Rob Turnbull, chair of the AEV Venue Sustainability working group and sustainability manager, Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) explains how the updated ISO 20121 standard is helping event organisers embed sustainability into planning and delivery, shifting the focus from minimising environmental impact to managing wider social, economic and governance outcomes.
Events bring people together in a way few other activities can. They create space for conversation, debate and collaboration, allowing individuals and organisations to share ideas, challenge thinking and work towards common goals. Whether conferences, exhibitions, summits or community gatherings, events remain one of the most powerful ways to connect people around a shared purpose and enable collective problem solving.
Margaret Mead’s quote often comes to mind when discussing sustainable events: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Events are where those people come together. They enable learning, negotiation and progress in a way that other forms of engagement rarely achieve, and their value extends far beyond what happens in the room on the day. It is therefore imperative that we not only continue to hold these important activities but be able to hold them in a sustainable way, so they don’t cause more problems than they solve.
Initially, sustainability in the events industry focused almost entirely on environmental harm, and on how events could reduce or offset the damage they caused to the planet. Over time, however, the concept of sustainability has grown to encompass a much wider range of considerations. It is no longer viewed purely through the lens of minimising environmental impact, but increasingly as an opportunity to deliver more good, not just less bad.
This shift reflects a broader understanding of how events inevitably impact the local economy, environment and society, commonly known as the triple bottom line.
ISO 20121:2024
One of the clearest outcomes of this change in thinking is the recent update to ISO 20121:2024, the international standard for event sustainability management systems. ISO 20121 was published in 2012 as a legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Its purpose was to provide a structured way to manage the sustainability challenges and opportunities associated with events of all types and sizes. The 2024 revision reflects the increasing maturity of the events industry, moving beyond relatively narrow environmental concerns to embrace wider topics such as inclusion, governance, stakeholder engagement, impact and legacy.
Importantly, ISO 20121 is not a checklist, nor does it detail exactly how an event should be delivered. Instead, it provides a management framework that helps embed sustainability into every stage of the event lifecycle. It does this by asking organisers to understand an event’s context, identify associated risks and opportunities, engage stakeholders, set meaningful objectives and continually improve performance over time. In fact, the standard is written in the common Annex SL structure, meaning it can be easily integrated with other management systems such as ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 9001 for quality management. As a result, sustainability becomes part of decision-making processes, embedded into the fabric of the event, rather than a set of last minute initiatives bolted on during delivery.
For many, however, the prospect of delivering an event in line with ISO 20121 can feel daunting. The standard requires documented processes, evidence of decision making and clear demonstration that actions align with stated objectives. This can initially feel like a significant administrative burden, particularly for teams new to management systems or formal certification. In reality, much of this documentation exists to demonstrate that organisers are doing what they say they are doing, and to ensure learning is captured rather than lost. While the first event often requires the greatest effort to establish processes and gather baseline data, subsequent events become more manageable. Over time, the system reduces uncertainty, avoids duplication of effort and provides confidence that sustainability commitments are being delivered in practice, not just in principle.
Clarity is one of the key benefits of working to ISO 20121. Events are often complex undertakings, involving multiple suppliers, venues and clients, each with competing priorities and objectives. The standard requires organisers to step back and consider where their event is likely to have the greatest impact, both positive and negative. These impacts may relate to energy use, waste, transport and materials, but can also include accessibility, community engagement, economic benefit or skills development. By understanding which issues are most significant, organisers can focus efforts where they will make the greatest difference.
This approach places particular importance on early decision making, as many of the sustainability outcomes of an event are established long before it opens its doors. Decisions around venue selection, transport options, suppliers and event design all have a significant influence on impact. Addressing sustainability at this stage is far more effective than attempting to mitigate issues once the event is in operation.
The strength of ISO 20121 lies in the principle of continual improvement and the fact that it does not tell organisers what to do but instead provides a structured way to identify and evaluate risks and opportunities across the triple bottom line, and to prioritise actions accordingly. This leads to well defined activities, clear responsibilities and measurable outcomes. Over time, this structured approach improves consistency, reduces risk and builds organisational confidence in hosting sustainable events.
The process also generates a wealth of information, enabling organisers to track progress and identify opportunities for improvement over time.
Impact & legacy
As environmental practices within the events industry have become more established, there has been a noticeable shift in focus towards impact and legacy. While waste reduction, energy efficiency and responsible sourcing remain important, many organisers now recognise that one of the greatest benefits of hosting an event is the positive impact it can have on the local community. This legacy may be tangible, such as economic benefit or improved accessibility, but it can also be intangible. Knowledge exchange, new relationships, enhanced skills, increased awareness or changes in organisational culture all represent lasting value created through events, even if they are harder to quantify and report.
This broader understanding of sustainability also brings inclusion and accessibility more clearly into the event planning process. Barriers to participation not only reduce attendance but also limit the impact an event can achieve. ISO 20121 encourages organisers to treat inclusion as both a risk and an opportunity, prompting proactive consideration of venue accessibility, communication methods, content delivery and delegate experience. Designing inclusive events from the outset often improves the experience for all attendees, not just those with specific adaption requirements.
Events rarely succeed through the actions of a single organisation, and sustainability outcomes are often shaped by venues, caterers, production teams and other suppliers. Collaboration is fundamental and ISO 20121 supports a partnership approach, encouraging organisers to work with their supply chain to align values, share objectives and build collective capability, rather than relying on purely transactional relationships.
Ultimately, ISO 20121 reframes sustainability as an enabler rather than a constraint. As expectations of events continue to evolve, so too does the responsibility of those who plan and deliver them. Increasingly, the measure of success is not just attendance figures or delegate satisfaction, but the wider contribution an event makes and the legacy it leaves behind. Providing structure and clarity, ISO 20121:2024 supports better planning, improved collaboration and more informed decision making. It allows organisers to be creative and ambitious, while maintaining oversight of risk, positioning the events industry well to deliver events that bring people together, inspire change and ensure the benefits of gathering endure long after the event itself has come to an end.
