Why is it important?
Framework for
understanding the concept
Sustainability issues
Sustainability codes of practice
The relevance of sustainability issues such as climate change, resource consumption, social injustice, poverty, pollution, equality etc will vary from country to country and industry to industry. Identifying the relevant sustainability issues is therefore a critical first step along the road of sustainable development.
Sustainability issues likely to be of concern for the events industry include:
- Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
- Recycling and Waste management
- Financial viability
- Health and safety
- Noise pollution
- Security
- Biodiversity
- Procurement
- Food sourcing
- Transportation
It is important to remember that sustainability covers more than environmental or “green” issues. If your focus is initially on “greening” your events, or managing them in a more environmentally friendly way, then you should focus on adopting ISO 14001 in the first instance (see link at the bottom of the page). Once you have the management of your environmental issues under control, you will be in a strong position to progress onto BS 8901 and address the broader spectrum of sustainability.
It is also important to remember that BS 8901 is not only about sustainability issues of concern but also about opportunities that the sustainability agenda presents. For example, the social dimension of sustainable development presents the events industry with a significant opportunity to demonstrate how it contributes to supporting social progress, the building of communities and the enhancement of social networks which all contribute to a stronger and more sustainable society. Events by definition are designed to bring people together to celebrate, share information, build capacity and networks. This is an attribute that is unique to the events industry and perhaps the contribution of the industry to enhancing society is not fully recognised.
