Liverpool FC, Edgbaston and Goodwood working with BSI to drive up standards across industry
BSI is partnering with key players in the global sport sector, including from cricket, racing, football and sailing teams, to help them embed sustainability measures in order to drive progress across all sporting events and realize increased benefits for people and the planet.
Liverpool FC, Goodwood and Edgbaston are just some of the organizations BSI has worked with in the last year to certify them to the international events sustainability and management systems standard (BS ISO 20121), following a year in which climate change has caused significant disruption to sport schedules. As part of this clubs are taking actions such as introducing sustainable travel policies and increasing the use of recyclable materials. Most notably:
- Edgbaston Stadium became the first cricket ground in the country to achieve a global standard for sustainable events as its net-zero plans gather pace. The certification was presented during the Go Green Game IT20 between England and New Zealand, which was the first sustainable international matchday of its kind in the UK.
- Liverpool Football Club became the first Premier League club to achieve the BS ISO 20121 certification.
- Goodwood the motorsport and events hub has moved to 100% bio diesel in all of its temporary event power as part of the standard. It also ran the first ever historic motor race using sustainable fuel in the UK this year. Goodwood is recertifying with BSI, as it has done for over 10 years.
Matt Page, Managing Director UK & Ireland, BSI Assurance said: “We are at a decisive moment for the world’s sustainability journey, with increasing temperatures and climate extremes including flooding, storms and droughts. These are already causing disruption in the sporting calendar, but sport has a powerful opportunity to drive progress.
“Sport has the ability to not only provide inspiration on the pitch but also to drive real change behind the scenes in how events and supply chains are run and managed. It’s fantastic to see growing numbers of event organizers, from football to cricket and motorsport reviewing how they operate to create a more sustainable culture. At BSI, we look forward to partnering with other sporting organizations in 2024 to race towards a better future for people and planet.”
The focus on sustainable sport from BSI, the business improvement and standards company, comes after a prolonged period of extreme climate events, from soaring temperatures to flooding, storms and droughts[1] – which is already having an impact on the sporting calendar. In 2023, the final day of the Ashes at Old Trafford was abandoned[2], and significant disruptions were experienced at this year’s Wimbledon tournament due to heavy rainfall[3]. In January’s cold snap, 60 football matches were postponed due to freezing weather conditions[4], and the T20 was called off over 60 matches as a result of frozen pitches.
A number of brands and events, such as the London and Tokyo Olympics, G7 and COP28, as well as smaller local and community events, have been certified to the standard by BSI, demonstrating their commitment to increasing sustainability and improving the environment.
BS ISO 20121 is designed to help organizations improve their sustainability throughout the entire event management cycle, whether for a conference, entertainment event or sports tournament. The standard provides a framework for organizations to manage the social, economic, and environmental impacts of their events and to improve their sustainability performance and transparency. The standard is in the process of being updated to ensure it measures against the latest sustainability metrics.
The Rapid Transition Alliance estimates that sport contributes 0.8% of global emissions[5], the equivalent of a medium sized country. Major league sports and entertainment venues create roughly 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year[6], in addition to generating vast amounts of waste from food and beverage sales.
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Notes to editor
About BSI
BSI is a business improvement and standards company and for over a century BSI has been recognized for having a positive impact on organizations and society, building trust and enhancing lives. Today BSI partners with more than 77,500 clients in 195 countries and engages with a 15,000 strong global community of experts, industry and consumer groups, organizations and governments. Utilizing its extensive expertise in key industry sectors – including automotive, aerospace, built environment, food and retail, and healthcare – BSI delivers on its purpose by helping its clients fulfil theirs. BSI provides organizations with the confidence to grow by partnering with them to tackle society’s critical issues – from climate change to building trust in digital transformation and everything in between – to accelerate progress towards a better society and a sustainable world.
[1] Global Warming of 1.5 ºC — (ipcc.ch)
[2] Australia retain Ashes after rain ends England’s fourth Test hopes – as it happened | Ashes 2023 | The Guardian
[3] Wimbledon set for more rain before blustery weekend | The Independent
[4] Over 60 matches called off due to frozen pitches in January 2023 cold snap — Football For Future
[5] Playing against the clock | Rapid Transition Alliance
[6] How ‘green’ is Super Bowl Sunday? – MarketWatch
N.B. The information contained in this entry is provided by the above supplier, and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher
