Establishing a Framework for Sustainable Event Management in Sport

Image: Emma Dau

The popularity of sport and increasing number of spectators it’s attracting, has resulted in sporting events growing in scale. Whilst the addition of fan parks, music and peripheral activities has created a much more accessible environment for spectators to be part of, the environmental impact has increased significantly. Sport’s ability to galvanize and inspire the masses, however, puts it in a unique position to influence and leverage change – particularly when it comes to sustainability.

An article published by the BBC found the 2022 Qatar World Cup had a footprint of 3.6 million tCO2e, whilst a 2020 report found the sport industry was responsible for 350 million tCO2e. As fans and stakeholders alike look to organisations to incorporate sustainability into their operations, the need for innovative and effective solutions for sustainable event management is essential.

Managing the impact of sports events can be complex with the involvement of numerous stakeholders facing a variety of sustainability challenges. The areas of impact related to sports events are vast, including factors such as transport, energy use, accessibility, materials, resource consumption, and waste generation.

Image: Nick Fewings

Once specific impacts are understood, it is critical that they are benchmarked and measured in order to highlight opportunities for improvement and encourage progress. 

ISO certifications are an impactful way to understand if an event has been hosted with sustainability best practices in mind. The most relevant of these, is the ISO 20121 which covers sustainable event management. ISO 20121 certified events address the economic, environmental and societal impact of the event.

Image: Braden Collum

The use of the ISO 20121 standard provides organisers with a practical tool to maximise the impact of the event across these three pillars. The World Athletics Championships announced last year that its Sustainable Event Management System (SEMS) achieved the ISO 20121 certification to prioritise sustainability risks and opportunities.

The eSkootr championship, which has been carbon neutral since inception, offers a best practice example of a sport organisation that has made an impressive effort to ensure that events are managed more sustainably.

The inaugural eSkootr race took place in London in the summer of 2022 and its focus on sustainability provided a framework for the championship’s events going forward. The event required all stakeholders involved to record their emissions and follow guidelines for the delivery of a sustainable event, as set out in the championship’s sustainability code.   The venue for the London race was ISO 14001 certified and was powered by renewable energy.

Visitors to the venue were encouraged to travel by public transport, waste management solutions and recycling initiatives were put into place, and a ‘no single-use plastic’ policy was implemented. eSkootr also partnered with a local charity, Global Generation, which works to create urban gardens as neighborhood meeting points. This provides an example of how sports can bring a positive and lasting impact to the communities in which events are held. 

Another best practice example is offered by Silverstone, demonstrating how venues themselves can manage their impact. The circuit has achieved FIA 3 Star Environmental Accreditation and ISO 14001 certification for its Environmental Management System (EMS). In 2022, Silverstone launched its Motorsport UK Environmental Award winning “Shift to Zero” sustainability strategy and became the world's first motor racing venue signatory of the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework. Silverstone’s focus on sustainability saw it awarded the “Most Improved Circuit” award by the Sustainable Circuits Index (SCI) in 2023.

Whether it be local small-scale events or the world’s largest mega-events like the Olympics, organisations and governing bodies across the sporting industry have begun to recognise the need to prioritise sustainability in sport events. While governing bodies and event organisers have a responsibility to initiate change, it is not exclusive as teams and suppliers must also manage their own impact, especially as Scope 3 emissions tend to dominate Scope 1 and 2. As a collective, if stakeholders involved in the running of sports events worked towards reducing their individual emissions, the positive impact of these events on the environment and local communities would be multiplied and sustained for the future of the respective sport.