Sustainable Event Management: Best Practice Guidance
Pilot Version - November 2021

EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT LINKS TO THE WORLD ATHLETICS OFFICE ........................ 28

Contents
CONTENTS ......................................................................................................... 1
1.

OUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT ....................................................... 3
OUR VISION........................................................................................................... 3
OUR GOAL ............................................................................................................ 3
GLOBAL INITIATIVES................................................................................................. 3
OUR SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY................................................................................. 4
1.
LEADERSHIP IN ATHLETICS ............................................................................... 4
2.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION .................................................. 43.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CARBON ....................................................................... 44.
LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND AIR QUALITY ............................................................. 55.
GLOBAL EQUALITY ......................................................................................... 5
6.
DIVERSITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND WELLBEING ........................................................ 6
USING THE BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE .......................................................................... 62.

DEVELOPING YOUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN ............................................... 8

3.

SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT ................................................................ 104.

WASTE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................... 139.

ACCOMMODATION ................................................................................ 29

10.

CARBON NEUTRALITY ............................................................................. 31

11.

AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................... 33

12.

DIVERSITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION ............................................ 36

13.

HEALTH & SAFETY AND WELLBEING........................................................ 38

14.

DIGITAL, IP RIGHTS AND DATA PROTECTION .......................................... 40

15.

MONITORING AND REPORTING .............................................................. 42

16.

COMMUNICATIONS ................................................................................ 43

COMMUNICATION AIMS ......................................................................................... 43
COMMUNICATION METHODS FOR DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. .............................. 44

WASTE PLANNING ................................................................................................. 13
WASTE PRODUCTION AND WASTE STREAMS ............................................................... 13
WASTE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................... 13
WASTE COMMUNICATIONS ..................................................................................... 16
MONITORING AND REPORTING ................................................................................ 165.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT ......................................................................... 18
MEASURE AND PRIORITISE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT................................................... 18
ENERGY MANAGEMENT PLANNING ........................................................................... 18

6.

FOOD MANAGEMENT ............................................................................. 21

7.

WATER MANAGEMENT........................................................................... 24

8.

TRAVEL PLANNING ................................................................................. 26
TRAVEL BEST PRACTICE ........................................................................................... 27

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

1Document version control
This document has been drafted by Earth to Ocean on behalf of World Athletics for use by their internal event teams and local organisingcommittees to implement sustainability across their events.
UpdateNov 2021

Updates
Finalised for pilot

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

By whom
BR/ST

2

World Athletics: Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance

1. Our Sustainability Commitment

Our Goal

World Athletics is committed to ensuring that its athletics events, which areheld all over the world, and its headquarters, based in Monaco, are fully aligned
to the principles of sustainability. This is in recognition of, but not limited to,
the growing environmental challenges that the world faces today, specifically
air pollution, climate change and our over consumption of resources andmaterials escaping unmanaged into the environment alongside the social
issues of global equality and diversity creating unequal opportunities. All these
global issues pose a serious threat to the quality of our lives and communities.

Putting in place a robust sustainability strategy ensures World Athletics and its
partner organisations have a framework for delivering tangible benefits acrossthe three pillars of sustainability - environmental, social and economic. Key
benefits include:

Sustainability within athletics is defined as driving the practices and behavioursof individuals and organisations developing the sport in such a way that it:••••

accounts for the needs of future generations,provides a fair and level sporting platform based on sound ethicalprinciples,
actively involves interested parties and is open about decisions andactivities, andensures actions take a balanced approach to their social, economic andenvironmental impact.

By sustainability we mean balancing the economic, social and environmental
impact of our activity to ensure we meet the needs of today’s generation
without compromising the needs of future generations. A healthy environmentis the foundation of a healthy society which underpins a resilient economy.

Our Vision
Our sustainability vision is to become the leading
International Sports Federation in delivering best in classsustainable events

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

•
•
•
•

better management of the sport’s social and environmental risk factors;
identification of opportunities benefitting the sport and engaging a wider
group of stakeholders;more efficient use of resources delivering lower operating costs enabling
greater investment in the sport;
wider activation platform for partnerships to bringing significant economic,
social and environmental benefits to local communities.

The sustainability strategy sets out World Athletics’ commitment toaccelerating athletics towards a sustainable future, contributing to a betterworld. In some areas, this will require a change from ‘business as usual’, insome cases it will be about influence and specification and in others it will bearound developing partnerships to deliver scalable change.

Global initiatives
To deliver scalability, we have aligned our strategy to global initiatives in the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs or Global Goals), UN
Climate Change (UNCC) Climate Action Framework, UN Environment Clean Air
and the IOC Sustainability Framework.
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides ashared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now andinto the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing- in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and otherdeprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health andeducation, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tacklingclimate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

3World Athletics: Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance
Olympic Agenda 2020 is the strategic roadmap, of the IOC, for the future of the
Olympic Movement. The 40 recommendations are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
that, when you put them together, form a picture that shows the IOC
safeguarding the uniqueness of the Olympic Games and strengthening sport insociety. IOC is committed to supporting the delivery of the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) through the Olympic movement, addressing 11 of
the 17 SDGs.

Our Sustainability Strategy
We will achieve our goals through the delivery of our sustainability strategy,
built on six sustainability priorities and associated objectives, as shown below:

1. Leadership in Athletics
Having accepted responsibility for their activities and committed to thedevelopment and implementation of a sustainability strategy, World Athletics
needs to demonstrate solid leadership by proactively addressing the transition
to a more sustainable future and showcasing what is possible acrosstechnology, events and general operations. The strength of an international
federation embracing sustainability is the broad reach it can achieve throughexisting system of permitting, licencing and selection of venues and delivery
bids for World championship events.

2. Sustainable production and consumption
Optimising the lifecycle of materials and reducing waste and the managementof supply chain issues can be one of the most effective sustainability focus
topics. This begins with developing and implementing a sustainableprocurement policy, applicable to products and services. Identification of
suppliers able to support the delivery of the sustainability goals is critical.

Key Priority

Objective

1

Leadership andsustainability

Be a recognised driver in sports
sustainability

2

Sustainable production
and consumption

Positively manage the impact ofprocurement

3

Climate change andcarbonTransition to carbon neutrality by 2030

Management of waste was identified as one of the most significant issues toWorld Athletics. The problem of persistence of plastics and our single use
culture needs to be tackled through material specification at the procurement
phase. However, this needs to be aligned to the waste management potential
at the various locations.

4

Local environment andair quality

Ensure environmental conditions
enable individuals to participate safely

Waste is costly and, in many cases, unnecessary. During procurement
questions need asking as to where the product has come from, what is its
impact in production and use and how will it be disposed of, or can it be reused.

5

Global equality

Demonstrably share skills across theworld

Key areas for sustainable procurement are temporary event structures,
equipment and clothing, energy and power, food sourcing, travel and transport
and the venues/ stadia hosting the events.

6

Diversity, accessibility,
and wellbeing

Ensure athletics is open to everyone

3. Climate Change and Carbon

Table 1: World Athletics sustainability priorities and associated objective

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

Climate change driven by accelerated global carbon emissions is already
impacting our lives. Athletics is a global sport with many of the highest-levelathletes coming from areas that will be most impacted by changing climate,impacting, for example, food security. Athletics, in particular the major world4World Athletics: Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidancechampionship events, produce significant carbon emissions and at the sametime can inspire significant change towards the needed low carbon economy.
These emissions are across travel, temporary power at events, energy
consumption in stadia and venues as well as production of equipment.
World Athletics business activities themselves place a large travel demand on
all stakeholders, whether internal or external, be that for training, competition
or meetings/ conferences etc. Whilst travel is fundamental to uniting people
through sport, travel-related carbon emissions represent one of the main
environmental impacts associated with sport.
5 major areas of carbon emissions to actively manage are:
1. Travel, accommodation, and transport• Flights taken by World Athletics employees/ officials, athletes,
coaches• Ground transport including official cars and public transport• Accommodation• Freight
2. Energy Consumption• Temporary power, heating, lighting, cooling and power used atpermanent and temporary venues and in headquarters/ offices
3. Resources• considered within the sustainable production and consumption
focus area
4. Food and Beverage• Considered within the sustainable production and consumption
focus area
5. Waste• Considered within the sustainable production and consumption
focus area

4. Local environment and air quality
Air pollution poses a major threat to both health and climate. New data fromthe World Health Organisation shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air
World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

containing high levels of pollutants with more than 90% of air pollution related
deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Asia andAfrica. It is estimated that air pollution kills around 7 million people every year
from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into thelungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heartdisease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory
infections, including pneumonia.
Air quality is closely linked to earth’s climate and ecosystems globally. Many ofthe drivers of air pollution (i.e., combustion of fossil fuels) are also sources ofhigh CO2 emissions. Some air pollutants such as ozone and black carbon are
short-lived climate pollutants that greatly contribute to climate change andaffect agricultural productivity.
Actions and policies to reduce air pollution, represent a “win-win” strategy forboth climate and health, lowering the burden of disease attributable to air
pollution, as well as contributing to the near- and long-term mitigation ofclimate change.
The World Athletics owned World Athletics Series - WAS - events and World
Athletics sanctioned events often cause significant local traffic disruption
which, in turn, can elevate air quality issues. Through intelligent planning andintegration of initiatives to monitor and/ or improve air quality, World Athletics
can promote and protect a healthy environment for athletes, the World
Athletics family, fans and the local community.
With an informal network of more than half a billion runners around the world,
World Athletics is in a unique position to promote global awareness of thehealth impacts of air pollution.

5. Global Equality
Aligning with one of the core World Athletics values, UNIVERSALITY, World
Athletics has a responsibility to ensure that everyone has an opportunity toparticipate in athletics. This is applicable to individuals and, also, to the abilityof Member Federations to have the opportunity to secure World Athletics
5World Athletics: Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance
support and recognition for events. The opportunity is significant throughprocurement, mentoring, building skills to close the global inequality gap.
Leveraging “Athletics for a Better World”, World Athletics can provide theleadership so that stakeholders can add value to their own work byconcentrating the synergies of projects in the fields of health, environment,social inclusion and peace.

6. Diversity, Accessibility and Wellbeing
World Athletics has long been a leading international federation championing
equal access to competition. Committing to having equal gender
representation on its council by 2027 and, with a roadmap to achieve this,World Athletics is leading by example on gender parity.
Whilst many nationalities, physiologies, genders, races and religions arecelebrated within the sport, there remains an imbalance, particularly in
relation to the retention and progression within the sport, as technical officials,
referees, judges, etc. Whilst programmes are in place at either ends of theparticipation spectrum, World Athletics must continue to innovate to achieve
diversity throughout the athletics world, focusing on retention within the
sports, creating a well-signposted, inclusive pathway into the governance ofthe sport, including technical officials.
Through the recognition of a gender imbalance within the sport and an
enthusiasm to address this at all levels, from grassroots participation throughto administration and governance, World Athletics continues to address theissues of equality and inclusion across the sporting world.
The World Athletics duty of care applies beyond the direct World Athletics
family involved through participation and engagement with athletics. It also
applies to volunteers, construction workers building sports infrastructure,
those working for suppliers providing goods and services to athletics bodies
and events. People should not have their lives or health put at risk because of
their work, nor should they be subject to discrimination, forced labour or otherabusive practices.

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

World Athletics is committed to fair, safe, healthy and non-discriminatory
working environments, promoting accessibility to training, education andencouraging a positive work-life balance.
Irrespective of geography, politics, religion, everyone has equal rights to being
able to participate in athletics without fear of verbal of physical abuse, in anenvironment conducive to sporting achievement, at all levels. World Athletics
will provide best practice guidelines and exercise influence through Member
Federations to ensure that running, jumping and throwing can be universallyenjoyed.

Using the best practice guidanceThis sustainable event management system best practice guidance has beendeveloped to provide a clear actionable checklist, aligning to the “plan, do,check, act” framework broken down into sustainability topics. Those withoverall responsibility for an event should be familiar with all relevant legislation
and required best practice actions, supporting the event delivery team in
adapting to a new “business as usual”, incorporating best practice into all
aspects of event planning and delivery. Each section can be extracted anddistributed to team members, as appropriate, empowering them to deliver
their role, responsibly, according to best practice. Table 2 details which of thebest practice topics align to and address each of World Athletics identified
sustainability priorities.
Before you begin, it is recommended that you complete the four-part World
Athletics e-learning module on sustainability which can found here.
Registration is free. Upon registration and login, the direct link is here.

6World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management Best Practice Guidance
Table 2: Best practice topics addressing World Athletics sustainability priorities
Best Practice Topic
Sustainability
Priority

Writing asustainability
plan

Sustainable
Procurement

Waste

Energy

Food

Water

TravelAccommodation

CarbonNeutrality

Accessibility& Inclusion

Health &Safety andWellbeing

Digital, IP
Rights andData
Protection

Monitoring
andReportingCommunications

Leadershipandsustainability

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Sustainableproduction
andconsumption

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Climatechange andcarbon

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Local
environment
and air quality

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Globalequality

*

*

*

*

Diversity,
accessibility,
and wellbeing

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance

*

*

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

2. Developing your sustainability plan
The starting point for all events should be to develop your sustainability plan.
There are a few simple steps to take that will help you define your level ofambition, your opportunity, the quick wins and managing sustainability risk.
Steps in developing your plan:
1) Identify your activities and the sustainability impacts resulting fromthese activities
2) Identify your key stakeholders and their expectations of the event including World Athletics, potential commercial partners, host city,
athletes, fans, staff, etc.
3) Work out your priorities, taking into consideration the level of impact
and risk, your expectations of key stakeholders4) Identify a clear goal - what social or environmental impact would you
like the event have delivered?
5) With a clear goal in mind, and the priority issues identified, set out yourmeasurable objectives and targets that address the issues along withactions to deliver these objectives6) Measure, monitor and evaluate delivery against your targets
The guidance in this document will help you identify, evaluate and address the
key sustainability issues you will face delivering your event.
The key priorities of World Athletics should be addressed, namely:•

Leadership – communications and advocacy•

Carbon management – reduction and neutrality•

Sustainable procurement and waste management•

Local environmental and air quality impact•

Diversity, accessibility and wellbeing – athletes, staff and fans•Global equality – inclusivity and capacity building

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

World Athletics is a signatory of the Sport for Climate Action framework
collaborating with nearly 300* sporting bodies aligned on achieving global
carbon targets and undertaking positive action on climate. Your event may
want to consider also aligning to this global sporting movement.
Roles and responsibilities will need to be clearly assigned, aligned to eachtarget, and supported by adequate resources, whether that be in terms oftime, expertise or finance. There may be a need to upskill the delivery team;support is available from World Athletics to achieve this.
The guidance in this document is set out to identify the actions required in theplanning, delivery and post-event stages.
Communications and advocacy are a key part of event sustainability, and each
event should identify the internal, external and on-event communications. This
may involve identifying athlete advocates for delivering a wider impactful
message.
As part of the event planning, sustainability activations may be identified thatcan be useful platforms to engage commercial partners and are an opportunity
to influence wider societal change often leaving a significant event legacy forthe local community. There are many good examples of these across sport.
Monitoring and measurement are critical to ensure you are delivering against
the plan that was set out and reaching the targets identified.
For additional guidance and support at all stages of your planning and event
delivery journey, contact World Athletics Head of Sustainability Bob Ramsak(bob.ramsak@worldathletics.org).

* as of September 30 2021

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
These actions should be implemented throughout the event planning anddelivery cycle:

2. During event delivery•

1. During event planning
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Define your sustainability mission/ level of ambition. What do you want toachieve, what does ‘great’ look like?
Identify all business activities and associated sustainability risks.
Prioritisation of issues should consider likelihood/ level of impact, legal
compliance, key stakeholder expectations
Utilising the prioritised list of sustainability issues, define objectives,
SMART targets with a detailed action plan, complete with KPIs to measureachievement.
Allocate ownership and resources (financial, time & human) to the action
plan
Engage with stakeholders (internal and external) to educate aroundsustainability and your specific ambitions to achieve buy-in and support
Secure collaborative partnerships to influence wider societal change andidentify legacy opportunities
Sustainability ambitions and commitments are integrated into event
communication plan

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021•••

Ensure all event staff have been briefed/ educated on the sustainability
commitments, are aware of their role in achieving sustainability goals andare empowered to ‘lead by example’, demonstrating best practice
behaviours
Implement program of monitoring/ auditing throughout delivery to ensure
adherence to the plan and identify non-compliance in order to implement
corrective measures, efficiently
Internal and external (e.g. athletes) sustainability ‘champions’demonstrate and communicate best practice, amplifying messaging acrossstakeholders
Sustainability messaging (both onsite and through media channels), as partof the communication plan, drives awareness and actions to fuelcompliance and achievement across stakeholder groups

3. Post event wash up• Post event review meeting with venue/partners/ suppliers/ contractors toconstructively review service delivery and capture lessons learnt to drive
continual improvement• Produce transparent post event report providing fact-based evidence,
obtained through the monitoring program, of sustainability achievements
and lessons learnt.

9World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

3. Sustainable Procurement
A significant proportion of the sustainability impact from events will be theresult of products and services procured through the supply chain by the event
delivery team and required to stage successful world class events.
Managing the supply chain effectively can ensure timely delivery of products/
services, minimise any negative impact and deliver wide reaching value andsocial benefits, particularly for the local communities that are hosting theevents. World Athletics sustainable procurement guidance focuses on ensuring
an ethical supply chain that minimises environmental impact and builds a
legacy of local resilience within the host community.
The buying process is generally well understood and proposals from suppliers
are assessed based on the quality of the service or product and the price.
Sustainable procurement re-defines “quality” which includes factors aroundthe social, ethical, and environmental impact of the product or service as wellas the look, feel and performance of a product (see Figure 1).
In simple terms – the buying process is:
1. Request for quotes (RFQ): ensure the sustainability requirement identified
are included in the RFQ
2. Evaluate suppliers: Review their social, environmental and economic
policies and management
3. Evaluating the product or service: Evaluate the product or service they areproviding asking 5 key questions (which follow)
4. Select the supplier and contract the service including the sustainability
requirements
5. Provision of service/product should also include the provision of evidenceof compliance with sustainability requirements. These should be checkedon site through audits against the specified requirements and action taken
to address any non-conformities
6. Payment on delivery of contracted services including final data reportingand evidence of complianceWorld Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

For more information, revisit the World Athletics sustainability e-training
module, Understanding Sustainable Procurement, which can be found here.

1. Request for quotes
RFQs should include the sustainability requirements that have been identified
in the sustainability strategy and are important in the local context.
Specification of materials should align with the waste management plan andare key to delivering the objectives and targets of a sustainable event.
2. Evaluating suppliers
The procurement process should evaluate the type of company providing the
product or service. Critical will be assurance of the look, feel and performanceof the product or service and the reliability of the supplier. However, questionsin the RFQ should include those about the company to mitigate reputation risk
as well as ensuring and promoting the use of responsible suppliers. Simply
asking for their social, environmental and economic policies and management
processes will be a start. This may be evidenced through certification schemes
such as ISO14001 (Environmental Management) or ISO20121 (Sustainability
Management).
You are looking for assurances across:•

Conditions of workers providing the products or service•

The company paying staff living wages•

Health and safety of employees•

Environmental performance of the company
environmental impact or carbon neutral services•

Locale of the company and its own supply chain to help build local
resilience and local economic impact

ensuring

10

minimalWorld Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
3. Evaluating products or services

5. Provision and audit of the service or productThere are five key questions to ask when looking at the sustainability of
products and to some extent services:

As the supplier provides the service, the certifications or evidence of theprovenance of materials should be provided at the same time and an on-site
audit carried out to check against the specified requirements.

1. Where does it come from, who made it?
2. What is it made of?
3. What is it wrapped in?
4. What impact does it have in use?
5. What will happen to it after the event?
Sustainable procurement is looking to ensure negative environmental andsocial impacts are minimised through the buying choices made by the event
team. World Athletics has developed a comprehensive procurement code that
identifies products and materials to avoid. This can be shared on request.
4. Selecting suppliers and contracting the services
Once the preferred supplier is selected to provide the product or service, acontract that clearly specifies the sustainability requirements should be drawn
up. As a minimum these should include:

Working closely with suppliers will help to ensure the understanding andimportance of these sustainability requirements. As events are able to pave
the way with pushing more sustainable products, the demand for those with amore damaging social and environmental impact will decrease.
Suppliers may also be able to improve their service offering as you work closelywith them to achieve the sustainability requirements.
6. Payment on delivery of contracted service
Provision of the required data is part of the contracted service and is often
overlooked. Ensuring the supplier understands payment is dependent ondelivery of the service to the specification as well as the sustainability data
requested. This may be around the product, quantities of materials, evidenceof sourcing if not already provided, transport and travel distances due toservice provision.

1. Compliance with the event’s sustainability policy and on-site procedures,
including but not limited to waste management, spill prevention, eliminating
single use materials, low carbon transport.
2. Specification of materials in manufacturing of product and clearly stating
materials to avoid
3. Provision of evidence and assurance of materials used
4. Provision of required data to report to the event team at conclusion ofservice – e.g., travel and transport impact, quantities of product/ materials

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
Evaluating suppliers, products or services••

Identify suppliers that have a certified Environmental Management System(EMS) to ISO14001 or Sustainability Management System (SMS) to
ISO20121
Suppliers without certified management systems, request details of social,environmental and economic policies

Selecting suppliers and contracting services••

Integrate environmental, social and ethical responsibility into criteria for
determining “value for money” and selection of suppliers/ contractors
Ensure that sustainability requirements, including provision of post event
monitoring/ evaluation data, is embedded, clearly, into service
agreements

2. During event delivery••
Figure 1 : Sustainable Procurement process (from World Athletics procurement e-learning

These actions should be implemented throughout the event planning anddelivery cycle:
1. During event planning
Request for quotes•••

Embed sustainability criteria into all procurement documents, including
the Request for Quotes (RFQ)
Sustainable procurement code is implemented, eliminating packaging
waste, where possible
Create a sustainable procurement matrix detailing service provision andassociated sustainability impact and scale to prioritise the procurement
process

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021•

Provision and audit of product or service
Assign responsibility to audit and ensure compliance to sustainableprocurement commitments throughout event delivery
Assign responsibility to ensure that suppliers/ contractors minimise
packaging and take responsibility for any waste

3. Post event wash up• Post event review meeting with suppliers/ contractors to constructively
review service delivery and capture lessons learnt to drive continual
improvement• Review data provided and provision of services before payment is signed
off• Feed data and achievements to owner of post event report12World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

4. Waste Management
Eliminate

Reuse

RecycleCost pertonne
Recover

Treat

DisposeSound waste management will lead to a reduced carbon footprint, increased
sustainability, minimise impacts on species and habitats through pollution/
littering and lower financial costs. A large component of waste management
starts through minimising the actual waste produced during the procurement
phase of an event.

Waste planning
Due to the global nature of events and different capacity to deal with waste indifferent locations, each event will have a separate waste plan that identifies
all the anticipated waste and identifies the waste routes available. The planshould be aligned to the waste management provision locally available as wellas the local legislative requirements.
Waste management contractors will be chosen in each location and should be
procured on their ability to achieve the targets and provide the evidence
through comprehensive data reporting. Selecting local providers who can help
to deliver across the waste hierarchy (see Figure 2) will be an added advantage.
It may, however, require more than one waste contractor to achieve therequired targets. Always ensure that the waste contractor identified isregistered, if required, with the local environmental agency.
To effectively segregate waste, sufficient space needs to be planned that allows
waste to be stored safely and securely. Make sure that extra precautions aretaken when storing hazardous waste (such as bunding around areas with liquidhazardous waste).
Bins for all waste streams should be kept in pods together to minimise
contamination along with clear signage. All staff should be aware of the plan,
briefed on the local delivery and take responsibility for their actions.

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

Figure 2 The waste hierarchy

Waste production and waste streams
Waste is produced at the event offices prior to events as well as on the event
site during the build-up, event delivery and event breakdown.
Waste streams will include:•

Office: paper, electronics, batteries, cleaning products, foodpackaging, waste food, left-over food•Events: branding, paper, batteries, broken equipment, food packaging,waste food, left-over food, glass, packaging, overlay waste, equipment(broken and useable)

Waste management
Whilst it will vary depending on the local facilities, targeting 60% of total waste,
by weight, to be recycled and zero to be disposed via land fill is a reasonable13World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
ambition. The following steps to implementing the waste hierarchy can be seen
below:
1. Eliminate
The first goal is to eliminate any unnecessary waste produced and where thatis not possible to use the most environmentally beneficial means of disposal
achieved by following the waste hierarchy. A review of all waste produced andidentification of the source of the waste will identify where alternatives exist
to eliminate that waste stream.
Common to all World Athletics events should be an ambition around theelimination of single use materials and products. Alternatives to products
such as single use bottled water should be identified, and water refill stations
supplied. Where water refill stations for public and staff are provided, refillable
bottles can be provided as a revenue stream or individuals encouraged to bring
their own. A similar approach can be implemented for take-away coffee cups.
Solutions to replacing sealed, plastic water bottles whilst ensuring there is no
tampering on the competitive sports field, will require a collaborative approachand is often a challenge to implement these areas. However, there are plentyof examples where this is satisfactorily achieved.
Packaging and plastic bags should also be eliminated as far as possible and is a
key part of the sustainable procurement code. Staff should work closely with
suppliers to minimise the quantity of packaging necessary to deliver the
products.
For printed materials, only print when necessary and when it is, print double
sided and recycle all unwanted paper. Installing print release functions can
reduce wastage of printing that is not collected.
Catering waste should be eliminated with careful portion control, menu
planning and stock control as well as ticketing and catering numbers. Different
audiences will also demand different quantities and types of food. Working
closely with the catering provider should help eliminate waste in the first
World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

instance. Reusable tableware should be part of the inventory rather than single
use disposable. Even through the provision of temporary dish-washingmachines, it will work out cost effective even for a short-term event.
2. Reuse
Where it is not possible to eliminate waste, the reuse potential should beassessed. At each event location, pre-planning should identify potential
materials for reuse, maximising the rental market and working with local
partners can identify a range of potential local community benefits. The rental
market can provide a large amount of reusable temporary infrastructure.
Single use branding should be avoided as far as possible and where a series of
events are held or repeat events at the same location, design of branding tominimise the need to continually change branding due to date, location andsponsor should be a clear requirement for branding agencies. Branding should
be designed to be reused as far as possible or given to local community groups
for a range of innovative and creative uses.
Equipment will be reasonably easy to find reuse opportunities through thenational federation to the local clubs. It may be a perfect opportunity to
improve the quality of the local club equipment as part of the event legacy
programme.
Excess edible food is often produced from event hospitality and there are an
increasing number of charitable digital platforms where catering managers canpublish left over edible food for collection by individuals or organisations e.g.,
Olio, Copia.
3. Recycle
Recycling is where the waste material is processed into the same or similarmaterials. Plastics are generally widely recycled however the different types
and grades of plastic can cause challenges. Similarly products made of mixedmaterials are also difficult to recycle. So, whilst a product may say it can be

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
recycled, this may be only once the component materials have been separatede.g., single use coffee cups.
Where it is not possible to eliminate or reuse products/ materials once theevent has used them, the materials should be able to be recycled and nonrecyclable materials avoided as far as possible. The type of material and its
recyclability should be specified in the initial procurement.
Branding should be recyclable or reusable where possible. Donation
opportunities should be sought for materials which will not be reused by World
Athletics but have alternative uses such as PVC banners which are hard torecycle.
Composting of food and compostable packaging is regarded as recycling where
actual compost is created. It should be noted that this processing is notcommonly available. Care should be taken when specifying compostable
tableware to ensure that “in vessel composting” IVC or open windrowcomposting facilities are available and that by using compostable packaging
you are not contaminating the recycling waste streams.
Often food waste is taken for anaerobic digestion (AD) which is technicallyenergy recovery, not recycling. This process is unable to process compostable
tableware which results in contamination of the waste stream and ultimately
dealt with as general black bag waste.
4. Recovery

5. Treatment
Treatment is where the waste is treated before disposal into the naturalenvironment such as wastewater. For events you need to be aware of any
equipment wash down and the products used to ensure they can be disposed
without treatment into foul sewers or waterways.
Temporary sanitary and kitchen facilities will need to be connected to thecorrect drainage systems.
6. Disposal
Disposal is where the waste is sent to a landfill – this is the case for hazardous
waste streams and some construction materials, however, innovations torecover materials such as paints, carbon fibre and resins are increasingly
available and should be explored. These may only be available throughspecialist contractors.
Disposal can be minimised through careful procurement so should be avoided
as far as possible in the waste management planning. Materials such as
plasterboard (gypsum) will need segregating and cannot be disposed of in
regular landfill so should be removed at the procurement stage.
Other hazardous or special waste such as batteries, oils and waste electronicequipment will need to be separated and disposed of according to local
regulations. These should be identified at the waste planning stage.

Recovery is where waste materials are incinerated and turned into energy.
Black bag waste of non-recyclable plastics or contaminated recycling will go toa waste-to-energy plant and incinerated to produce energy. Constructionwaste and contaminated waste is not sent to energy recovery and may result
in being sent to landfill. Where composting facilities are not available, foodand compostable packaging may be processed through anaerobic digestion
which is, technically, recovery.

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
Waste communications•

Total quantity (tonnes) of waste

Communicating the plan to staff, contractors and visitors is critical. The
cleaning contractor should be actively engaged in the waste management toensure their internal training covers the different waste streams and reportingis available where contamination of waste streams or insufficient bins occurs
so action can be taken before the waste plan breaks down.

•% split across type of waste (general waste, recycled, glass, food)•Processing method of each waste streams

Clean signage is essential with consistent, unambiguous diagrams and/or
colour coding across all waste receptacles. Bins should be provided in pods
according to the waste streams arising in each location. Many people do not
go and look for specific bins – they will simply use the closest.

This data will be collected by the waste contractor and should be a requirementof contract, which is only fulfilled once the service is complete and the data
provided.
In certain countries, waste records are required to be retained by the waste
producer which is the event authority. The legal requirements for a specificcountry should be identified in the waste plan.

Pre-event training should be undertaken to brief staff and volunteers as to how
to reduce waste and remind them regularly to act - this can occur as arequirement of the accreditation process.
Communications to suppliers and contractors should be done prior to event
time as well as during site induction briefings and again be built into theaccreditation process.

Monitoring and Reporting
Event time monitoring
Regular audits throughout the event are recommended to ensure the plan isworking effectively. Provision and resource should be identified in the plan tobe able to move and adapt the location of bins and the signage and messaging.
Waste reportingTo evaluate effectiveness of waste management planning, and assessachievement against the targets, waste data should be recorded with theminimum required data to include the following breakdown:
Example of waste signage on bin sides and lids and bins stationed together

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
These actions should be implemented throughout the event planning anddelivery cycle:2.
•

1. During event planning
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Relevant, applicable legislation has been identified to ensure compliance
Effective, sustainable procurement has been implemented, essential tolimiting waste, particularly in the fast-moving event world
A resource management plan has been developed, following the wastehierarchy, identifying materials/ products and their waste disposal routes
Applicable waste streams have been identified
Best options for waste containers and lids to enforce segregation havebeen determined
Waste volume has been anticipated and bins have been allocatedaccordingly with signage designed to meet stakeholder needs
Locations have been identified for clearly identifiable bins to facilitate
waste separation - E.g. 1) Paper and card, (2) bottle shaped plastic andtins/cans, and (3) general / residual waste
Sufficient space is planned to facilitate safe and secure waste storage
Hazardous waste streams have been identified and relevant extra
precautions have been taken regarding storage
All staff have access to the waste management plan

Selecting suppliers and contracting services••

Waste management contractors procured on their ability to manage
identified waste streams and deliver across the waste hierarchy; more than
1 contractor may be required
Ensure that waste contractor has relevant registration and licences prior tocontracting

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Assign responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the waste management
plan. Regular audits throughout the event ensure the plan is working
effectively
Brief staff and volunteers as to how to reduce waste and remind them
regularly to take action
Bins, both back of house and front of house (complete with simple to follow
information, at eye height, with bin lids that aid identification and prevent
contamination) have been distributed according to plan
Responsibility for monitoring/ policing bin usage and non-contamination
has been assigned
Ensure waste is collected by a company registered with the local
environmental agency as a waste carrier and is being taken to a permitted
waste site or transfer station
Publish waste collection schedule
Store waste safely and in a secure area, make sure that extra precautions
are taken when storing hazardous waste
Daily non-compliance issues are reviewed daily with action taken to
improve
3. Post event wash up•••

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

During event delivery

Waste production will be recorded, including, at least, the following
breakdown:o Total quantity (tonnes) of waste
o % split across type of waste (general waste, recycled, glass, food)o Processing method of each waste streams
All waste management contractors are engaged to collect feedback anddata against waste management plan, which is fed into post event report
Waste management will be reviewed, against objectives and KPIs as partthe post event review meetings

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

5. Energy management

Energy management planningWorld Athletics is committed to operating to a high level of energy efficiency,
reducing the carbon content of the energy provision to ensure as low a
carbon footprint as possible from its operations. World Athletics has set atarget to be carbon neutral by 2030. A significant area of carbon emissions isfrom energy provision at events. Recognising that World Athletics do not
own stadiums, engaging and collaborating with the host city, venue, LOC andsuppliers on sustainability goals is key to achieving carbon reductions.

Each event should look to create an energy management plan that works
through the “LEGO” energy hierarchy to minimise carbon emissions.

Globally, energy generation is still predominantly from non-renewable, fossil
fuel sources contributing to global carbon emissions. This guidance is aroundthe energy we directly use, energy used in the production of the products
and services we procure as part of the temporary power energy provision
during events.
Our approach to energy management is to reduce and, where technicallypossible, eliminate our energy demand through design and efficiency and recarbonise the energy used switching away from fossil fuels to biofuels andrenewable energy.

Lean
•

•
•

Measure and prioritise your carbon footprint
For more information on measuring and prioritising your carbon footprint
revisit the second World Athletics sustainability e-training module,
Understanding Carbon Emissions, which can be found here.
Electricity, fuels, temporary power all form a significant part of the overall
carbon footprint of an event and understanding the size of the impact will
help to prioritise action accordingly.

•

Efficient

Green

OffsetLEAN – by eliminating unnecessary energy needs of the event overlay
design e.g., minimising the need for HVAC. Reduce total consumption by
ensuring staff, volunteers and contractors turn off equipment when not
in useEFFICIENT - through provision of temporary power, working with
contractor to design efficient provision and ensure all equipment isenergy efficient – i.e., LED lighting
GREEN - De-carbonise the energy provision by choosing the generation
type; permanent or temporary with the best/lowest carbon footprint,
for example:
o Use grid connections wherever possible with renewable energy
for mains/ grid powero For temporary power use biofuels, solar-hybrid, hydrogen fuelcells
o Consider energy storage to maximise use of solar power
OFFSET - the remaining emissions by calculating the remaining carbon
emissions and selecting a relevant offset programme. Monitoring should
also include the total energy demand across the event to drive continual
improvement and lessons learned for future events.

The training will explain more, but energy consumption forms a key part of
direct emissions called Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. These are a priority
to address.

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
These actions should be implemented throughout the event planning anddelivery cycle:
1. During event planning
LEAN
•
•
•

Natural light is used in preference to artificial lights. Where necessary,energy efficient lighting is utilised
Minimise time of lighting required pre-and post- broadcast hours
Plan seating/ temporary infrastructure and event offices to be adaptable
to allow for warmer and cooler areas to suit individual comfort and avoid
inefficient use of heating/ cooling

EFFICIENT•••

Where generators are required for temporary power plan distribution to
optimise loads and efficiencies
Choose or rent overlay to be as efficient as possible using energy
efficient equipment, lighting, sound, catering, heating, cooling
Ensure all suppliers/partners/sponsors infrastructure or installations areequipped with energy efficient equipment.

GREEN
•
•
•
•
•

Select grid (100% renewable) electricity where possible
Where generators must be used identify potential to use biofuels orother low carbon fuels
Event partnerships showcase innovative zero carbon energy solutions
Where HVAC is required due to high temperatures, the use of solar
energy should be a considered option
Ensure no pollution from generators/ black smoke

detailed within service contract.
2. During event delivery
LEAN
•

•
•
•

EFFICIENT•••

Ensure suppliers are briefed to monitor (24hr) total electricity consumed(kWh) and for generators – fuel consumed in litres and if possible,
efficiency of generators with monitoring and reporting requirements

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

Identify and record all equipment on site that could be removed or
upgraded for more efficient equipment
Communicate simple actions to reduce energy consumption to all
visitors
Daily non-compliance issues are reviewed daily with action taken to
improve

3. Post event wash up and review
LEAN/ EFFICIENT•OFFSET•

Brief all staff and volunteers on energy management to ensure:o equipment including stage lighting, screens, PAs (desk andpowered speakers), turned off when not in use or not required.
o battery chargers (for phones, two-way radios and otherequipment) are switched off when not in use
Clearly label equipment that must be left on
Passive cooling and heating should be standard behaviour; windows are
opened and closed, and fans are used over HVAC
End of day site walk to ensure that equipment/ lights/ generators areturned off wherever possible•

Post event ‘wash up’ meeting with suppliers/ contractors and relevant
staff to review energy usage and management to capture achievements
and lessons learnt to drive continual improvement
Performance against energy targets and KPIs reviewed and documented
as part of post event review meetings
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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
OFFSET••••

Log total grid electricity from supplierLog temporary power generated - total electricity consumed (kWh), fuelconsumed in litres, efficiency of generators (if possible), 24hr loading
chartsCalculate the remaining carbon emissions and select a relevant, credible,
offset partner or local community project to mitigate the carbon impact
from energy consumption during the event
Feed all data, learnings and achievements into post event report

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

6. Food Management
Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhousegas emissions1. Food management should look at where food comes from aswell as how it has been cultivated or reared. A plant-based menu will
significantly reduce the carbon impact of the food offering. A vegan dietcould reduce the carbon impact of food by up to 90% compared to a carbon
intensive meat-based menu.
Implementationofasustainable food chartershould aim to provide healthy
and affordable food, whichcauses as little threat to theenvironment as possible andbenefits local producers
through the following focus
areas:
Provide local food•••

reduce food miles ensuring fresh, seasonal, and local foods
support local growers and businesses, by sourcing the majority of foodfrom within 25 miles
celebrating local diverse food culture

Healthy environment•

Sourcing from Organic, Free Range or LEAF marque accredited
suppliers. LEAF accreditation ensures farming methods that protect thesoil and environment from artificial chemicals and follow high animal
welfare standards. Other standards include Red Tractor (UK), Demeter,
the Soil Association, the Rainforest Alliance and the International
Foundation for Organic Agriculture (IFOAM). Investigate certification
options in your own area as well.

Menu planning••••

Plan menus to incorporate seasonal produce and correct portions
Ensure all dietary requirements have been considered
Plan menus around health and wellbeing
Maximise the plant-based offering to the consumer

Manage Food Waste••

Use products with little or recyclable packaging
Avoid all disposable tableware and single-use plastics and polystyrene

Donate Unused Food•

Where leftover food is unavoidable, including cooked food, identify
means to donate it to local organisations that redistribute food to those
who really need it.

Responsible sourcing

Educate and Raise Awareness

•
•

•

•

1

sustainably produced food has a low carbon footprint
100% of our fish and seafood will be sustainably sourced, ideally fromour local fishermen
food supplied from further afield is fair trade and ethical, guaranteeingthat producers get a fair price for their goods

We want to create a positive food culture that places a greater value on
the food that we eat, the animals that provide it and the people that
produce it. We will look to grow awareness of the health andenvironmental impact of food, so fans can make better, moresustainable choices.

https://ourworldindata.org/food-ghg-emissions

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
These can be implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:
1.

•
•

•

Catering suppliers can deliver across your food requirements – creating
a clear food charter can be a simple way to include these requirements
into the RFP and is contractual for their service delivery (seeprocurement)
Contractors should be responsible for meeting all expected standards.
Due diligence is completed across all mobile concessions, including
compliance to all relevant legislation and food & hygiene standards
Where possible, catering contractors should source from Organic, Free
Range or LEAF marque accredited suppliers - LEAF accreditation ensures
farming methods protect the soil and environment from artificial
chemicals and follow high animal welfare standards.
Sustainable procurement prioritises the support of local growers andbusinesses, by sourcing the majority of food from within 25 miles. Foodsupplied from further afield is fair trade and ethical, guaranteeing that
producers get a fair price for their goods.

Menu planning••

Menus planned to incorporate:o seasonal produce and correct portions
o healthy foodso significant proportion of plant-based options
o all dietary requirements
Staff, athlete and visitor numbers are anticipated in order to plan menus,
stock control and food provision to minimise food waste

Food waste management••

Single use crockery and packaging is eliminated from delivery of thecatering programmes across the event. Remember to evaluate the useof compostable tableware and packaging taking into account the ability
to segregate and compost (see waste management section)
Food waste segregation system is in place2.

During event delivery

During event planning

Selecting the caterer••

Check compliance••

Check compliance against your food charter and other aspects of legal
complianceo hard copy of the food safety management system (and records
folder) in every kitcheno caterers and any concessions are individually vetted andchecked by the local authority on site to ensure they comply.
o Review menu provision as per planning
Ensure caterer is recording required reporting metrics

Check waste
•
•
•
•
•

Ensure no disposable crockery and cutlery
Review portion control to avoid waste food
Ensure perishable food is handled to prolong its freshness
Ensure product packaging is minimised and aligns with waste disposal
facilities available
Ensure waste is segregated into recycling waste streams

Food donation scheme•

Facilitate food donation scheme to minimise waste and maximisecommunity value

Food donation/ re-use opportunities should be identified for unusedcatering and non-perishable items.

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance3.

Post event wash up•

Review achievement of your food provision from data supplied bycaterer and food donation schemeo List of food provisiono Quantity of food waste disposed ofo Number of covers served in restaurants
Review and document food management against targets and KPIs as partof post event review meetings and report•

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

7. Water management
An awareness of all water provision including those on and off the field ofplay is imperative to running successful events. Water provision in light ofthe effects of climate change is a hugely contentious global issue withdrought and flooding events ever increasingly affecting both developed anddeveloping nations. Much of the world exists with limited clean drinking
water and sanitation facilities. World Athletics recognises the value of this
precious commodity and will endeavour to conserve and protect our water
resources. This extends to the habitats and species around our waters.

•

Ensure all legal compliance regulations are known, adhered to and if
necessary, obtain the relevant discharge consents and licences•

Selecting the right option:

Sustainable water management includes reducing water wastage, re-use ofgrey water, eliminating potential of pollution from oil and fuels, chemicalcleaning products and solid waste.

oWhere possible, use mains water suppliers and sanitation rather
than transporting in temporary infrastructureoWhere temporary infrastructure is required, aim to minimisetransport miles and maximise efficiency of equipmentoRegularly inspect water infrastructure to ensure integrity and, where
necessary, efficiently repair damage/ leaksoIdentify and implement water saving products and servicesoIdentify opportunities to implement usage of rainwater/blue or grey
water solutions. e.g., irrigation, washingoCold water hand washing facilities are sufficient for sanitation
facilities and save on energy used to heat water

Operationally, your event should aim to:•

Leave no trace on the aquatic environments on or around the field ofplay (rivers, lakes, coastal environment etc)•

Enact water conservation techniques wherever possible•

Provide filtered (mains) drinking water facilities•

This is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:
1. During event planning•

Protecting the environmentoWhere needed, identify cleaning products that do not harm theenvironmentoUnderstand drainage and potential sources of contaminatedspillage, protecting surface drains

Review the use and disposal options to create a supply and disposal planthat minimises environment impact, accounting for:•Plan for drinking water refill stations to support elimination of single use
plastics (see waste)o

CLEAR WATER: Potable drinking water•oBLUE WATER: Clean water used for washing and irrigation (not for
drinking)

Ensure suppliers understand data reporting requirements – make thesecontractual requirementso

GREY WATER: Water from washing and cleaning, with no organic
contaminationo

BLACK WATER: Catering sullage and sewage

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
2. During event delivery•oIncidents and complianceoEnsure there is a drainage plan on site as part of Event safety/
emergency team in case of incidentoEnsure all event team staff are trained on spill response – checktraining recordsoThroughout installation and duration of the event, ensure there are
no leaks in any temporary water provisionoHave adequate spill kits on site to address any spillsoCheck eco-friendly cleaning supplies and any chemicals in use areapproved and any run-off is minimisedoPass on water conservation messaging to the athletes, suppliers andstaff to ensure taps and any hoses are not left runningWorld Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

Reportandrecordany

incidents

or

near

misses.

3. Post event wash up•

Ensure data is provided (contractual requirement) on total water
consumption and wastewater disposal – mains and temporary•

Review equipment with water saving devices and those without/ notsupplied•

Review any incidents, identify causes and identify effective measures toeliminate incidents at next event – share best practice across World
Athletics Events•

Review delivery against targets and identify areas for improvement25

World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

8. Travel planning
Travel is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such ascarbon dioxide, globally. It is also a major factor on local air quality in cities
and towns. Athletics creates a significant trave carbon footprint e.g.,training, competition or meetings/ conferences etc. Whilst travel isfundamental to uniting people through sport, travel-related carbon
emissions represent one of the main environmental impacts associated withsport.
Event organisers should endeavour to choose venues with good public
transportation links in recognition of this. Visitors to events should be
encouraged to help reduce emissions by choosing sustainable modes oftransport. A transport list for the offices and all event cities, should becompiled for reference including information links.
Development and implementation of a sustainable travel plan will ensure all
event staff and teams are making sustainable travel choices. To ensure
delivery of a lowered carbon footprint, travel - a key contributor ofgreenhouse gases, needs to be well controlled and monitored. Sustainable
travel choices will, additionally, help lower the implications to air quality,
which city-based events can contribute to. In line with the World Athletics
sustainability strategy, a robust travel policy serves to educate and empower
event organisers and wider stakeholders to travel, where necessary, moresustainably.

The aim of a sustainable travel policy is to create a clear process/ policy on
travel bookings that aims to:•

Make travellers aware of their environmental impact. Travel is a major
source of emissions and travellers should understand the impact of theiractions and travel patterns;•

reduce the number of people travelling;•choose the “greenest’ travel option by adhering to the transporthierarchy for decisions on transportation;•

reduce carbon impact of events;•choose suppliers that, demonstrably, share values;•

preferentially select low carbon options at all stages of travel, including
airlines, airports, hotels and transfers;•

facilitate robust carbon reporting for all event travel bookings• offsets remaining carbon impact of event travel

Promotion of the travel hierarchy will not only present the opportunity to
showcase lower carbon travel but, in the case of active travel, inspire all our
stakeholders to make active choices in everyday living. In a world withincreasing obesity in many countries, the simple choices like walking to workor school promotes the active lifestyle needed to get and keep current andfuture generations fit and healthy.

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice GuidanceTravel best practice
The following good practice guidance should be followed:
Avoid travel
There is a significant proportion of travel that may actually be avoidable. The
use of collaborative communications, training and networking platforms
have revolutionised our need to travel for some meetings, workshops,
seminars and just in general to an office. However, there will becircumstances where travel is needed for site visits or actual events. In thesecases, the travel hierarchy should be implemented.
Active travel
Active travel choices should always be our first choice. As a sporting event
promoting healthy living we should ‘walk the walk’ and engage with active
travel at every opportunity. Providing visitors with a “walking map”
highlighting the time between points of interest and the healthy aspects,
calories burned, can be an engaging way to encourage walkers.
The provision of bikes or encourage the use of bike schemes in cities where
they are available.
Public transport
A variety of public transport options are easily accessible and available in all
event cities. Public transport should be used wherever possible.
Car Travel•

In cases where low carbon options are unavailable smaller cars are
generally a more efficient choice.

•Driving styles should be efficient in terms of fuel efficiency or emissions.
Think maximum distance using finite resources – sufficient tire pressure,stick to the speed limit, avoid un-used roof boxes, guidance can beprovided if needed

Air Travel
Travelling Business Class almost doubles your carbon footprint based on thespace that is taken up for a business class seat. Limiting business class flights
can significantly decrease the organisation’s travel carbon impact.
Flights under 5 hours will be considered short haul. Staff and team members
should travel in economy for all short haul flights.
For all other flights, economy travel should be the first choice.
Fans and visitors
Promote and communicate sustainable travel options to fans and visitors to
the events as well as meetings at the World Athletics offices. You can also
identify local or relevant carbon offsetting schemes for your fans and visitors
to take responsibility and offset their own travel.
Make this choice easy for them with a simple calculator where they can input
the distance travelled, the type of transport used and through a simple
emissions calculator the emissions is calculated and then provide a link tooffset this through a certified offset scheme.

Carpooling/shared travel should always be the first choice if public transport
is not practicable
Where cars are provided:•

Lower carbon choices such as hybrids and electric vehicles should beaccessed where available.

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice GuidanceThis best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:

3. Event wash up and review

1. During event planning

•

•

•

•
•

•

Develop overall travel plan, adhering to the travel hierarchy, for event
staff to minimise the carbon impact of event staff travelo Critically evaluate need to travel and use collaborative meeting
platforms, video, and other media to avoid unnecessary travelo Where travel is needed, select carbon efficient travel e.g.
economy class flights, public transport from airport etc
Promote active travel and public transport links to stakeholders,
including fans & visitors, athletes, partners through relevant
communications platforms and communicate all options/ timetables tostakeholders
Use ticketing process to communicate to fans/ spectators and capture
travel data and information at point of ticket sale
Identify and communicate a carbon offset program (relevant to theevent, where possible)o Lead by example, offsetting carbon impact
o communicate to all stakeholders, encouraging them to offset
their travel related carbon impact.
Work with local government and operators to ensure sufficient public
transport provision

2. During event delivery•••

Provide opportunities to encourage public transport provision e.g., freecoffee with bus/ train ticket
Conduct visitor surveys to determine travel options and distances toevaluate carbon impact, reasons for travel choices and effectiveness ofcommunication plan
Collect other types of travel data from transport providers (ensure
included in original procurement agreements), car parks and cycle parks

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021••

Review data collected to evaluate success of plan. E.g:o Number of people on public transporto Number of cars on siteo Number utilising bike storage provisiono Total visitors to event
Engage ticketing, communications as well as transport providers in post
event review meeting and report
Identify areas for improvement

Example of public transport links to the World Athletics officeType

Organisation

WeblinkBus

Compagnie desAutobus deMonacoCompagnie desAutobus deMonacohttps://www.cam.mc/en

Bateaubus

https://monaco-navigation.com/bateau-bus-tarifmonaco.html
https://www.visitmonaco.com/en/7547/access-by-rail

Train
Electric
Bike
Taxi/
Electric
Taxi

Monabikehttps://monabike.mc/

Taxi Monaco (App)https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/taxi-monaco/id1032394857
https://www.taximonaco.com/

Car
SharingMobee

http://www.mobee.mc/en/

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

9. Accommodation
A reduction in environmental impact and increase in social impact can beachieved through the choice of the goods and services it selects – through asustainable procurement process.
Accommodation is one such service and the selection should be reviewed
with this in mind, with impacts typically around energy management, waste
production, food provision, local staffing and staff diversity, health andwellbeing. However, these may seem difficult choices on the outside but
there are a number of certification schemes for ‘green hotels’. Whilst selfcatering is less likely to be assessed to a certification scheme, it is likely that
self-catering provision will be less energy intensive for longer periods of time
due to laundry, heating/ cooling communal areas, etc particularly for multioccupancy.

When choosing accommodation all aspects of the provision should beconsidered. Within the hotel environment more aspects are under thecontrol of the provider leaving just choice to your event team logisticalcoordinators.

This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:
1. During event planning
•
•

•
•

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

Develop accommodation plan covering all staff, maximising efficiency innumber of room nights
Research and select accommodation considering:
o any
green
standards,
certificationormarks.
http://www.greenhotelier.org/know-how-guides/know-howguide-to-sustainable-hotel-certification-schemes/o proximity to the venue to limit need for cars/ taxis and enableeffective use of either public transport, walking or cycling.
o Hotels with sustainable food standardso Hotels with high employment standards for their staff (there
maybe local certification schemes for this?)Selected accommodation should be made aware that no bottled water
should be supplied – unless filtered, potable water cannot be provided.
Additional sustainability requirements can be stipulated in hotelnegotiations/ contracts. E.g. disposable shower kits and single use
sachets should be removed, a reduced cleaning schedule implemented
and no single use plastics provided.

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2. During event delivery••

Communicate your sustainability commitments to event staff members
and athletes, including a list of traveller tips, to include:o turn off lights, TV and other equipment including phone/ iPadchargers when not in use and when they leave their roomo a list of the most sustainable restaurants, cafes etc including
meat-free options nearby and sustainable modes of transportshould be included.
o Energy/ temperature management: “comfortable” room
temperature, turn off a/c.
Reduce amount of laundry necessary by washing clothing together(ensure branded clothing is named beforehand), and use a sustainable
laundry service provider (limited use of chemicals etc.)

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021•

Encourage staff, athletes to put towels and sheets for laundry only whennecessary

3. Event wash up and review•••

Collate total number room nights at different types of accommodation
Collect data relating to methods of transport utilised through durationof event to report on the effectiveness of the accommodation choice in
reducing carbon impact from staff travel
Carry out post event review meeting capturing achievements andlessons to be learned30World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

10. Carbon Neutrality
Climate change driven by accelerated global carbon emissions is a global
issue affecting every person on the planet with impacts including ocean
acidification, disruption of the food chain, ‘extreme’ weather events, homeand habitat destruction and sea level rise.
World Athletics has recognised the importance of climate action and theimpact this has on athletics, human health and wellbeing. Athletics, inparticular its events, produce a significant carbon footprint. However, theyalso have the opportunity to embrace, utilise and showcase innovativetechnology to change energy sources to renewables. Significant carbon
emissions and, therefore, carbon mitigation steps, should focus on:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

TravelEnergy Consumption
Resources
Food and Beverage
Waste

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:

Brief/ educate LOC on carbon reduction plan and best practices,
ensuring that everyone is clear of the targets and their roles andresponsibilities
Ensure that carbon monitoring requirements are detailed in all bid,tender and contractual documentation
Travel and transport policy (including monitoring and reporting
requirements and processes) is finalised before bookings are madeEngage with host city/ venues to leverage partnerships and existing
initiatives that can help achieve targets and provide a communication
platform for host cities/ venues
Showcase innovative carbon reduction/ zero carbon technology throughcollaborative partnerships
Engage all suppliers and contractors with carbon reduction goals and get
their buy in to minimise their impact
Healthy and public transport options are communicated to all
stakeholders
Develop communication and engagement plan to campaign aroundcarbon neutrality, raise awareness of your event’s commitments andshare best practice to drive actions across stakeholders.

1. During event planning••••

Identify top line carbon emissions to help prioritise actions to reduce
emissions
Build a carbon reduction plan that details your specific objectives,
targets (driven by baseline data where data exists), KPI’s and actions,also listing monitoring and reporting requirements
Identify and commit to a relevant carbon offset program to achieve net
zero carbon emissions for specified scope
Ticketing programme incorporates link to chosen offset program,encouraging visitors to offset the carbon impact of their travel to the
event

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2. During event delivery•••

All staff are educated on specific actions and initiatives, regular checks
to be completed to reduce energy consumption and their responsibilities
Ensure signage (BOH and FOH) encourages all stakeholders todemonstrate best practices to reduce energy consumption (e.g. turning
off lights, unplugging devices, turning off equipment overnight….)
Event director, or designated staff member, ensures that all lighting/equipment/ generators etc are, where possible, turned off before
leaving event site each evening31World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
3. During event wash up and review••

Post event ‘wash up’ meetings with all partners, contractors, suppliers
to ensure all data has been submitted to event organisers and shareachievements and lessons to drive continual improvements
Any areas for improvement are fed into and documented (along withactions) during the internal post event review meeting and incorporated
into end of event report

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11. Air Quality
Air pollution poses a major threat to both health and climate. Recent datafrom the World Health Organisation shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe
air containing high levels of pollutants with more than 90% of air pollution
related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Asia
and Africa. It is estimated that air pollution kills around 7 million people
every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep
into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke,heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases andrespiratory infections, including pneumonia.
Air quality is closely linked to earth’s climate and ecosystems globally. Manyof the drivers of air pollution (i.e., combustion of fossil fuels) are also sourcesof high CO2 emissions. Some air pollutants such as ozone 24 and black
carbon are short-lived climate pollutants that greatly contribute to climatechange and affect agricultural productivity.
Actions and policies to reduce air pollution represent a “win-win” strategy
for both climate and health, lowering the burden of disease attributable toair pollution, as well as contributing to the near- and long-term mitigation ofclimate change.
World Athletics owned World Athletics Series (WAS) events and World
Athletics sanctioned events often cause significant local traffic disruption
which, in turn, can elevate air quality issues. Through intelligent planning andintegration of initiatives to monitor and/ or improve air quality, World
Athletics can promote and protect a healthy environment for athletes, theWorld Athletics family, fans and the local community.
There are four areas to consider when planning your event:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Its location
Reducing the impact of traffic
Food preparation
Sources of energy that will be used

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:
1. During event planning•

LocationYour choice of location will have the largest influence on the air qualityof your event. Three actions to consider during the selection process:o Find a website to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) of yourproposed locations. Choose an area that has an average AQI
rating lower than 50.
o Avoid roads, industrial and agricultural processing plants.
o Choose areas on higher ground as they tend to have lesspollution levels. Similarly, areas surrounded by trees andvegetation offer protection from local emissions.

•

Establish air quality monitoring systemo Contact World Athletics for advice and guidance on air quality
monitoring. They may be able to support the monitoring
through their global work.

•

Traffic
Some strategies you can use to ensure your event benefits from lesstraffic and that its impact is minimised:o Time your event to avoid peak traffic hours to produce lesscongestion.
o Ban parking in or near the event zone. Making it less convenient
for cars to park will greatly reduce emissions and encourage
visitors to explore public transport alternatives.
o Introduce road tariffs for all vehicles, or those that are mostpolluting, to help create a low emission zone or clean air zone.
The higher the emissions, the higher the tariff.
o Ban the most polluting vehicles or all internal combustion engine
vehicles. Banning internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles
33

World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidanceo•while allowing electric alternatives will reward visitors making
environmental choices and incentivise future purchases ofelectric or hybrid technology.
To make the greatest impact on air quality at your event, closethe zone to all vehicles. Banning all vehicles allows you to
showcase the difference a clean-air environment can make forvisitors and also promotes a healthy lifestyle and active travel
options.

Offsite: Mains Renewable is electricity purchased from thenational or local grid that comes from wind, solar or tidal energy.
The key benefits: sources of renewable energy have a negligible
impact on air quality. If the country you are operating in doesn't
supply renewable energy, you may be able to purchaserenewable energy credits as an alternative.

oOffsite: Mains Fossil. In most countries mains electricity is
produced from burning fossil fuels such as coal. Although these
release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, mains electricity ismuch more efficient than using generators. Local air quality isimproved as power stations are rarely seen near events.

oOnsite: HVO. Hydro Treated Vegetable Oil fuel can be made fromboth virgin and waste oils. Benefits: it's a colourless andodourless fuel of an even quality that has an identical chemicalcomposition with fossil diesel, is widely available in Europe (andincreasingly available in North America) and can reducegreenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%, significantly reducing
your operational footprint. Downside: it is significantly more
expensive than red diesel due to demand.

oOnsite: FAME - WVO. FAME is an acronym for “Fatty Acid Methyl
Esters" and describes a range of renewable fuels. FAME WVOs
fuels are made from Waste Vegetable Oils. Benefits: it's nontoxic & non contaminative, widely available in Europe (andincreasingly available in North America) and reduces yourevent's carbon impact by using waste products. Downside:
inexperience in using biodiesel can lead to generator problems.

oOnsite: FAME - Virgin Fuel, or fuels made from virgin vegetableoils, crops grown specifically to be made into fuels. Benefits: it's
non-toxic & non contaminative and widely available in Europe(and increasingly available in North America). Downsides:
Inexperience in using biodiesel can lead to generator problems

Food preparation
Food preparation can have a large impact on local air quality. The more
people that attend your events, the greater the potential risk. Five ways
you can limit emissions produced by cooking:o Pre-cook as much as possible off-site to reduce cooking time.

•

o

o

Place catering areas at the edge of events, away from spectators
seating and athlete areas.

o

Avoid solid fuel or coal cooking.

o

Use filters on extraction units. Ensure extraction units direct
exhausts away from competitors and spectators.

oSupply clean energy so caterers don't have to rely on diesel
generators for power.

Sources of energy to be used
Inevitably, your events will need a source of power. Your energy needs,
along with the method you use to obtain that electricity, can have a huge
impact on local air quality. The sources of electricity available are split
between energy that is produced offsite and energy produced onsite.
Offsite energy is often referred to as Mains Electricity which includes
Mains Renewable or Mains Fossil; onsite energy is often referred to as
temporary power.

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidanceand can have many damaging impacts, depending on how it isproduced.
ooOnsite: FAME - Blended. A fuel that is a combination of Red
Diesel and a FAME. It's better for the environment than pure reddiesel but its impact on air quality is still similar to red diesel.
Onsite: Red Diesel. Red Diesel is just regular diesel with dye
added to it because it is a lower cost diesel intended for
agricultural or non-vehicle applications. It is widely available andeasy to use in generators but has the worst impact on air quality
and the environment in comparison to the other options.

2. During event delivery•

Monitoring air qualityo Ensure someone is responsible for monitoring the air quality
for the athletes during an event and have a plan in place totake action to protect athlete and spectators’ health should air
quality level exceed agreed thresholds
o Ensure the temporary power provider is monitoring andmaintaining the filters and exhaust from the generators toeliminate any black smoke or similaro Ensure all traffic measures are implemented•

Road races – course marshal
o Work with sponsors and partners to provide low emission,
electric or hydrogen cars as course marshals for road races toeliminate any unnecessary emissions for the athletes andspectators•

Establish a low emission zone around the stadium or race area.
o Work with the local authority or host city to establish atemporary/ pilot low emission zone around the stadium or race
area. Using this as a pilot to drive low carbon transport acrossWorld Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

the city or areas which are kept emission free for outdoor sportand recreation
3. During event wash up and review
o
o
o

o

Collect the air quality monitoring data and review this during thepost event ‘wash up’ meeting with the host city/ venue
Identify options to leave air quality monitoring units in situ for
future events and for sharing information across the city
Review the effectiveness of the measures that were taken andencourage the host city to adopt these for improving the healthand wellbeing of city inhabitants creating permanent low
emission zones
Ensure any areas for improvement are fed into and documented(along with actions) during the internal post event review
meeting and incorporated into end of event report

With an informal network of more than half a billion runners around theworld, World Athletics is in a unique position to promote global awarenessof the health impacts of air pollution which is why Local Environment and Air
Quality is one of the six pillars of our Sustainability Strategy announced in
April 2020. Learn more about the World Athletics Air Quality project here.

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12. Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion
Irrespective of geography, politics, religion, everyone has equal rights tobeing able to participate in athletics without fear of discrimination, verbal or
physical abuse, in an environment conducive to sporting achievement, at alllevels. Discrimination has no place in our world, in sport or in athletics.
As an event organiser, you have a responsibility to prevent discrimination in
all forms, throughout the event, and to provide a platform for anyone thathave been subjected to discrimination at or associated with your event, or
believe they have witnessed discrimination to raise the issue and be assured
that the issue will be dealt with seriously. World Athletics will provide bestpractice guidelines and exercise influence through Member Federations toensure that running, jumping and throwing can be universally enjoyed.
Ensuring all events are accessible and athletics is “open to everyone” iscritical. Attracting all spectrums of society at all levels, whether regional,
national, international and global is testimony to the power of sport to unify.
It is important that, particularly for international/ global events, staff areaware and respectful of cultural sensitivities.

•
•

•

•
•
•

The following checklist should help ensure all aspects of accessibility arecovered and best practice is followed.

•

This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:•

4. During event planning••

Ensure all legal compliance regulations are known and adhered toEquality and diversity HR policy helps to prevent discrimination andprovides a platform for staff that have been subjected to any form of
discrimination, or believe they have witnessed discrimination, to raise
the issue. Diversity, accessibility and inclusion is core to all recruitment:
including event staffing, technical officials, contractors and volunteerso The following none characteristics are termed ‘protectedcharacteristics’ by the Equality Act (UK) and should be covered
within a robust Equality and diversity policy: age, disability,

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

•
•
•
•

gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy
and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual
orientation.
Implement a programme to engage and inspire local disadvantaged
community groups. E.g. ticket allocations, “chat with champions”….
Website and/ or booking service has accessibility features and offerdifferent forms of access, e.g. minicom?
o Booking form has the ability to disclose specific individual
requirements
Information about facilities available at the venue (including facilities
and arrangements for disabled people) has been published, to include
information for:o Wheelchair users/ those with restricted mobility
o Visually impaired/ blindo Deaf and hard of hearing
Standard accessibility phrases and logos are included in publicity
material
All public areas are wheelchair accessible
There is provision for disabled parking of suitable dimensions andmarkings at the venue
Identification of dedicated seating areas for wheelchair users andconfirmation whether seating is provided for personal assistants
All visitors can safely and easily travel around the venue
o Are surfaces firm and free from obstacles?
o Have single steps of more than 13mm got ramps or lifts?
o Are there regular rest stops for those with restricted mobility?
o Is flooring slip-resistant?
Is there availability of a mobility map to indicate best routes, specificaccess features, sanitary facility provisions? Do the maps have braille?
Are visitor maps available in large print?
Emergency procedures are in place for evacuation/refuge of people witha range of abilities.
Staff/stewards are briefed on these
Video content (at venue and media output) has subtitles
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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

5. During event delivery
•
•
•
•
•

•

All staff, volunteers, contractors etc are briefed on local cultural andsensitivities to ensure that all are respectful throughout their time at theevent.
All staff and volunteers are briefed on the accessibility plan and are clearof their responsibilities
Staff/volunteers are available to guide visitors if necessary?
Signage complies with guidance, at a height convenient to all users
Programme of regular checks and audits is in place to ensure thataccessibility plan is working correctly and effectively. Any noncompliance is reported, recorded with remedial action taken as
required.
Seating arrangements allow access for wheelchair user, facilitating easeof movement to accessible facilities

6. During event wash up and review•

Collate feedback (positive and constructive) from staff, volunteers andthe public through course of event

Any areas for improvement are fed into and documented (along withactions) during the post event review meeting and report

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13. Health & Safety and Wellbeing
Event organisers are responsible for ensuring that overall safety at the event
is maintained throughout all stages of the event so that, as far as reasonably
practicable, all event attendees, including employees, event staff,
contractors, suppliers, athletes, visitors and fans are not exposed to risks totheir health and safety.

Effective management and monitoring of health and safety risks must be inplace throughout the event, including build up, load in, event delivery,
breakdown and load out. This will include:
Management

All event organisers have duties concerning event health and safety,
including:

Having appropriate management systems in place for each phase of theevent to make sure health and safety risks are controlled. While the numbers
onsite during the event period will be significantly greater, the need forsafety management during build up, load-in, breakdown and load-out is justas important.

•Co-ordination

•
•
•
•
•
•

having health and safety policies and arrangements in place to control
risks
planning to ensure the policy is put into placeensuring co-operation and proper co-ordination of work activities
providing employees and others with relevant information on any risks
to their health and safety
ensuring the competence of event staff to undertake their role safely
monitoring health and safety performance and compliance
auditing and reviewing health and safety performance

Ensure co-operation and proper co-ordination of all work activities acrossthe event site.
Information
Provide event employees and others, including contractors, with relevant
information on any risks to their health and safety identified by your risk
assessment/s. All contractors will need to do the same for their employees.
Competence

Health and Safety documentation
The Event Safety Plan should include:
An Event Management Plan: providing comprehensive event overview anda framework for embedding safe practices across event delivery
A Risk Assessment: highlighting any potential hazards that may affect theevent, control measures to eliminate/ minimise risk

Staff should be competent to undertake their role safely. There should also
be an appropriate level of competent supervision, proportionate to the risk,
nature of the work and the personnel involved.
Monitoring and review

An Emergency Action Plan: to facilitate effective and efficient response tohealth and safety risk(s) and/ or other emergencies that may occur.

Agreed methods for controlling risks should be checked and tested to makesure they are working and being followed. The event risk assessment should
set out the frequency of checks, allocate responsibility, and detailmethodology.

Developing an Event Safety Plan as part of the planning and preparation isvital to ensuring the right health and safety procedures are in place and, also,
may be required in the event of a legal dispute arising from an incident.

As an event organiser, you also have a responsibility for safeguarding thewellbeing, behaviour and culture of your workforce, officials, athletes andWorld Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidancewider event attendees, requiring a focus on supporting them to ensure they
are healthy and safe throughout their engagement with the event.

•This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:•

1. During event planning
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Ensure knowledge of, and compliance to, all health and safety
regulations
Event organisers have all relevant insurances in place to cover the eventand hold copies of relevant 3rd party insurance certificates.
Safety Advisory Group (SAG) established consisting of representatives
from local authorities, LOC, emergency services, event organisers andother relevant bodies.
All health and safety documentation is complete
All contractors/ suppliers are aware of their health and safety
responsibilities
The project plan facilitates a co-operative and co-ordinated program ofwork throughout build up, load in, event delivery, load out andbreakdown
The project plan ensures adequate breaks, rests and compliance to all
relevant ‘working time’ legislation and your own employment policies.
An athlete wellbeing pack is put together and distributed, in addition to
standard joining instructions/ event information, containing information
specifically promoting athlete wellbeing. This could include:o Environmental factors, such as weather conditions, altitude,
humidity, air quality, effect of jet lag….
o Wellbeing support available during the event and how to accesso Importance of pre-participation medical evaluations (PPME)o Availability of, and access to, training facilities
o Drug screening procedures

•

•
•
•

Daily meetings are scheduled to ensure clarity around current phase ofwork, key daily activities/schedule, environmental considerations andany elevated health and safety considerations
Health and Safety information relevant to event attendees is available
for all with clear signage across venue, as appropriate
Programme of regular health and safety checks/ audits is in place toensure Event Safety Plan is working correctly and effectively. Any noncompliance is reported, recorded with remedial action taken, as
required.
Athlete wellbeing support is readily available
Implement a programme of Periodic Health Evaluations (PHE) tosafeguard athlete healthEngage local athletics community to deliver on site activations that raiseawareness of the health benefits of regular physical activity andopportunities to participate in athletics to enhance a healthy lifestyle.
o E.g. “Have a go” sessions, run gait analysis, yoga for athletes

3. During event wash up and review•••

Collate output from all health and safety checks/ audits, including any
non-compliance issues for review and reporting to drive continual
improvements
Anonymous data relating to uptake of athlete wellbeing support iscollated.
SAG de-brief is held to capture all lessons learnt

2. During event delivery•

All personnel receive health and safety training, including a siteinduction and briefing, prior to them commencing work on event

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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

14. Digital, IP Rights and Data Protection
Data Protection
The digital transformation is forcing companies to be responsible when it
comes to the sustainable use of data. In the digital world, productsustainability means that a product is good for the environment, for the user
and concerns both hardware and software. For example, a data breach (riskor actual) from a surveillance camera system can bring psychological or evenphysical harm. With reference to software, privacy sustainability should lie
even more at the core of its design process. Users give their data to apps andproviders to have a service, trusting these providers and they do not expect
their data to be exploited unethically. Dispersing, accidentally or otherwise,
users’ personal data in the digital world with little or no control affects thewellbeing of individuals and society.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets out seven principles forthe lawful processing of personal data:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Lawfulness, fairness and transparency
Purpose limitation
Data minimisation
Accuracy
Storage limitations
Integrity and confidentiality
Accountability

Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (or IP) refers to creative work which can be treated as
an asset or physical property. Intellectual property rights fall principally into
four main areas:
•

•

•
•

Copyright - applies to recorded artistic and literary works and gives theauthor specific rights in relation to the work, prohibits unauthorised
actions, and allows the author to take legal action against instances ofinfringement or plagiarism.
Trademarks – are intended to prevent confusion in the marketplace. A
trademark can be a name, word, slogan, design, symbol or other uniquedevice that identifies a product or organisation. It is quite literally ‘a markunder which you trade’.
Design Rights - apply to physical products: the appearance of a product,in particular the shape, texture, colour, materials used, contours andornamentation.
Patents - apply to industrial processes and inventions and protect against
the unauthorised implementation of the invention.

To protect both your event IP and to avoid any breach of IP law throughevent delivery (for example, through unlicensed use of copyrighted music),
it is essential to comply with all relevant entertainment licencing legislationand to obtain all necessary licences/ permits.

All event organisers should be committed to protecting confidential andpersonal information, including that of event staff and third parties. Eventorganisers also need to demonstrate a dedication to ensuring compliancewith applicable privacy laws and regulations around the globe, regularly
monitoring for changes in privacy laws and regulations, adjusting policies
and procedures when appropriate and to continually monitor regulatory andlegal requirements to support compliance.
This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:
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World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance
1. During event planning••••

All public entertainment legislation and licencing requirements areunderstood and adhered with, ensuring legal compliance.
You should obtain legal advice to protect your own/ the event’s brandby ensuring all relevant trademarks are in place
All parties privy to private and confidential information have signed
NDA’s protecting all confidential and proprietary information
Systems and processes are in place, compliant to GDPR and other, local,
data protection laws, to ensure security of personal information

2. During event delivery••

Staff and suppliers deliver entertainment program according toparameters set out in event licences/ permits.
Any non-compliance issues are reported, recorded and action is taken to
remedy.

3. During event wash up and review•

Post event review captures and records any non-compliance issues andrecommendations for process improvements

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15. Monitoring and Reporting•

Monitoring, progress reviews and open reporting will be critical to the ongoing successful implementation of the sustainability strategy and will drive
greater achievement. Across your business activities, demonstrating a clear
commitment to transparency and integrity, facilitates the building,protection and maintenance of brand reputation. World Athletics’ annual
report, including independently audited financial statements in line with theInternational Financial Reporting Standards, are part of ongoing efforts todeliver greater transparency. Sustainability reporting is an increasingly
established process and can be delivered as part of wider corporate reports(where applicable) or as a standalone report. Athletics events should
produce an event report as best practice to assess progress, identify action
areas to focus on and drive continual improvement.

•

The metrics to measure and track progress against achieving the targets willneed to be collected across event stakeholders, including event staff, localorganising committee, suppliers and host venues. The proposed metrics
should be reviewed and aligned to information and data that is readily
available or can relatively easily be collected.
The purpose of the monitoring is to identify priorities, level of progress andbarriers to achieving the targets. Monitoring KPIs should be identified
accordingly.
This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:•

2. During event delivery
•

•

•
•

Develop a comprehensive list of objectives, targets and measurable KPIs
and distribute to all team members for clarity
Integrate monitoring and reporting requirements into all procurement
and contractual documentation and processes
Ensure that all relevant parties and personnel are clear of their
responsibilities, in respect of monitoring and reporting

World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

Ensure all suppliers and contractors are aware of their reporting
requirements and information is being collected, identify any gaps andactions that are required to capture robust data sets across themonitoring programme
Conduct visitor surveys and event audits where required to capture
relevant data e.g., number of cars, visitors coming by bicycle, air quality
readings

3. During event wash up and review
•
•
•

•

1. During event planning•

Implement all monitoring programmes from the outset of the event
planning to capture all activities
Where applicable, attach final payment for contractors/ suppliers todelivery of post event report/ contractual data
Construct a visitor survey (and allocate resource to conducting visitor
surveys)•Collect, process and interpret data across all stakeholders
Post event feedback meeting
Produce end of event report, encapsulating all the monitoring data,
demonstrating achievements against the pre-event objectives andproviding transparent data and recommendations to drive continual
improvements
Event report contains specific reference to partner sustainability
achievements, demonstrating alignment with sustainability goals andstrength/ power of collaborative partnerships.
End of event report shared with event partners (inc venues, partners,
media etc)42World Athletics: Sustainable Event Management System Best Practice Guidance

16. Communications

Sponsors/Partners

All event personnel have a responsibility to lead by example byunderstanding and delivering the best practice approach. This requires theability to communicate the sustainability commitment amongst colleagues
as well as to partners, suppliers and fans.
If there is any uncertainty as to proposed courses of action, that ideas
presented are not practical, that additional support is needed to look into
alternatives, or if there are ideas about what more can be done, then pleaseflag this up with the event director/ sustainability team.

Event Visitors

Communication aims
The aims around communicating the sustainability commitment and bestpractice are as follows:

Stakeholders
Staff/ Athletes

Communication aims
• Ensure understanding of the issues/focus
areas• Ability to deliver according to guidance• Ability to talk in the right language externallyto fans, partners, sponsors• Ability to clearly demonstrate commitment/
best practiceSuppliers/Contractors • Recognise and understand how we expect
support of the commitment• Align messages with sustainability
commitment• Support and deliver activities at events
according to our best practice• Clear briefings for temporary staff and event
time contractors
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Fans

Host Cities

Wider Audience• Recognise and understand how we expect
support of the commitment• Align messages with sustainability
commitment• Support and deliver activities at events
according to our best practice• Accelerate our activations and bringscalability to our initiatives• Extend our influence• Clearly see efforts taken to mitigate
environmental impact and maximise local
economic and social impact• Understand their role without being ‘told off’
• Be inspired and understand how they can act• Influence behaviour and gather support andcreate a ‘movement’• Accelerate and scale our activation
programmes• Spotlight existing sustainability initiatives/
commitments within the city
• Extend our influence• Set benchmarks and standards and adopt
initiatives for other future events in the City/
locations• Be inspired and understand how they cantake action• Influence behaviour and gather support andcreate a scalable ‘movement’• Extend our Influence• Drive change and innovation through therunning industry

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This best practice is implemented across the event planning cycle as follows:

Through Partners●

Publications/Print Media●

Industry Events●

Website/ intranet●

Social Media [World
Athletics]

Onsite Messaging Back ofHouse/Front of House

Staff
Temporary Event
Staff & Volunteers
Athletes
Suppliers
Local Organising
Committee
Event Visitors
Fans
Sponsors/Partners
MemberFederations
Host Cities/
VenuesWider
Audience/Athletics
Industry/Sport

Operational Guidance(intranet, app?)

Stakeholders

Procurement Code/Contracts

Communication methods for different stakeholder groups.

1. During event planning•

Integrate sustainability messaging into and throughout the event
communication plan to drive awareness and action around the events’sustainability commitments and achievements•

Communication plan engages stakeholders, delivering against the sustainability
communication aims•

Distribute information to inform and empower stakeholders to makesustainable decisions to reduce their impact throughout their engagement with theevent. E.g. travel choices, food choices…

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•

Media monitoring and reporting established●
2. During event delivery

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•
•

Onsite assets are utilised to reinforce opportunities to minimise impact
Digital campaign engages stakeholders and provides platform for sharing
individual sustainability actions and achievements whilst at the event• Media monitoring is implemented

3. During event wash up and review
•

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World Athletics Sustainable Event Best Practice Guidance: Pilot Version November 2021

Post event media report evaluates effectiveness of the communication strategy
and achievement against the sustainability communication aims.

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