Sustainable events — ISO 20121 and environmental considerations
How to factor in CO2, waste, and social responsibility in event planning
Events use resources: electricity, transport, single-use service, building materials for stages and tents. At the same time, events are an ideal opportunity to show how you can do better. Sustainability has therefore become a fixed part of the event trade—not as a side subject, but as something thought into from the first planning meeting.
§ISO 20121 – the standard for sustainable event management
ISO 20121 is an international standard for management systems for sustainability in the meetings, events, sports, culture and experience industries. The standard was developed in connection with the London Olympics in 2012 and is used today by everything from festivals and conferences to sports events and public event teams. It requires an organization to identify its sustainability risks, set measurable goals and continuously improve its practices throughout the event's life cycle – from planning through implementation to evaluation.
§What the standard actually looks at
- 01CO2 reduction and energy consumption
- 02Resource efficiency — how much is used and how much is reused
- 03Social inclusion and accessibility for different groups
- 04Local economic impact, for example use of local suppliers
- 05Ethical conduct throughout the supply chain
§How the material flows through the workshop without waste
You don't need a whole new education to develop. Through working life education courses (AMU) there are shorter courses where you can get better at specific techniques — for example in chocolate, desserts, sourdough or particular product types. It is an effective way to keep yourself professionally sharp and keep up when new methods and trends emerge.
§From planning to evaluation
Sustainability is not something you can sort out at the last minute. It starts already when you choose location and suppliers continues through the entire execution and ends with an evaluation of what was actually used driven and thrown away. That evaluation is gold dust next time you plan a similar event because you can see where the next improvements should be made.