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Sustainability

As a market leader in live events, organising more than 140 shows every year across five continents, we have to be aware of the impact that our activities have on the environment and communities in which we operate.  Sustainability is implementing and managing this impact.

In the early days of sustainability - sustainability1.0 as it has become known - the simple view was that being green was good and profit was bad: not great news if you’re in business to make a profit!  Sustainability has evolved and is no longer just about ‘being green’; it is about creating a sustainable business model that is deliverable in the long term and not just for the short term.  The focus is upon the external, commercial benefits and sustainability2.0 is now more about striking the balance between planet, people and profit.

The resources that we consume come from only one place; our planet.  Awareness of this, assisted by the digital age and proliferation of information via the world wide web, means that we now appreciate that resources must be managed in a sustainable manner, in their creation, utilisation or consumption.  Sustainability2.0 is an acceptance that these resources are finite and that we need to create and maintain a balanced approach to how we operate our businesses.

Sustainability is not about stopping doing something; it is about understanding that the way in which we do things has to change, so that we can continue to do them for the future.  We consider sustainability to be centred around;

being inclusive.  It is not ‘A or B; do B at the expense of A’ but rather ‘you can do B and A and doing B can make A even better’.

sharing.  Sharing knowledge spreads the message and helps others to adopt new sustainable working practices.

longevity.  We have a responsible to the communities where our events take place.  We do not just turn up for an event, consume local resources and then move on for another year.

making the next step.  The requirement to change and take the next step requires determination and vision.  UBM Live’s reputation for commitment as well as innovation means that we are more than ready for the challenge.

Why focus on sustainability?

Sustainable development has been defined as “an enduring, balanced approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress”.

There is a sea change underway, as investors, stakeholders and customers place greater importance on the environmental and social impact of companies.  Companies are being asked to demonstrate the sustainability of their activities and there is an opportunity for these organisations to stake a claim as leaders in sustainability.  As a business with global reach and a reputation for innovation, UBM Live is committed to being recognised as a market leader in sustainability.

Sustainability has specific commercial benefits, such as the potential to reduce costs through energy use, materials efficiency and waste management.  This can help to create a ‘sustainability dividend’ that can be applied as support for community-based projects as well benefiting productivity and profitability.

BS8901

One of the principal ways in which we are applying sustainability is through a commitment to attain the BS8901 standard.  Originating from London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic games, this standard is for ‘sustainable management systems’ in live events and was developed for the purpose of helping the events industry to operate in a more sustainable manner.  In 2009 we committed to attaining this standard for two of our market leading events and we hope to achieve external accreditation later this year.

The Standard defines the requirements for a sustainable event management system to ensure an enduring and balanced approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress.  It requires organisations to identify and understand the effects that their activities have on the environment, on society and on the economy; both within the organisation and the wider economy, and to put measures in place to minimise the negative effects.

BS8901 applies across the spectrum of a live event, from the choice of venue to the content of a delegate pack.  It requires the implementation of rigorous and robust processes and progression to attainment of the Standard is divided into three phases;

Phase 1 – Planning
This requires the definition of policies and a commitment to sustainable development.  It requires identifying key sustainability issues and practices, with a view to establishing a baseline from which to improve.  It also involves identifying key stakeholders and setting measureable objectives to improve the key sustainability issues.

                                Phase 2 – Implementation
This is the implementation and operation of policies and plans.  It involves writing key operating procedures, allocating resources and the competence & training of people.  It also defines requirements for supply chain management and communication with key stakeholder groups.

                                                                Phase 3 – Check and Review
This is about assessing compliance with and performance against the Standard.  It requires on-going monitoring and benchmark measurement, to allow for continuous improvement of management systems.

In due course, an international standard – ISO20121 – derived from BS8901 will become available.  The work we have undertaken on BS8901 will provide us with a foundation upon which we can look to adopt ISO20121 on a cost efficient and shared knowledge basis for more of our global events.

Key Sustainability Issues

In early 2010 we identified our key sustainability issues and these include;

Energy Use
For example, switching to low energy lighting and looking for venues with onsite alternative energy generation.

Materials Efficiency
For example, switching to more efficient printing inks and implementing measures to reduce water consumption.

Waste Management
For example, increasing our internal recycling and considering cradle-to-cradle products for use in live events.

People and Community
For example, working with venues to minimise the environmental impact of an event on the local community and engaging with stakeholders in supporting local charity-based projects.

Last year we also mapped our greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and this process not only allowed us to quantify our current level of emissions but also their sources.  As the largest contributor to GHG was our premises globally, we have embarked on measures internally to reduce our GHG emissions.

We have also entered into on-going engagement with our stakeholders, such as event venues and suppliers, on how we can work collaboratively to address our key sustainability issues.  As we make progress, we are sharing our findings with our stakeholders, so that we can help shape best practice for the future.

Our sustainability mission statement and sustainability policy can be viewed here;

Quite simply, we want to be the best in class:
to set the standard by which other live events businesses are measured.

Corporate Responsibility

A principal component of sustainability is corporate responsibility, also known as corporate and social responsibility.  Corporate responsibility is how we adhere not just to the letter of the law but to the spirit of the law.  It encompasses ethics and how we treat those individuals and organisations we come into contact with as part of our business.

Corporate responsibility is largely self-regulatory but, like sustainability, its importance as an expectation of investors, stakeholders and customers is growing.  To respond to this higher awareness, we have adjusted our position accordingly.  For example, we have moved from passive philanthropy – donating money to charity in general – to a more active approach, where we engage with charity and education-based projects in the local regions where we operate, in order to share our knowledge and target our contribution to deliver maximum longer term benefits.

From our work on sustainability, we have identified the importance to corporate responsibility of stakeholder engagement:  with stakeholders on the relevant issues and to communicate our actions.  This engagement resulted in a third sector/NGO event in March 2011, involving a convention and exhibition, in collaboration with a leading corporate responsibility partner.  We see this type of involvement as defining how sustainability and corporate responsibility can interact within our business;

or, to put it another way;

Ultimately, we are a business and we are here to make a profit but adopting corporate responsibility as part of a sustainable business model means that it is not just for profit.

success today does not have to be at the expense of tomorrow.

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