Sustainable Standards for the Olympics?

From FM World.

ISO standard for major events coming

The International Standards Organisation is developing a standard promoting the sustainable management of major events such as Olympic Games.

ISO 20121 is likely to be in place by the time of the London Olympics in 2012, a statement from the ISO said.

Fiona Pelham, chair of ISO/PC 250 committee that is developing the standard, said it will provide a “framework for event planners, venues and other members of the event supply chain who implement, maintain and improve sustainability within their way of working”.

ISO 20121 will take a management-systems approach requiring identification of key sustainability issues like venue selection, operating procedures, supply chain management, procurement, communications, transport and other aspects.

“The future ISO standard will make a great difference to the event industry,” said Pelham. “Just imagine the change in thinking that could follow as the international event industry starts to systematically address their negative social, economic and environmental impacts.”

The first meeting of the committee is set for later this month. Around 30 countries are already involved as participants or observers of the committee’s work.

The UK’s standards institute BSI developed a national standard, BS 8901, after London was granted the 2012 Olympics. The BSI work “generated international interest,” the ISO said.

Among the organisations to have expressed support for an International Standard are the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, which hosted the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.