Sustainable supply chains emerging as the way forward

It can no longer be a box-ticking exercise for event hosts as it is imperative to think about sustainability in every facet of their operations.

From embracing renewable energy to harnessing new technology, there are a multitude of ways to ensure events take place while also making positive environmental and social impacts.

The industry is witnessing more and more innovations in the field as stakeholders are continually looking to set the benchmark.

It is a truth near universally acknowledged that if an event is to be sustainable it should focus on low-carbon initiatives, environmentally friendly travel, waste reduction and providing benefits for the local community and beyond.

Setting the bar high

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is helping organisations across the sector by creating a series of certifications around sustainability.

The BSI ISO 20121 is just one and covers the event management sustainability framework.

It has been recently updated and features an increased focus on climate change, supply chain measures and human rights.

Furthermore, it includes a comprehensive list of issues that should be evaluated by hosts, along with new commitments such as reporting on achievements and legacy.

A couple of trends in particular that the BSI is noticing is the social impact of events and their supply chains as they look to source food, drinks, and more in a responsible manner.

“We continue to see a lot of interest from organisations involved with sporting events, particularly football clubs and businesses from the motor sports sector,” BSI UK and Ireland Operations and Systems Certification Director Simon Healey tells Global Sustainable Sport.

“However, recently we have been having more involvement with event suppliers, and not just the event owners themselves.

“We see this as an exciting development as event organisers are now proactively seeking out suppliers who are taking positive steps to improve their sustainability, which will help to promote a sustainable approach throughout the supply chain.

“Event organisers are focusing more on the wider social benefits that a sustainable event can bring and are doing more to ensure a longer lasting legacy once the event is over. Businesses are also engaging with new technology to create hybrid events where people can participate remotely, which can have a significant impact on emissions due to travel.”

Terrific Tottenham

The Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is the most recent recipient of the ISO 20121 certification.

Its eco-friendly supply chain is one of the key factors that led to the recognition, as a vast majority of its food is sourced within a 60-mile radius of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with plant-based options offered throughout.

The £1bn ($2.6bn/€2.3bn) stadium, which opened in 2019, enables Tottenham to operate extremely efficiently when it comes to sustainability.

“Our stadium was built with sustainability in mind and this has been integral to us achieving the certification,” Tottenham Hotspur’s Executive Director Donna-Maria Cullen tells Global Sustainable Sport.

“Sustainable measures include 100% renewable electricity, a zero waste to landfill policy, lightweight building materials with low embodied carbon, intelligent lighting controls, the elimination of single-use plastic water bottles, low water consumption and locally sourced food.

“The stadium is also a huge contributor to its community, delivering £344m GVA annually to the tri-borough area, supporting 3,700 FTE jobs.”

Although Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is widely considered to be one of the most modern and advanced stadiums in the world, the BSI insists that high-tech venues are not essential for staging sustainable events.

The sustainable event management certification aims to focus on the processes and practices that are implemented to make an event sustainable. Therefore, even the more modest of budgets can seek to achieve it.

The BSI suggests that the key differentiators for what makes an event sustainable lie in how it is run. This includes the management of water, waste, energy, community engagement, and how sustainable procurement strategies are implemented, as well as education and communications.

While sustainable events are possible in any venue, when it comes to designing new venues and renovating existing ones, factoring in sustainability is paramount not only for the planet’s benefit but also for that individual organisation.

The initial investment in time and resources can lead to significant long-term gains in efficiency, market positioning, and overall sustainability which will ultimately help to accelerate global progress.

“Management system standards such as ISO 20121 can be achieved by the largest and also the smallest organisations,” Healy says.

“Increasing awareness, educating teams and stakeholders, making small improvements and making leadership commitments can be done by all types of organisations, regardless of wealth.”

Fighting flights

Tottenham Hotspur is taking important strides in terms of sustainability, but there is one huge hurdle holding back Premier League sides in their attempts to be eco-friendly – air travel.

Research has shown that 84% of domestic away games in the competition could be reached by coach in under four-and-a-half hours.

The club has confirmed that it is committed to reducing its flight usage for fixtures against opponents closer to home.

“The club has a policy in place to ensure all its playing teams – comprising the men’s first team, women’s first team and academy age groups – travel to and from matches as sustainably as possible,” says Cullen.

“This includes minimising air travel, with team officials and delegates travelling on the team plane.

“During the season, the team will travel by coach for all distances under 2.5 hours, whereby player physical optimisation and performance is not compromised as a result.

“The club works with its official travel partner, Destination Sport Travel, to measure, manage and report on travel emissions, with the objective to reduce emissions where possible and identify sustainable team travel options.

“Destination Sport Travel is also working with the club to offset emissions where possible via the purchase of carbon credits verified by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.”