Sustainable Pacific Supports IUCN World Conservation Congress international sustainable event certif
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC), which was held in Honolulu, Hawaii in September of 2016 was awarded the ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Certification.
Sustainable Pacific and iCompli, a division of BPA Worldwide, performed the independent third-party certification of IUCN’s compliance with the ISO 20121 standard.
ISO offers guidance for managing an event’s “triple bottom line”--environmental, social, and economic impacts. A certified event is able to effectively engage with stakeholders while minimizing resource use, such as energy, carbon, water and waste.
Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) students from the Global Leadership and Sustainable Development (GLSD) Master’s program provided on-the-ground support for conducting the audit at the World Conservation Congress. From left to right: Rachel Sherman (HPU intern), Delphine Homerowski (HPU intern), John Gotanda (HPU President), Jennifer Chirico (SPC), and Kristopher Wee (SPC).
More than 10,000 participants from 180+ countries participated in the event. Some of the notable achievements of the Congress include:
100% of onsite carbon emissions and emissions from IUCN-paid travel mitigated
100% recyclable exhibitions, pavilions and lounges
62% of all food (90% of vegetarian food) sourced locally
50% of waste recycled or composted
One of the key components of ISO 20121 is to develop a continual improvement plan to achieve greater standards of sustainability performance going forward. IUCN plans to follow its improvement plan as it works towards the next Congress in 2020.
“The IUCN Congress 2016 outlined the roadmap needed to place our planet on a more sustainable path,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. “This certification demonstrates that, together with our Hawaiʻi hosts, we walk the talk. The IUCN Congress has set an example for other large global events worldwide.”
(Hula girls welcome event participants from around the globe at the opening reception of the World Conservation Congress.)
“On behalf of the State of Hawaiʻi, I would like to congratulate the IUCN on earning the prestigious ISO 2021 Event Sustainability Management System certification for the 2016 World Conservation Congress held in Honolulu,” says Governor David Y. Ige, State of Hawaiʻi. “I am proud of the local Hawaiʻi partners who worked together with the IUCN to help make this achievement possible. It is a great legacy from the Congress. We look forward to working together with our international partners to achieve our local and global sustainability goals.”
Read the full IUCN Press Release here
About Sustainable Pacific
Sustainable Pacific Consulting (SPC) is a Hawaii-based Certified B Corporation specializing in sustainability consulting, leadership strategy, and training. SPC’s expertise and knowledge combine business competency with sustainability to develop tangible solutions that address the reality of business needs and meet business goals while positively impacting the local culture, community, and natural ecosystem. www.sustypacific.com.
About iCompli
iCompli is a division of BPA Worldwide, a not-for-profit auditing organization established in 1931 to audit circulation for publishers, advertisers and their agencies. Today, BPA’s audit services have expanded to include external assurance of government and industry standards and independent verification of companies’ technology and service claims. iCompli provides GRI reporting services (gap analysis, competitor bench-marking and external assurance) and third-party certification of ASTM and ISO event standards. www.bpaww.com
About ISO
The International Organization for Standardization, commonly referred to as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded in 1947, the organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial standards. It has a headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
