In September 2011, LOCOG became the first Games Organising Committee to be certified to the British Standard specification for a sustainability management system for events (BS 8901).
The Commission is delighted to now be able to congratulate LOCOG on going even further and achieving the international standard equivalent – ISO 20121.
London 2012 has been involved in the development process for the new global sustainability standard, which “helps event organisers reduce carbon emissions and waste, manage the biodiversity of venues and achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce”.
Shaun McCarthy, Chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 said “The standard has been designed to address the management of improved sustainability through the entire event management cycle. It provides even greater confidence in the robustness of the sustainability credentials of these Games.
“This is an excellent achievement for London 2012 and rewards the hard work of the sustainability team involved in the Programme.”
This success follows London 2012’s Pre-Games Sustainability Report (Delivering Change) having been issued with an ‘A’ grade by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) back in April. This included using a new events sector supplement to the GRI framework, the development of which was supported by LOCOG.
GRI provides all companies and organisations with a comprehensive sustainability reporting framework that is widely used around the world. Whilst it is not an assessment of the sustainability performance of the Programme, it does confirm that the information disclosed by the report is sufficiently comprehensive.
McCarthy continued, “These standards set the framework for sustainable event management and reporting across the world. They are global instruments which demonstrate that the legacy from the London 2012 Games is not just about bricks and mortar, but also about the essential tools and methods for achieving sustainability long after the sport is over”.
More information about ISO 20121 and about the Global Reporting Initiative can be found via the links below:
