Games organisers turn to GRI guidelines to keep London Olympics green

The London 2012 Olympics has become one of the first organisations to announce it will use the newly-published event sustainability guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for its environmental goals.

The Event Organisers Sector Supplement to the guidelines covers events of various sizes, from small conferences and art exhibitions to sports and music festivals.

The supplement, which is intended to cover an event from bid to legacy, gives guidance on a range of issues, including site selection, transport, recruiting and training, sourcing, and managing community and environmental impacts.

It offers specific advice on how events should report on sustainability, covering guidance on industry-specific factors such as long-term legacy, community projects and attendee travel.

The events industry joins a growing list of sectors – including mining, airports and financial services – given special supplements to augment the basic guidelines. Phil Cumming, the London Olympics corporate sustainability manager, has already said he will use the guidance.

Maaike Fleur, the GRI’s reporting framework manager, said: “Over the last ten years, there has been a growing interest in the greening of events, with more organisations considering the sustainability performance of their activities.

“Events are a significant business investment, so it is vital that we start measuring and reporting sustainability impacts if we are to move to a sustainable global economy.”