How International Standards Work TogetherSustainable Events Corner, EIBTM 2012

@AndrewSWalker

Master’s Research Paper: Process vs. Performance

Standards for Sustainable Meeting and Event

Management

ISO 20121 Event Sustainability

Management Systems!

APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable

Event Standards!

Two Emerging Voluntary Standards

Can They Work Together?

Two Types of Sustainability Standards

Process-based Performance-based

Two Types of Sustainability Standards

Process-based

• Requires implementation of a management system

• Outlines steps to help users to achieve their sustainability objectives

- Flexible and adaptable- Continuous improvement

- Potentially less rigorous

Two Types of Sustainability Standards

Performance-based

• Sets specific targets that must be met in a checklist

• Tells users what their sustainability objectives should be

- More stringent- Clear expectations

- Potentially less feasible

Process vs. Performance

Event

Owners

Organizers

Suppliers

Process vs. Performance

Planners

Suppliers

Continuous Improvement

On-SiteOffice

Destination

Meeting Venue

Accommodations

Food & Beverage

ExhibitsAudio Visual & Production

Transportation

Communications

PlannerTotal

SupplierTotal

P S

P S

P S

P S

P S

P S

P S

P S

Levels 1-4 Encourage Continuous Improvement

Three Criteria for Evaluation

Effectiveness

Accountability

Legitimacy

Three strategies to strengthen legitimacy:

1. Input legitimacy• Who is involved in the standard-

setting process

2. Procedural legitimacy• How the standard-setting process is

managed

3. Output legitimacy• What is the end result of the

standard-setting process

Legitimacy

Quest for credibility

Input Legitimacy→ Who is involved in the standard-setting process

Credible standard-setting organization

Event industry and standards experts involved

Chair is event sustainability expert

International participation

Main organizational driver

Procedural Legitimacy

ISO: Decisions made by consensus at international meetings

→ How the standard-setting process is managed

Procedural Legitimacy

APEX: Nine committees developed the nine sector standards

→ How the standard-setting process is managed

Procedural Legitimacy

ASTM: Every single negative vote had to be addressed

→ How the standard-setting process is managed

Output Legitimacy

Neither standard is perfect, but ready for publication and use

→ What is the end result of the standard-setting process

Two accountability structures:

1. Responsiveness to stakeholders• More proactive and flexible• Choice of who to be accountable to

2. External control• Debate on how much is necessary• Third-party certification is common

type of enforcement mechanism

Accountability

Quest for authority

Responsiveness to Stakeholders

Mainly focused on the needs of the meetings industry

External Control

1st 2nd 3rd

ISO 20121 can be 1st, 2nd or 3rd party verified

External Control

2nd 3rd1st

Future possibilities:•2nd and 3rd party verification•CMP sustainability sub-specialty

APEX/ASTM can be 1st party verified

Four factors that influence effectiveness:1. Producer participation

• More users means more widespread change of behaviour

2. Stringency of standards• If too strict, industry uptake may

be negatively impacted• If too lenient, minimal positive

social/environmental impacts

3. System operation• Process/performance requirements

to ensure compliance

4. Consequences of non-compliance

Effectiveness

Quest for widespread

use

Producer Participation

Strong support from trade publications and industry associations so far

ISO 20121 will appeal to organizations that want

systematic approach

APEX/ASTM will appeal to busy planners who want to know exactly what they need to do

Suppliers will likely support either standard if it wins them more

business or saves them money

→ If too strict = industry uptake may be negatively impacted

→ If too lenient = minimal positive social/environmental impacts

More stringent but potentially less feasible in practice

Less stringent but potentially leading to minimal improvements

Stringency of Standards→ If too strict = industry uptake may be minimized

→ If too lenient = minimal positive social/environmental impacts

System Operation→ Process and/or performance requirements to ensure compliance

System Operation

Both standards will need significant

amount of time investment in

beginning

to understand and implement

System Operation

Cost is another potential barrier to industry uptake

Consequences of Non-Compliance→ The reality is these are voluntary standards

• Organizations already making progress may not see value in adopting standards• Others will see opportunity to validate their efforts or help them get started• Will take time for industry to become aware and start putting into practice• Certification will be less important in the beginning• Instead of penalizing non-users, better to promote various incentives to encourage

widespread use

Some Predictions…

• Organizations already making

progress may not see value in

adopting standards

• Others will see opportunity to

validate their efforts or help them get

started

• Will take time for industry to become

aware and start putting into practice

• Certification will be less important

in the beginning

• Instead of penalizing non-users,

better to promote various incentives

to encourage widespread use

So Can These Two Standards...

Work Together?

• Both standards have strengths & weaknesses

• Each standard can stand alone but more beneficial to use together

• Without combined approach, both standards risk not achieving industry uptake to ensure long-term viability

• Balanced approach: flexible and stringent

Dynamic Duo

• Address critical environmental issues to reduce growing footprint

• Prescriptive requirements address concerns about ISO 20121accountability

• Provide systems thinking to imbed practices into organization

• Moderate step by step approach address concerns about inflexibility of APEX-ASTM

Dynamic Duo

Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together

PLAN1. Identify and engage your

event stakeholders (ISO)• Include all relevant sectors

(APEX/ASTM)

2. Establish and document your sustainability policy (ISO & APEX-ASTM)

Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together

PLAN3. Identify sustainability

issues you wish to address (ISO)• Include (APEX-ASTM)

checklist as guideline for environmental issues (waste, energy, air quality, water, procurement) and social (procurement, community partners)

Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together

PLAN4. Set goals and objectives

and plans to achieve them (ISO & APEX-ASTM)

Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together

DO5. Planners and suppliers

make decisions related to resources, competence, awareness and communication (ISO)– Ensure it is well documented

and there are processes in place for operational control (ISO)

Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together

CHECK6. Decide what, how and

when to monitor and evaluate the performance of the system (ISO & APEX-ASTM)

Using ISO 20121 and APEX-ASTM Together

ACT7. Identify what didn’t

work according to plan and decide what actions to take to fix it (ISO & APEX-ASTM)

Images:

Andrew Walker, BComm, MES andrew@E3strategy.co.uk@AndrewSWalker

TAK