ISO 20121:2024—Event Sustainability Management Systems

Due to their massive, short-term spikes in resource consumption and environmental impact, large-scale gatherings like music concerts or festivals are often unsustainable. However, incorporating strategies like reducing single-use plastics, focusing on recyclable materials, reducing attendee travel, and sourcing local can help increase sustainable practices at events. As the event industry shifts toward incorporating more sustainable practices, implementing ISO 20121:2024, Event sustainability management systems – Requirements with guidance for use serves as a useful resource for organizations.

Why Sustainable Event Management Is Important

Sustainable event planning considers three pillars: environmental (planet), social (people), and economic (profit). More specifically, it examines items like leftover food, single-use plastics, disposable decor, and inefficient energy consumption. These operations that occur at events contributing to landfills, pollution, and resource depletion.

The goal of sustainable event planning is to minimize negative impacts (e.g., carbon emissions and waste), while increasing positive impacts (e.g., accessibility, inclusion, and local economic value). By considering sustainability in events operations, an organization can build brand trust and lower costs.

What Is ISO 20121:2024?

ISO 20121:2024 provides requirements for an event sustainability management system for any type of event or event-related activity. This standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to:

Establish, implement, maintain, and improve an event sustainability management system
Assure that it is in conformity with its stated sustainable development policy
Achieve the intended result(s) of its event sustainability management system
Demonstrate voluntary conformity with this document by first party (self-determination and self-declaration), second party (confirmation of conformance by parties having an interest in the organization, such as clients, or by other persons on their behalf), or an independent third party (e.g. a certification body)

Applicable to events of all types and sizes, ISO 20121:2024 takes a holistic approach that considers environmental, social, and economic impacts.

Conference Travel and Carbon Emissions: Why Venue Choices Matter

When attendees travel to participate at an event in person, it creates significant environmental impacts. Traveling for international conferences generates roughly 0.5 to 1.5 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent per participant for regional or continental trips; for intercontinental or overseas travel it generates up to 2 to 5 metric tons CO₂ equivalent per participant. Similarly, a separate analysis of the 2023 Society for Social Work and Research conference estimated that air travel among 1,677 presenters generated over 1,383 metric tons of CO₂ (i.e., approximately 0.82 metric tons per presenter).

Considering the location of the venue can help mitigate the carbon footprint of these events. By addressing impacts such as transportation emissions and venue-related decisions, organizations can use ISO 20121:2024 to incorporate sustainability and continual improvement into event planning and management.