CSA Z2010:10

(reaffirmed 2021)

Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

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  CSA Z2010:10

  November 2010

  
  

  Title: Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

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CSA Z2010:10

Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

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© 2010 Canadian Standards Association

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior permission of the publisher.

© Canadian Standards Association Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

Contents

Technical Committee on Sustainable Events v

Preface vii

0 Introduction 1

1. General 1

2. Impacts of events 1

3. Principles of sustainable events 1

4. Standard development 2

5. Structure of this Standard 2

6. Using this Standard 3

1. Scope 3

   
   

2. Reference publications 3

   
   

3. Definitions and abbreviations 4

   1. Definitions 4

   2. Abbreviations 7

      
      

4. Getting started 8

   1. General 8

   2. Commitment 8

   3. Scope 8

   4. Role and responsibilities of the event organizer 8

   5. Event life cycle and duration 8

   6. Event location(s) and boundaries 9

   7. Event-related operations 9

   8. Event supply chain and value chain 9

   9. Event stakeholders 9

      
      

5. Planning and management 9

   1. General 9

   2. Leadership 9

   3. Stakeholder identification 10

   4. Stakeholder engagement 10

   5. Sustainability issues 11

   6. Resources 12

   7. Performance indicators 12

   8. Compliance with applicable legal requirements 12

      
      

6. Executing the event 12

   1. General 12

   2. Energy use 12

   3. Water conservation, use, and quality 12

   4. Managing consumption and waste 13

   5. Noise management 13

   6. Indoor and outdoor air quality management 13

   7. Snow and ice management 13

   8. Site restoration 14

   9. Accessibility and social inclusion 14

      
      

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      Z2010-10 © Canadian Standards Association

      
      

      
      

   10. Incident and emergency preparedness and response 14

       
       

7. Selecting sites and venues 14

   1. General 14

   2. Impacts 14

   3. Location 14

   4. Construction of new venues 15

      
      

8. Supply chain and hiring practices 15

   1. General 15

   2. Sustainable purchasing policy 15

   3. Sponsorship 15

   4. Hiring practices 15

      
      

9. Transportation and accommodations 15

   1. General 15

   2. Transportation 16

      1. General 16

      2. Energy consumption 16

      3. Greenhouse gas emission offsets 16

   3. Accommodations 17

      
      

10. Food and beverage catering 17

    1. General 17

    2. Ecological footprint 17

    3. Healthy diet 17

    4. Food waste 17

    5. Packaging 18

       
       

11. Education and engagement 18

    1. General 18

    2. Education program 18

       
       

12. Communications, marketing, and reporting 18

    1. General 18

    2. Communications framework 18

    3. Reporting 19

    4. Availability of reports 19

Annexes

A (informative) — Bibliography 20

iv November 2010

© Canadian Standards Association Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

Preface

This is the first edition of CSA Z2010, Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events.

A sustainable event entails incorporating considerations of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of hosting an event into all areas of event planning and management in order to minimize negative impacts, augment positive benefits, and create positive legacies for present and future generations.

This Standard specifies requirements and provides guidance for event organizers seeking to plan and execute sustainable events. Implementing this Standard will help to make an event more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable in an ethical and transparent manner. In addition, event organizers will be able to use this Standard to support public claims of their contribution to sustainability.

This Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee on Sustainable Events, under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Steering Committee on Business Management and Sustainability, and has been formally approved by the Technical Committee.

November 2010

Notes:

1. Use of the singular does not exclude the plural (and vice versa) when the sense allows.

2. Although the intended primary application of this Standard is stated in its Scope, it is important to note that it remains the responsibility of the users of the Standard to judge its suitability for their particular purpose.

3. This publication was developed by consensus, which is defined by CSA Policy governing standardization — Code of good practice for standardization as “substantial agreement. Consensus implies much more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity”. It is consistent with this definition that a member may be included in the Technical Committee list and yet not be in full agreement with all clauses of this publication.

4. To submit a request for interpretation of CSA Standards, please send the following information to inquiries@csa.ca and include “Request for interpretation” in the subject line:

   1. define the problem, making reference to the specific clause, and, where appropriate, include an illustrative sketch;

   2. provide an explanation of circumstances surrounding the actual field condition; and

   3. where possible, phrase the request in such a way that a specific “yes” or “no” answer will address the issue. Committee interpretations are processed in accordance with the CSA Directives and guidelines governing standardization and are published in CSA’s periodical Info Update, which is available on the CSA website at https://standardsactivities.csa.ca.

5. CSA Standards are subject to periodic review, and suggestions for their improvement will be referred to the appropriate committee. To submit a proposal for change to CSA Standards, please send the following information to inquiries@csa.ca and include “Proposal for change” in the subject line:

   1. Standard designation (number);

   2. relevant clause, table, and/or figure number;

   3. wording of the proposed change; and

   4. rationale for the change.

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© Canadian Standards Association Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

Z2010-10

Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

0 Introduction

1. General

   This Standard specifies requirements and provides guidance for event organizers seeking to plan and execute sustainable events.

   Implementing this Standard will help to make an event more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable in an ethical and transparent manner.

   Event organizers will be able to use this Standard to support public claims of their contribution to sustainability.

   
   

2. Impacts of events

   The event organizer is responsible for the identification of the social, environmental, and economic impacts caused by the activities related to the event, and should take responsibility for the elimination or significant reduction of negative impacts, while also identifying and pursuing opportunities for augmenting positive impacts.

   This is achieved through transparent and ethical behaviour in all stages of event management and sustainable development. The process should

   1. take into account the expectations of stakeholders;

   2. abide by applicable laws;

   3. be consistent with international norms of behaviour;

   4. be integrated in all the event organizer’s operations; and

   5. be practiced by the event organizer in its relationships with stakeholders.

   
   

3. Principles of sustainable events

   Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

   Sustainability involves integrating the goals of a high quality of life, health, and prosperity with specific considerations of social justice and a commitment to work towards maintaining the earth’s capacity to support life in all its diversity. These environmental, social, and economic goals are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

   A sustainable event entails incorporating considerations of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of hosting an event into all areas of event planning and management in order to minimize negative impacts, augment positive benefits, and create positive legacies for present and future generations.

   When organizing a sustainable event, the overarching goal for an organization is to maximize the event’s contribution to sustainable development. To fulfill this goal, organizations should respect the principles of a sustainable event outlined below.

   Organizations should base their behaviour on standards, guidelines, or rules of conduct that are in accordance with accepted principles of right or good conduct in the context of specific situations and that are consistent with international norms of behaviour, even when these principles and norms present a challenge.

   The principles of a sustainable event include

   1. ethical behaviour, accountability, and transparency;

   2. engagement of the community and local stakeholders;

      
      

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      Z2010-10 © Canadian Standards Association

      
      

      
      

   3. positive benefits for the environment and society;

   4. accessible and inclusive setting;

   5. safe and secure atmosphere and facilities for spectators, participants, and workers;

   6. excellent customer/client experience; and

   7. a positive legacy.

   To identify relevant issues and to set priorities, event organizers should consider the environmental, social, and economic impact of the event and should address all those issues that have a relevant or significant influence on their decisions and activities.

   In this context, environmental concerns include the natural surroundings in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, and people, as well as their interrelationships. Social and economic concerns include labour practices, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development.

   These subjects are interrelated and complementary. Effective organizational governance enables an

   organization to take action on the issues and to implement the principles outlined above.

   
   

4. Standard development

   This Standard was prepared by the CSA’s Technical Committee on Sustainable Events. The membership of this committee represents the interests of users of this Standard, government and regulators, and general interest groups. This balance of interests ensures that this Standard reflects the expectations of the various groups regarding the organization of a sustainable event.

   Users of this Standard include organizers of cultural, business, and sporting events and festivals.

   Government and regulatory interests include those who are predominantly involved in providing government support for events.

   General interest groups include those who are not associated with the direct use of this Standard or government representatives including event attendees, event sponsors, non-governmental organizations, sustainability practitioners, and representatives of academic and scientific interests.

   The systematic approach followed in this Standard builds on best practices established by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games over eight years of preparation for the Games.

   Other resources and standards used as input by VANOC and by the developers of this Standard are listed in Clause 2.

   
   

5. Structure of this Standard

   This Standard includes requirements that an event organizer must satisfy in order to claim conformance

   with this Standard, as well as recommendations and guidance on how to fulfill these requirements.

   Taken together, the requirements and guidance provide a framework for making an event more sustainable throughout the life cycle of the event management process, including the planning, execution, and follow-up stages.

   This Standard is divided into clauses that lead the event organizer through the event life cycle. Each of the following clauses includes requirements, recommendations, and guidance:

   1. Scope;

   2. Reference publications;

   3. Definitions and abbreviations;

   4. Getting started;

   5. Planning and management;

   6. Executing the event;

   7. Selecting sites and venues;

   8. Supply chain and hiring practices;

   9. Transportation and accommodation;

   10. Food and beverage catering;

   11. Education and engagement; and

   12. Communications, marketing, and reporting.

   
   

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   © Canadian Standards Association Requirements and guidance for organizers of sustainable events

   
   

   
   

6. Using this Standard

Where all applicable requirements specified in this Standard are implemented, event organizers may use conformance with this Standard to support public claims of greater sustainability.

An event organizer can choose to implement some of the requirements, recommendations, and guidance in this Standard to make an event more sustainable but may not claim conformance with this Standard unless all of the applicable requirements specified are implemented.

Ensuring the sustainability of an event will positively affect the impact of the event on its stakeholders, the environment, and society, and can positively affect the organization’s financial bottom line.

Event organizers may choose to have a third party audit their conformance with this Standard. A third-party audit will provide additional assurance to stakeholders that the requirements of this Standard have been satisfied.

1. Scope

   1.1

   This Standard specifies requirements for organizing and executing sustainable events, and provides guidance on how to engage, inspire, and continually improve the performance of events contributing to sustainable development.

   While the event will be more sustainable, it will not necessarily be sustainable in absolute terms.

   Implementation of this Standard may not be used to support a claim of absolute sustainability.

   This Standard is applicable for use by organizations or individuals responsible for organizing events and applies to the full range of event types and sizes.

   Event types include cultural, business, and sporting events and festivals. “Event” can refer to a single or a recurring event.

   This Standard may also prove useful to event funders or sponsors who wish to encourage sustainability goals and objectives internally or externally.

   This Standard applies to the life cycle of event management, including the planning, execution, and closure phases, but not to the content or theme of the event.

   
   

   1.2

   In CSA standards, “shall” is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; “should” is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and “may” is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard.

   Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

   Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

   Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (nonmandatory) to define their application.

   
   

2. Reference publications

This Standard refers to the following publications, and where such reference is made, it shall be to the edition listed below, including all amendments published thereto.

CSA (Canadian Standards Association)

CAN/CSA-B651-04

Accessible design for the built environment

CAN/CSA-ISO 9000-05

Quality management systems — Fundamentals and vocabulary

November 2010 3