The ISO 20121 standard was inspired by the Olympic Games London 2012, which were a catalyst for its development. It aims to ensure that events manage and control their potential social, economic, and environmental impacts, and leave behind a positive sustainable legacy.
The certification covers all Beijing 2022 activities, from planning through to development and implementation. Beijing 2022 is the first event organization in China to be awarded the certification.
“This certification sends a strong message about not only Beijing 2022’s commitment to sustainability, but also China’s commitment,” says Juan Antonio Samaranch, chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022. “This achievement is laying the groundwork for many other events to come in China, be that sporting events or any other events.”
In line with Olympic Agenda 2020, Beijing 2022 integrates sustainability across its operations, including areas such as waste management, energy efficiency, and carbon management.
Beijing 2022 was also one of the first signatories to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework. The Framework was co-developed in 2018 by the IOC, in partnership with UN Climate Change. It aims to develop a global agenda for sport to take concrete action against climate change.
This article originally appeared on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) website and is published here with permission.