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ACCIONA Cultural Engineering certifies sustainable management in all its events

Corporate
4 of February, 2021
  • ACCIONA Cultural Engineering's activity is focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals throughout its events

ACCIONA Cultural Engineering has achieved the ISO 20121 certification, which verifies the sustainable management of all its events. 

With this certificate, SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance), an internationally recognized certification group, endorses ACCIONA Cultural Engineering for adopting sustainability criteria throughout the entire event management cycle, as well as its commitment to reducing the carbon footprint.

The ISO 20121 standard is obtained through the adoption of sustainable measures throughout all phases of event management, taking into account the environmental, social and economic impact of the event, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined in its Strategic Plan.

ACCIONA Cultural Engineering is the first company in Spain to achieve this certification globally across the entire management of all its events. There have been other accredited entities which are limited to specific events or exhibition venues.

With this distinction, ACCIONA Cultural Engineering continues its commitment to sustainability in each of the services it provides. This commitment is materialized in the company’s Sustainability Master Plan and in the offsetting of CO2 emissions from all its events since 2012.

 

SUSTAINABILITY MASTER PLAN

Another reason that contributes to ACCIONA Cultural Engineering achieving the ISO 20121 is the implementation of its Event Sustainability Master Plan, which contains specific sustainable practices for each phase of event organization. Along these lines, the criteria included in the Plan focuses on reaching the Sustainable Development Goals through the design, organization and implementation of events.

In addition, this ISO certification requires an annual external audit to verify the company’s compliance with the criteria established in the standard, as well as the impact of the most relevant sustainable elements in ACCIONA Cultural Engineering’s events.

ACCIONA Cultural Engineering's event management revolves around the following core areas:

  • Transparency and ethical management, based on the respect for human rights, good governance practices and fair competition.

 

  • Human resources and talent development, which favors training as well as professional and personal development, respecting the principle of equal opportunities.

 

  • Inclusiveness and stakeholders’ co-responsibility, developing continuing relationships that allows the group to understand stakeholders’ expectations and needs and to carry out actions that generate shared value.

 

  • Sustainable infrastructure, promoting energy savings and reducing energy consumption by improving environmental performance.

 

  • Economic growth particularly linked to the benefits intended for the surroundings in which the event is hosted.

 

  • Social commitment, prioritizing accessibility, equal opportunities and respect for diversity.

 

  • Sustainable procurement, considering not only economic and technical aspects of a purchase, but also the environmental and social aspects that influence the entire life cycle of the event.

 

  • Sustainable waste management, which is one of the greatest impacts generated by events.

 

GUIDE FOR ORGANIZING SUSTAINABLE EVENTS

Alongside the Sustainability Master Plan and within the framework of the certification process for the new ISO standard, ACCIONA Cultural Engineering published a Guide for Organizing Sustainable Events, which is an update of the previous guide published in 2012. This Guide aims to offer all those involved in events a useful tool with recommendations on sustainable criteria throughout the event life cycle.

The new version aims to encourage a practical application of the SDGs in the organization of events and includes a series of sustainable practices which contribute to minimizing any negative environmental impact and to promoting the social and economic development of event’s surroundings.

The ISO 20121 obtained by ACCIONA Cultural Engineering follows the ISO 9001 for Quality, ISO 14001 for the Environment and OSHA 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety Management standards, which the company previously achieved.

Founded in 1990, ACCIONA Cultural Engineering is currently the largest company in Europe specializing in the design and execution of museums, exhibitions, events and multimedia spectacles.  The company is committed to the concept of "Cultural Engineering", a concept that involves combining the newest visual and sensory technologies with historical heritage and traditions.