Is BS8901 a Red Herring?
I do wish I could have stayed long enough at The Sustainable Events Summit 09 to discuss this closing debate but I had to dash to look over the Peter Pan build at Kensington Gardens where EventExpert.co.uk is busy site managing (opening Tuesday and looks AMAZING…check it out!)
So I thought I’d put my two-pennies worth here!
In short, I think the only red herring to BS8901 is that we are discussing whether or not it’s a red herring. Environmental management system standards have been around since 1992 (my business partner chaired the first British Standard which is now ISO14001) and the benefits are scientifically documented around the world in a multitude of industry sectors. The effectiveness of a management system approach to sustainability is clear. The question as to why we are discussing its merits for relevance in the events industry however is less clear! The fact that we have our own standard is a privilege (not many industries do) and serves to differentiate the importance of events in our society (we are certainly not here by virtue of our physical strength). It is how we deliver our events, how we engage people, how the message context is experienced …that needs to be the focus of our attention. And sustainability is inextricably linked to these processes.
The answer lies in integrating sustainability into our event activities, services and products….turning the surge of interest in sustainability to our advantage….doing what we do but doing it better: Economically, Socially and Environmentally. This is key to good business practice…as well as not breaking the law of course 
Put simply: If a business is not sustainable it has a limited life
So let’s stop talking about whether or not BS8901 is a red herring, get rid of this smoke screen, and get on with ‘doing’ it.
See the previous post “Sustainability is about better business practice” from my article in Excite! Green Paper for more info on BS8901 and the benefits of a management system approach to sustainability.