Bureau Veritas certifies EXPO 2020 Dubai to ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System
Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification, has certified Expo 2020 Dubai to ISO 20121, the largest event ever held in the Arab world and the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region to achieve the standard. This certification implies compliance with the ISO 20121:2012 Event Sustainability Management Systems Standard, thus improving sustainability throughout the entire event management cycle.
For almost 50 years, Bureau Veritas has been a strong TIC player in the Middle East, with 4,000 employees empowering organizations to implement, measure and achieve their sustainability objectives. Bureau Veritas, as a trusted independent third party, supported the Expo 2020 Dubai team to demonstrate their voluntary conformity with the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management Systems Standard. Expo 2020 Dubai implemented best practices to ensure the removal of negative impacts through effective planning and implementation.
Dina Storey, Director, Sustainability Operations, Expo 2020 Dubai, said:
''Sustainability is an area we see as fundamental to the future of humanity. As such, it is one of our key subthemes, and our commitment to sustainability is reflected in all aspects of our journey to create a meaningful impact that reaches beyond the Expo 2020 Dubai site and beyond the six months of the event.
Attaining ISO 20121 certification to host one of the most sustainable World Expos in history is a testament to the hard work, dedication and excellence of our site-wide team. It fulfils the UAE's commitment, which was made to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) during the bid phase, and continues to honour the UAE's visionary leadership in positioning the UAE as a pioneer in the green economy and sustainable developmment.''
Marcel Hochar, Senior Vice President Middle East and Central Asia for Bureau Veritas, said:
''We salute Expo 2020 Dubai for attaining ISO 20121 certification. With this certification, the event organizers have made a strong statement about the importance of sustainability in their event management approach. For nearly 200 years, we have supported our clients to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. We are proud to positively contribute to the world we live in and support organizations in their journey toward more sustainable business and a more sustainable world. This collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai further illustrates how sustainability plays a critical role in every aspect of the event, benefiting the event's partners, guests and society as a whole.''
ISO 20121 is a voluntary standard which is suitable for all sizes and types of events and relevant to all members of the event industry supply chain. The standard provides a management system approach for organizers to identify the negative social, economic and environmental impacts of events. ISO 20121 standard is aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals in terms of well-being, equality, clean water, clean energy, economic growth, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, climate, sustainable industrialization, reducing inequalities, and inclusive societies.