Aviva Stadium has achieved BS8901:2009certification which confirms the Stadium's status as a sustainable venue operating a sustainability management system for allits events. Achieving certificationwithin the first year of operation is a major achievement as Aviva Stadium isnow amongst the first in the world to be certified to the standard which willincreasingly become a requirement in the events industry going forward.
The certificationwas awarded by Certification Europe. Certification Europe, headquartered in Ireland is aninternationally focussed firm that audits and certifies organisations tointernational best practice management. BS8901:2009 is currently a British Standard butis likely to become an international standard (ISO) next year in tandem withthe London 2012 Olympics.
Aviva Stadium started its four year journeytowards BS8901:2009 certification during the construction phase of the stadium. The confirmation of the certificationconfirms that the stadium takes a sustainable approach to managing itsenvironmental, social and commercial impacts.Speaking of the awarding of the certification Mr Martin Murphy, StadiumDirector, said: "It was important to us to ensure that we tooka sustainable approach in planning the operation of the stadium and thenimplementing those plans. A building of this size in such a unique locationcreates unusual environmental and social challenges and whilst the design ofthe stadium includes some very smart solutions, how we operate the stadium isalso an essential aspect of addressing these challenges."
He went on to say that "As the stadium prepares to admit its 1millionth person through the turnstiles at the next event we are looking backover an amazing first year which included some showpiece events such as theUEFA Europa League Final worth approx ?25 million to the Irish economy and theRBS 6 Nations Ireland v England game worth over ?50 million to the economy.
The reality is that big business isconscious of its impacts and has a focus on cost management, with largesporting organisations and multinational companies starting to give preferenceto venues and service providers that take a sustainable approach we are futureproofing our business and ensuring that we are doing our part to supportIreland's push to be seen as a Green Economy that is open for business."
BS 8901 Lead Auditor for CertificationEurope Andrew Cartwright stated "Aviva Stadium have demonstrated theircommitment to sustainability through the design, construction and operation oftheir stadium. By achieving third party certification to BS 8901 withCertification Europe, Aviva Stadium can demonstrate to all stakeholders theirsustainable credentials. It also gives the public and stakeholders theconfidence that the Aviva Stadium is achieving a high standard of corporatesocial responsibility".
Some of the initiatives that assistthe team at Aviva Stadium in managing their impacts include:
Environmental - rain water harvesting,waterless urinals, waste reduction and segregation including composting andrecycling, energy consumption managementthrough smart lighting, heating and cooling control, biodiversity protectionmeasures (bat considerate lighting, bird boxes), supply chain procurementmanagement and promotion of public transport.
Social - Community fund of?100,000 for projects available annually, Membership of the European HealthyStadia Network, close engagement with the local and business community througha Project Monitoring Committee, dedicate community liaison officer, local employmentopportunities.
Economic - supply chain procurement sourcing nationallyor locally where possible, attracting international showpiece sporting andconference events such as the Europa League Final 2011, The Heineken Cup Final2013, Nokia global conference, global launch of BMW's new hybrid car.