Organizing an international event involves far more than coordinating agendas, venues, and participants. Behind every institutional meeting, forum, or conference lies a chain of decisions that impacts the environment, communities, and the people who make these gatherings possible. With this vision, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) obtained recertification under ISO 20121:2024, confirming that its corporate events meet the highest sustainability standards worldwide.
This recognition covers the activities that the IOC organizes and directly funds, including the IOC Sessions, commission meetings, Olympic Day events, and the International Athletes’ Forum. The recertification not only validates a set of technical procedures, but also a way of understanding event management as an opportunity to reduce emissions, foster responsible relationships with suppliers, and strengthen respect for labor rights and inclusion.
A certification that transforms the way events are organized
The ISO 20121 standard was developed as a legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and has become an international benchmark for integrating environmental and social criteria into event planning. Its most recent update, driven by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, expands its scope to address issues such as human rights, accessibility, climate action, social impact, and the legacy left by major sporting events.
For the IOC, this recertification represents an additional step in a process of continuous improvement. Panos Tzivanidis, Director of Corporate Events and Services, noted that the recognition reflects progress in reducing event-related emissions, strengthening collaboration with suppliers, and integrating sustainability criteria into procurement, operations, and stakeholder engagement.
Lower emissions and greater responsibility throughout the supply chain
The progress assessed during the certification process focuses on three key areas: reducing the environmental impact of travel, logistics, and operations; improving supplier selection and monitoring; and placing greater emphasis on compliance with labor standards. This includes critical issues such as working conditions, health and safety, subcontractor oversight, and access to grievance mechanisms.
These actions are part of a broader IOC commitment to reduce its corporate carbon footprint. By the end of 2024, the organization had reduced its emissions by 30 percent compared with the 2016–2019 baseline period, with a target of achieving a 50 percent reduction by 2030. At the same time, the IOC is promoting the adoption of this standard across the Olympic Movement, including the Olympic Games, international federations, national federations, and other sports event organizers around the world.
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