BS ISO 20121 Event Sustainability

Event sustainability is about how an organisation continues to run its activities in a commercially successful way whilst contributing towards a stronger and more just society and reducing its impact on the environment.  Due to the high level interest in sustainable events in recent years, the launch of ISO 20121 was created and launched in coordination with the London Olympics 2012.

What is ISO 20121?

BS ISO 20121:2012 specifies the requirements for an Event Sustainability Management System to improve the sustainability of events.  The standard applies to all types and sizes of organisation involved in the events industry – from caterers, lighting and sound engineers, security companies, stage builders and venues to independent event organisers and corporate and public sector event teams.

To achieve certification, an organisation will need to demonstrate that it has considered within its management system all key financial, economic, social and environmental issues relevant to its operations; focusing solely on environmental issues will not be sufficient.

What are the benefits of ISO 20121?

By adopting ISO 20121 within your organisation you can bring a number of internal benefits to an organisation including:-

• Boost employee motivation, attract best talent and improve retention.
• Enhance reputation and strengthen relationships with key clients, suppliers, partners and other external stakeholders who hold similar values.
• Achieve costs savings with respect to material consumption, waste and energy.
• Reduce carbon emissions over the entire event supply chain.
• Strengthen the position of the organisation within the community.
• Challenges “business as usual” and drives creativity and innovation which in turn can provide organisations with a competitive edge.

Publicising your commitment to sustainable events will raise your companies profile and also lead to better community awareness of environmental activities. It will also demonstrate your commitment to the environment and provide confidence and credibility to your customers and trade partners.

Further resources:-

We have a podcast on how Informa are leading the way in the sustainable events industry available to listen to on iTunes and Soundcloud. For further reading we also have an accompanying blog.