Webinars

Hugo Viseu, Senior Event and Infrastructure Sustainability Manager at UEFA, joined IAEH members on 21 July 2026 to set out how sustainability is embedded in UEFA competitions from bid requirements through to post-event verification, and what UEFA looks for from host cities at each stage. The final section was prepared specifically for the IAEH and addressed the role of the bidder. Areas covered included the following:

– Sustainability follows the whole event life cycle, from bid requirements and host appointment through strategy, action plan and delivery, to verification and reporting, with each stage tied back to a single framework rather than treated as a separate exercise.tockholm in the context of global music tourism
– A four level performance system. UEFA’s Event Sustainability Performance Evaluation System sets different maturity targets according to the scale of the competition, from youth tournaments up to a men’s EURO. The top two levels require external audit, and the audit of the 2026 Champions League Final is under way.
– What the bid chapter actually asks for. Sustainability is one of eleven chapters in the bid documentation. Bidders submit a sustainability concept committing to human and financial resources, to the stated targets, and to providing data for verification. Commitments that go beyond the requirements raise the evaluation score.
– The national association as the route into the city. All 55 UEFA national associations now have a sustainability manager, and the session explained how they broker the introduction to host city counterparts on transport, waste and energy, including where language is a barrier.
– Circularity depends on local partners. Consideration on how emissions are costed and the value directed to host infrastructure. Identifying stakeholders such as local upcycling and food donation partners discussed.
– The gap outside the stadium perimeter. Litter, resting places, shaded areas and the disposal of forbidden items at the turnstiles fall between the stadium operator’s remit and the city’s.
– Who owns fan zone emissions. Practice varies widely across event organisers, and UEFA moved to bring fan zones inside its own reporting scope at EURO 2024 after initially leaving them out.
– Social expectations are equally specific, covering joint human rights declarations, grievance and rapid response mechanisms, online monitoring requirements, accessible seating  and commentary, multi-faith rooms and safe spaces.
– What strengthens a bid. Host city strategies and city programmes identified and integrated from the outset. Legacy commitments that can be shared as practice with other hosts.

Kevin McMullan from EventFlanders provided an insightful presentation and led a discussion with other event hosts on 30 June 2025 on the topic of CO2 emissions and compensation strategies. Areas covered included:

– CO2 compensation
– Working with third parties for impact reports
– Calculating emissions
– Strategies to reduce emissions at major events
– Compensating emissions
– Choosing projects to support for reducing emissions
– Local vs international projects
– Difficulties in estimating emissions
– Questions around sports vs tourism- what creates emissions?
– Who should be responsible for reducing emissions?
– Considerations of the broader context of climate justice
– Partnerships for climate justice
– Challenges in recognising global standards on climate/emissions

Florian Lamblin, Executive Director of UTMB International, explains how an event such as the UTMB World Series can be used to develop connections with populations and institutions. The talks covers:

– A timeline for the application of sustainability
– Strategies applied in different host territories
– Traditional strategies
– Sustainable tourism as a strategy
– Key initiatives in Slovenia: working with travel agencies and developing connections
– Working with Chianti consortium and Tuscany region to stimulate a maximum of local companies
– Key initiatives in Slovenia: working with travel agencies and developing connections
– Working with Chianti consortium and Tuscany region to stimulate a maximum of local companies
– Promoting alternative transport at UTMB Mont Blanc
– Building local bonds – Wales, Mexico and Switzerland

Gasper Pavli, Creative Director from SportsMediaFocus provides insight from Slovenia as to how and why this handball sports event was made sustainable, with useful practical examples. The talk covers:

– A timeline for the application of sustainability
– Partnership involvement for sustainability
– Youth involvement and sustainability education in a sports event
– CO2 emissions analysis
– Sustainability example: production of bracelets
– Meat consumption

Mapping and monitoring major event contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals – 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

15 June 2022

As part of the 2022 IAEH AGM’s programme, Sustainability Consultant Benjamin Barrett was invited to present on the relevance of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Benjamin’s presentation included:

– Policy driven events
– Contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
– Key steps for UN SDG mapping
– Case study on ensuring healthy lives and well-being
– Monitoring SDG contributions
– Building an evaluation framework
– Sustainable procurement code

17th November 2021

Hosted by:
Peter Hunt (IAEH Director and Tourism and Events Queensland Events and Experiences Director)
Presented by:
Iain Edmondson (IAEH Honorary Member and Legacy Delivery Ltd. Founder & Managing Director)

The IAEH promoted this webinar in its commitment to support members in implementing the guidance on common indicators for measuring the impact of events.

The report is authored by Iain Edmondson commissioned by ASOIF to aggregate the perspectives of key players in the sporting event evaluation industry.

Link to the guidance

Hosted by Earth to Ocean Sustainability Director Susie Tomson.

“Environmental sustainability for major events: identifying the opportunity”

Key topics covered by the webinar:
⋅ Understanding the environmental impact and opportunity from a major event
⋅ Prioritising actions
⋅ Scaling the positive impact
⋅ Real life examples: best practice cases