4.1 Sustainability Standards, UN SDGs & Environmental Procurement

3.1 Sustainability Standards, UN SDGs & Environmental Procurement

Modern event sustainability requires an integrated approach that balances environmental preservation, social equity, and economic feasibility—frequently termed the Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Prosperity). Planning an environmentally and socially responsible event requires navigating established global standards, aligning operational execution with global development goals, and enforcing rigorous procurement criteria across the entire event supply chain.

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The Events Industry Council (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards

The Events Industry Council (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards (SES) represent the premier sector-specific sustainability benchmarks in the business events industry. Developed as the successor to the earlier APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards, the EIC standards provide measurable, quantifiable specifications designed to reduce environmental impact and drive positive social outcomes.

The Eight Sector Standards

Recognizing that an event is a complex ecosystem of independent vendors and operational partners, the EIC establishes separate, tailored standards across eight distinct industry sectors:

The eight sector standards cover event organisers, accommodation, venues, food and beverage, audiovisual and production, exhibition services, destinations, and integrated properties. Select the standard relevant to the supplier’s actual operations. For example, a venue assessment examines its own operational practices; it does not automatically certify every event held there. An on-site administrative office is not the eighth sector. In procurement, request evidence of the applicable certificate and its scope rather than accepting an undefined sustainability badge.

Progressive Certification Tiers

Rather than applying a single pass/fail standard, the EIC SES employs four progressive certification tiers to encourage continuous organizational advancement:

EIC publishes certification point thresholds of Bronze 50%, Silver 65%, Gold 80% and Platinum 90%, subject to the applicable sector criteria and prerequisites. These percentages concern certification achievement; they are not waste-diversion targets or automatic proof of carbon neutrality. Verify the assessed sector, scope, edition and certificate validity before relying on a supplier’s claim.

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ISO 20121: Event Sustainability Management Systems

While the EIC SES provides prescriptive, operational specifications for what an event must achieve, ISO 20121 provides the management framework governing how an organization manages its sustainability responsibilities. Originating from the British Standard BS 8901 and formally adopted by the International Organization for Standardization ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games, ISO 20121 is applicable to any organization involved in the event supply chain, including event organizers, venues, caterers, production companies, and marketing agencies.

The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle

ISO 20121 is built on the classic continuous improvement management cycle:

• Plan: Define the sustainable development policy, identify legal and voluntary requirements, map key stakeholders, assess significant environmental and social issues, and establish quantifiable performance targets.
• Do: Assign operational roles and responsibilities, provide workforce training, implement operational controls across logistics and procurement, and establish internal and external communication protocols.
• Check: Monitor and measure performance against established targets, conduct internal audits of event operations, evaluate legal compliance, and document non-conformities.
• Act: Conduct executive management reviews, implement corrective actions, and continuously update operational policies to improve overall sustainability maturity.

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Aligning Event Operations with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Adopted in 2015 by all United Nations Member States as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a universal blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. Meeting planners increasingly align event design and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives directly with specific SDGs to demonstrate institutional relevance to executive stakeholders.

Key Event-Relevant SDGs

• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: This is the most directly applicable SDG for event operations. Planners operationalize Goal 12 by mandating digital-first collateral, eliminating single-use plastics and packaging, specifying modular exhibition structures, selecting seasonal and plant-forward catering menus, and establishing closed-loop compost and recycling streams.
• Goal 13: Climate Action: Focuses on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency, booking facilities powered by certified renewable energy, choosing central destination hubs to minimize long-haul flight routing, and investing in high-integrity carbon reduction projects.
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Requires enforcing safe working conditions, paying fair living wages to all event labor (including temporary and sub-contracted staff), safeguarding collective bargaining rights, and banning discriminatory labor practices throughout the vendor ecosystem.
• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being: Addressed through rigorous indoor air quality standards (such as MERV 13 or HEPA filtration), healthy and transparent dietary accommodations, ergonomic session furniture, dedicated rest zones, and mental wellness spaces for attendees.
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Realized by selecting destinations with robust public transportation networks, encouraging attendee transit passes, protecting local municipal ecosystems, and ensuring event activities do not displace or burden local vulnerable populations.

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Sustainability Targets and Reporting

Translate the policy into a short plan with a baseline, measurable target, owner, collection method and decision deadline for each material issue. For example, if the objective is reduced residual waste per attendee-day, define included streams, verify attendance days and obtain measured waste weights from the venue and hauler. Brief suppliers and participants on actions they control. After the event, compare actuals with the target, explain missing data and contamination, and distinguish measured reductions from estimates or offsets. Report social commitments too, such as accessible participation and documented community procurement, without exposing individual sensitive records. Assign improvement actions and use the same boundary when making year-to-year comparisons.