As Britain’s sustainability standard BS8901 looks set to roll out globally in 2012, England announces a host of further developments in sustainable events and
venues countrywide.

BS 8901 is the British Standard that has been developed specifically for the events industry with a purpose of helping the industry to operate in a more sustainable manner. It is the only standard for sustainable events in the world, and ensures a balanced approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress relating to events.

The new standard requires organisations to identify and understand the effects that their activities have on the environment, on society and on the economy both within the organisation and the wider economy; and put measure in place to minimise the negative effects. Inspired by London2012, BS8901 looks set to roll out globally as ISO20121 in 2012; its importance and significance being recognised as it is sped through the stages of such diversification in order to be operational before the Olympic Games. London 2012 will be the first event to undergo the rigorous ISO2012 procedure.

Fiona Pelham Managing Director of Sustainable Events Ltd and Chair of ISO 20121 says: 'Since the launch of BS8901 in 2007, England has taken a lead with the creation and implementation of international frameworks for sustainability. In addition to the development of ISO 20121 some of the first Global Reporting Initiative Event Organiser Sector Supplement reports have been produced in England including the London 2012 Olympics Games and Paralympic Games.’

Country-wide, England is showing its strength in this field, with a host of new and improved event venues and an impressive roll call of sustainability events being held on English soil.

SGS International have also recently been endorsed by VisitEngland, following an independent review, to certify towards the BS8901 standard.

ACC Liverpool has been designed with environmentally-friendly features that cut its CO2 emissions in half, while using 20% less electricity. The BREEAM accredited venue is designed to be inherently efficient, with an insulation and air control system that requires significantly less energy than a traditional build. The venue recently won Gold in the Best Venue for Sustainability award in the Conference & Incentive Travel Hot List 2010 – the latest in a long list of accolades. The venue has won two Green Apple Awards, is working towards IS014001 and has recently been awarded the gold standard in the Green Business Tourism Scheme assessment.

Meanwhile, the University of Liverpool has joined with big names like Ford Motor Company in important collaboration projects. The University’s School of Engineering and Ford are working to produce a high-performance, low carbon cars of the future. The project includes Jaguar Land-Rover and Johnson Matthey, a major manufacturer of catalytic converters. They aim to develop new ways of setting the engine’s computer to improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions.

Manchester has been asked to be the pilot urban city for ‘sustainability as part of the Strategic Framework for English Tourism, in order, to illustrate how sustainable tourism is not just something for the countryside. The focus is looking at the balance between the demands of visitors, businesses, local residents and the environment. VisitManchester is leading the project with the aim to make sure that responsible tourism is not simply an add-on but integrated into strategy and operations. As part of this there is an aspiration to ensure that all events held in the city are sustainable.

Coventry’s Ricoh Arena was nominated in the Excellent in Carbon Reduction – Large Company section in the Energy Awards 2011. Alan Pickering, energy manager at the Ricoh Arena, said: “Our carbon footprint is a subject we take very seriously and we have implemented a series of measures to make the building more environmentally friendly.” The multi-purpose venue has installed passive infra-red sensors and introduced a billing system to accurately charge tenants for their energy use amongst other projects – all resulting in a 23% reduction in the arena’s carbon footprint.