The Aviva Stadium has achieved BS8901:2009 certification which confirms the stadium’s status as a sustainable venue operating a sustainability management system for all its events.
Achieving certification within the first year of operation is a major achievement as the Aviva Stadium is now amongst the first in the world to be certified to the standard which will increasingly become a requirement in the events industry going forward.
The certification was awarded by Certification Europe. Certification Europe, headquartered in Ireland is an internationally focused firm that audits and certifies organisations to international best practice management.
BS8901:2009 is currently a British standard but is likely to become an international standard (ISO) next year in tandem with the London 2012 Olympics.
The Aviva Stadium started its four-year journey towards BS8901:2009 certification during the construction phase of the stadium.
The confirmation of the certification confirms that the stadium takes a sustainable approach to managing its environmental, social and commercial impacts.
Speaking of the awarding of the certification, Aviva Stadium Director Martin Murphy said: “It was important to us to ensure that we took a sustainable approach in planning the operation of the stadium and then implementing those plans.
“A building of this size in such a unique location creates unusual environmental and social challenges and whilst the design of the stadium includes some very smart solutions, how we operate the stadium is also an essential aspect of addressing these challenges.”
He added: “As the stadium prepares to admit its 1 millionth person through the turnstiles at the next event, we are looking back over an amazing first year which included some showpiece events.
“These events included the UEFA Europa League final, worth approx €;25 million to the Irish economy, and the RBS 6 Nations Ireland v England game, worth over €;50 million to the economy.
“The reality is that big business is conscious of its impacts and has a focus on cost management, with large sporting organisations and multinational companies starting to give preference to venues and service providers that take a sustainable approach.
“We are future proofing our business and ensuring that we are doing our part to support Ireland’s push to be seen as a green economy that is open for business.”
BS 8901 Lead Auditor for Certification Europe, Andrew Cartwright, stated: “The Aviva Stadium have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability through the design, construction and operation of their stadium.
“By achieving third party certification to BS 8901 with Certification Europe, the Aviva Stadium can demonstrate to all stakeholders their sustainable credentials.
“It also gives the public and stakeholders the confidence that the Aviva Stadium is achieving a high standard of corporate social responsibility.”
Some of the initiatives that assist the team at the Aviva Stadium in managing their impacts include:
Environmental – rain water harvesting, waterless urinals, waste reduction and segregation including composting and recycling, energy consumption management through smart lighting, heating and cooling control, biodiversity protection measures (bat considerate lighting, bird boxes), supply chain procurement management and promotion of public transport.
Social – Community fund of €;100,000 for projects available annually, membership of the European Healthy Stadia Network, close engagement with the local and business community through a Project Monitoring Committee, dedicated community liaison officer, local employment opportunities.
Economic – supply chain procurement sourcing nationally or locally where possible, attracting international showpiece sporting and conference events such as the 2011 Europa League final, the 2013 Heineken Cup final, Nokia global conference, global launch of BMW’s new hybrid car.
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