CCB Magazine

More and more festivals want to position themselves sustainably. The highest certification standard is ISO 20121 (Sustainable Event Management). What is behind it? What do I have to do as an organizer and for whom is the standard suitable? An interview with Paolo-Daniele Murgia, who has been working in the event industry for years as a sustainability/ISO consultant and auditor.
 

INTERVIEW  Jens Thomas 

CCB Magazine: Hello Daniele, you are an ISO consultant and auditor, have been working for the consulting agency 2bdifferent for years and accompany festivals on their way to more sustainability. What exactly is the ISO 20121 standard?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:ISO 20121 is an international standard and the highest standard for sustainable event management. It was introduced in 2012 by the International Organization for Standardization as a voluntary standard and was first used for the Olympic Games in London - which was a real success as, for example, supply costs were reduced by 15 percent through improved waste management and optimized energy use. Overall, the ISO 20121 standard is based on the three pillars of sustainability: the ecological, social and economic dimensions. It is a holistic and all-encompassing approach to sustainability management that really does not leave out any areas.

CCB Magazine:Which areas does ISO standard 20121 cover?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:ISO certification is based on top management, which means that it includes the management as well as the operational levels of a company down to individual fields of activity. All trades along the value chain of an event can be certified - from suppliers and agencies to the locations and event departments of corporate groups. The focus is on the development of a holistic, coherent sustainability strategy that provides for documentation, process compliance and continuous further development in all business areas.

ISO 20121 is an international standard and the highest standard for sustainable event management. It is based on the three pillars of sustainability - ecological, social and economic - and is a holistic and all-encompassing approach to sustainability management

CCB Magazine:Can you give me an example? I am festival organizer XY, want to get certified and get advice from you. How do we proceed? 

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:In the first step, you have to decide between certification for your festival or your entire business operations, the latter being a so-called system certification. In the 2bdifferent consulting process, we start with a basic check and a carbon footprint assessment for your business operations: Where do you currently stand and what can you change in terms of sustainability? We go through the entire organization and the individual operational areas with you: Is there a mission statement and a public commitment from the management? Are there sustainability goals and sustainability guidelines that can be broken down to all operational levels of festival management? And if there are sustainability goals, do they contribute to the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals? Is there also a sustainable procurement management system, including a supplier code of conduct? The basic check and the carbon footprint are then used to create a feedback report that evaluates all business areas - from this we develop appropriate measures and define processes, responsibilities and accountabilities.

CCB Magazine: One of the main sources of CO2 emissions at festivals is mobility, namely the arrival and departure of guests - this accounts for up to 80 percent of total CO2 emissions at festivals. As an organizer, do I have to prove a minimum level of CO2 savings or something similar?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:No, there is no fixed percentage that you have to prove or achieve for ISO certification 20121. But you must demonstrate measures and explain how you intend to reduce your festival's emissions in the medium to long term. ISO 20121 does not require you to take any specific measures - so you are not obliged to use hydrogen-powered generators instead of diesel generators or to use separate/dry toilets instead of chemical toilets. Overall, the ISO 20121 standard is based on a sustainable optimum.

CCB Magazine:And that means?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:It is weighed up what makes the most sense ecologically, economically and socially. In the area of organization, for example, it sometimes makes no sense to rely solely on solar energy if the nature of the building is not sufficient. Or an energy-efficient refurbishment is not financially viable, in which case we look at where and how else we can improve. We also look at what promises the most success in the festival sector: How can we avoid waste? How can we ensure that artists don't come to the event by plane, but by train or other alternative means of transportation? And how inclusive and barrier-free is your event already?

CCB Magazine:Ok, and when will I receive the ISO certificate?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:You receive certification in two stages: First, in stage 1, system maturity is checked in an internal and external audit. This involves documenting, processing, implementing and further developing the standard requirements in your business operations. In stage 2, a second internal and external audit procedure is used to check whether you have implemented the system documentation at your festival as planned - this is then checked by an external assessor at the festival on site, and only then do you receive certification. This will be checked once a year in further audits over the following three years. Of course, it can happen that your certification is withdrawn again if you grossly fail to comply with the standards.

CCB Magazine:That sounds like a lot of effort. Do festival organizers really want to do something like this? How much time do I need to allow and how much will the certification cost me in the end?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:First things first: ISO 20212 is not a monster. It is one of the most coherent sustainability management systems, comparable to the EMAS management system - but unlike EMAS, which only covers the ecological dimension of sustainability, ISO 20121 is about the holistic ecological, social and economic transformation along the value chain. But yes: implementation costs time and money. The corresponding documentation and manual can easily run to 50 to 60 pages. And the certification process takes months, so it's not enough for the management to simply assign a random employee to do a bit of ISO on the side. No: responsibilities are needed and the management level must support the process. And the costs ultimately depend on the scope and size of the festival: Certification alone, without the consulting services of 2bdifferent, would cost around 7,000 euros up front.

CCB Magazine:Which festivals already have such certification? And are there any festivals that are particularly suitable or not suitable at all?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:So far, there is only one festival in the cultural sector that has pure ISO certification in accordance with 20121: lollapalooza in Berlin. A few others are on their way there. And ISO certification 20121 is generally suitable for all festivals, but so far it has mainly been used for major events such as the G7 2019, the aforementioned Olympic Games and the UEFA European Championship 2016 or Formula E 2019. Smaller festivals have often lacked the time and money, yet they are often value-driven and already do a lot of things right. Those who should consider ISO certification are the commercially oriented major festivals, which produce vast amounts of waste, have high energy consumption and emission-intensive visitor mobility. Not to mention the questionable sponsors and partner contracts that can come on top.

Small festivals often lack the time and money for ISO certification, yet they are often value-driven and already do a lot of things right. Those who should consider ISO certification are the commercially oriented major festivals that produce vast amounts of waste, have high energy consumption and emission-intensive visitor mobility

CCB Magazine:You are an independent sustainability consultant and auditor for the ISO 20121 standard at 2bdifferent, the leading consulting agency for sustainability in the German event industry. What exactly does 2bdifferent do? How many festivals have you already advised and who are your clients? 

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:2bdifferent is a consulting agency with a focus on successful sustainability strategies in the event sector. But we don't just advise on ISO 20121, but also on fundamental sustainable transformation - our clients include the client side, often large corporations, but also many service providers and agencies in the event industry as well as festivals such as the Wurzelfestival, 3000Grad Festival or the Summer Breeze Festival. We have also advised the German Film Award - which was also certified in accordance with ISO 20121.

CCB Magazine:How did you actually come to become a consultant and auditor for the ISO 20121 standard? 

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:Oh, that's a longer story. I trained as an event manager and after my apprenticeship I worked for ten years as an event manager for a pharmaceutical company and then as a division manager for event management and advertising media purchasing. During this time, I trained as a sustainability consultant and am now a consultant and auditor for the ISO standard. I have also been active as a DJ and producer for over 25 years - so I have strong ties to the festival industry.

CCB Magazine:Daniele, the entire festival industry is currently undergoing radical change. For example, there have already been experiments such as the Tempelhof laboratory to return as many materials as possible to biological and technical cycles. There will also be the Blue Angel for events from next year. What is the festival industry heading towards? And what role will the ISO 20121 standard still have?

Paolo-Daniele Murgia:The event industry has no choice but to transform itself sustainably - and I wouldn't see the different activities competing with each other. Every organizer, every company should decide for themselves which certification makes the most sense in the end. The overall development shows that things are moving. We've been living beyond our means for decades, partying and turning up the volume, now we need to reflect and be mindful - partying and dancing will feel even better. It's all about mindset... Just do it!