have undertaken many initiatives to achieve their goals, including installing solar panels on the roof, which generate 10% of all the energy they use and investing in a ground source heat pump, which has reduced their carbon emissions by 40%.

They have also replaced all light bulbs with LED bulbs and replaced all gas cookers with electric hobs, which are more energy efficient and also require fewer cleaning chemicals to keep them clean. They have also installed water-saving devices throughout the venue, and use comprehensive recycling and composting systems, which has diverted 90% of the venue’s waste away from landfill.

Best for: Conferences, Away Days, Parties, Meetings

The Barbican

As one of the most popular event venues in London and the largest performing arts centre of its kind in Europe, the Barbican has always been a popular choice for events. As well as being home to 2000 species of tropical plants and over 100 species of tropical fish in their tropical biodiversity conservatory, the venue is also extremely eco-conscious and is committed to reducing its environmental impact.

These include measures to reduce energy consumption, water use, and waste production, such as solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system, and a whole range of sustainable initiatives rolled out throughout the venue from food to energy.

The Centre also works with partners to deliver environmentally-friendly initiatives such as tree planting and green roofing, as well as putting in place extensive recycling and composting programme.

Best for: Conferences, Away Days, Exhibitions

30 Euston Square

30 Euston Square is a stunning Grade II listed venue offering a range of versatile spaces for events large and small. The venue is committed to reducing its events’ environmental impact and promotes sustainable practices where possible. There are a number of policies in place to assist with this, including measures to reduce energy and water consumption, waste generation, and emissions. These include a recycling policy to cover all onsite materials, a policy to switch off all non-essential electric equipment when not in use, and a green procurement policy that gives preference to suppliers offering sustainable products and services. The venue also encourages the use of public transport where possible and provides facilities for cyclists. These policies have all helped the venue to achieve a number of awards for its sustainable operations, including the Gold Standard from the London Sustainable Development Commission and the BREEAM Excellent rating.

Best for: Conferences, Drinks Receptions, Corporate Parties, Meetings, Workshops

Best for: Conferences, Away Days, Exhibitions

East London Sustainable Venues

Here is our collection of the best sustainable venues in East London.

The HAC

The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is one of the oldest institutions in London, with several versatile and beautiful spaces for events of all kinds.

The HAC is committed to sustainable development, and its policies reflect this commitment. The company has a strong focus on reducing its environmental impact, and it has set ambitious targets for emissions reduction.

The HAC is also working to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings and has installed a number of renewable energy sources, including solar panels and a wind turbine. It has successfully introduced a number of green initiatives, such as a comprehensive recycling system, electric vehicle charging points and a Cycle to Work scheme.

Best for: Conferences, Meetings, Corporate Dinners, Parties, Award Ceremonies

Events@No6

Purpose-built Events@No 6 is an events venue committed to being sustainable and working towards becoming a completely carbon-neutral business. To help reduce their environmental impact, the venue ensures that they only use reusable or recyclable materials and work with local, sustainable suppliers where possible. This extends to their catering offerings - their chefs use creative menus to ensure they use as much as possible of the ingredients they buy and avoid unnecessary waste.

The venue has also installed an integrated chill beam system which helps to self-regulate the building’s temperature, avoiding the need for air conditioning. In addition, there is an automated lighting system to ensure lighting is only used when required, as well as solar panels installed on the roof to reduce energy consumption.

Best for: Conferences, Meetings, Workshops

Royal Museums Greenwich

This venue collection in Greenwich encompasses the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, and the Royal Observatory, which as a collection are all dedicated to working in more sustainable ways. Some initiatives that have been rolled out include reducing consumption of fossil fuels, investing in clean energy-efficient technologies, and reducing consumption of raw and processed materials and waste.

The venues also provide sustainability training for staff, which ensures continuity throughout the venues and ensures everyone is operating in the same way with the same goal - to be as environmentally conscious as possible, for every single event.

Best for: Conferences, Meetings, Workshops, Away Days, Parties, Award Ceremonies... anything you can think of!

Lumiere Underwood

Lumiere Underwood and parent company Lumiere London have implemented a number of sustainable policies across their venues. These include 98% of their waste being recycled, sending nothing to landfill. Anything that can’t be recycled is turned into energy electricity and biofertilizer by First Mile. All tech is also recycled, including batteries and ink cartridges and LED energy-saving lightbulbs and a strict ‘no leaving the light on’ policy when rooms aren’t in use has been implemented.

Clients and delegates are asked to personalise their cups and glasses with markers so they don’t use multiple throughout the day, and still water is provided in coolers throughout the venue. The venue also ensures sustainable catering options via local suppliers, and any leftover food from events is given to staff, clients, or taken to a homeless shelter. There are also free cycle storage facilities.

Best for: Conferences, Meetings, Workshops, Product Launches, Away Days

South London Sustainable Venues

Here is our collection of the best sustainable venues in South London.

Kia Oval

World-renowned as a stunning cricket ground, the Oval is also a fantastic events venue for any occasion who put sustainability at the heart of how they run events. The venue works with many sustainable supplies and partners, and have rolled out many initiatives throughout the venue.

These include using a strict waste disposal system, installing solar panels, and converting old single flush toilets to dual flush to save water. They have redesigned their Conference and Events lunch menus to dramatically reduce the quantity of beef served, and have ensured there are vegan alternatives so guests can make sustainable choices. Where possible, their food is also sourced within the British Isles to reduce the food mileage used.

As well as this, the Oval exclusively uses compostable food trays, cutlery and coffee cups and even makes sure their snacks are sustainable - crisp packets made from cellulose and sustainably grown eucalyptus trees from managed plantations, and chocolate in biodegradable wrappers. Their water is filtered and served in reusable branded bottles rather than any plastic or non-reusable containers.

Best for: Conferences, Meetings, Corporate Entertainment, Workshops, Drinks Receptions, Parties

West London Sustainable Venues

Here is our collection of the best sustainable venues in West London.

No.11 Cavendish Square

No.11 Cavendish Square is committed to sustainable policies and has a range of sustainability policies in place to help reduce its environmental impact. These include measures to reduce energy and water consumption, waste production and emissions of greenhouse gases. The building has been designed to be highly energy efficient, using solar panels to generate renewable energy.

Water conservation is also a key priority, with low-flow fixtures throughout the building and an onsite rainwater harvesting system which collects and stores rainwater for use in irrigation and toilet flushing. In addition, the building has been designed to maximise natural daylight and fresh air ventilation. These measures help to create a comfortable and healthy environment for delegates, while also reducing the building's carbon footprint.

Best for: Conferences, Workshops, Parties, Award Ceremonies

The View

The View, home of the Royal College of Surgeons, is a modern and unique venue for a range of different events. Having recently undergone a redesign, the venue’s team of architects prioritised making the building more sustainable and future-proofing the space by applying innovative methodology to the workings of the building, such as solar panels and FSC-accredited timber.

As well as this, many initiatives have been rolled out inside the venue too, such as sensor-controlled lighting, a no landfill rule, top quality sustainable ingredients in all aspects of catering, from lunch menus to tea and coffee, and water bottled onsite to avoid transport emissions.

Best for: Conferences, Private Dinners, Drinks Receptions, Parties, Meetings

North London Sustainable Venues

Here is our collection of the best sustainable venues in North London.

Conway Hall

In line with its ethical values, stunning events space Conway Hall is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. It has therefore adopted a number of policies to make its buildings and operations more sustainable.

For example, the venue has installed solar panels and a green roof, and uses energy-efficient lighting throughout the building. It also recycles all its paper, glass and metal waste. In addition, the Hall has a water-saving policy in place to minimise its water use.

Conway Hall's commitment to sustainability extends beyond its buildings and operations. It also aims to promote sustainable living more generally, through its educational and outreach programmes. For example, it runs events and workshops on topics such as green living, veganism and zero waste. By doing so, Conway Hall hopes to inspire its visitors and delegates to live more sustainable lives.

Best for: Conferences, Workshops, Parties, Award Ceremonies

Business Design Centre

Exhibition venue The Business Design Centre (BDC) is committed to promoting sustainable development and minimising its environmental impact. Its sustainable development policies cover a range of environmental and social issues, including energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, responsible procurement, using energy-efficient lighting and appliances, and encouraging the use of public transport.

The Centre has installed solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system, and all waste is recycled or reused where possible. The BDC also works with local suppliers and charities, and is committed to continuously improving its sustainability performance. It has been recognised as one of the top ten most sustainable venues in the UK by ethical events website, Good Event Guide. It is currently working towards achieving the London Mayor's Sustainable Development Standard Silver Award.

Best for: Conferences, Parties, Exhibitions, Award Ceremonies

Lord's Cricket Ground

Known fondly by many as the Home of Cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground is an iconic location and a stunning events venue committed to reducing its environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices. It has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce energy consumption and waste, including installing solar panels, using LED lighting, and recycling rainwater. It has also installed electric vehicle charging points and encourages the use of public transport.

In addition, the venue hosts a number of environmental awareness events and works with a number of environmental charities and the local community to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable living.

Best for: Conferences, Corporate Dinners, Drinks Receptions, Parties, Awards Ceremonies

King's Place

King’s Place is a modern purpose-built events venue in the heart of King’s Cross. In line with their commitment to being a sustainable venue, a number of policies have been rolled out to help reduce their environmental impact.

The venue uses local and seasonal produce where possible, and work with suppliers who share their ethical values. All food waste is composted on site, and recycled as much as possible. There is also energy-efficient motion-activated lighting and heating/cooling systems in place, such as thermal insulation and a ventilation system which cools the building with outside air, eliminating the need for air conditioning. The venue operates efficient use of water through low capacity cisterns and rainwater harvesting, as well as solar panels to offset their carbon emissions, even featuring a bug hotel, bird and bat boxes and plant boxes.

Best for: Conferences, Dinners, Drinks Receptions, Parties, Seminars, Meetings, Workshops

I hope this collection of sustainable venues helps you when searching for the perfect eco-friendly venue! If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to reach out to me below and I'll be happy to help!