is the online magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment by helping organizations improve quality, save money, reduce risk and be more sustainable. Features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems, standards, testing, healthcare and certification.
Sustainable events standard takes off
25 Jul 2008
Topics: Sustainability, BS 8901
Manchester-based Out There Events is among the first companies to participate in a pilot programme, launched by BSI Management Systems in April, to assess the opportunities for creating official certification for BS 8901, the sustainable event management standard.
"The event industry is extremely fragmented, with companies varying massively in size and specialism," says Out There Events' chief executive Marcie Incarico. "I will endeavour to ensure that BSI produces a certification scheme that is all encompassing, and does not hinder smaller agencies from achieving something that will be hugely beneficial to their businesses." She also says that her agency would be among the first to achieve certification if the scheme gets the go-ahead. If the pilot is successful, it is hoped that BS 8901 assessment and certification will be available by the end of 2008.
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Sapphire earns a standards hat-trick
Sapphire Energy Recovery, the waste processing and resource recovery business owned by Lafarge Cement, has achieved certification to three management systems standards (ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management) from BSI. Sapphire is the UK's leading processor of used tyres, and sources and manages the logistics of a range of waste-derived fuels and raw materials for the cement industry.
Monarch Airlines chooses BSI for its European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) verification
Monarch Airlines has selected BSI as its provider of verification services against the requirements of the EU ETS directive. This comes in response to the industry's requirement to monitor its CO2 emissions and demonstrate compliance with the directive by submitting a verified annual emissions report by 31 March every year from 2011 onwards.
As part of its evolving governance, risk and compliance strategy, BSI has acquired the Supply Chain Security Division of First Advantage Corporation.
Gerda, a leading developer and manufacturer of products for the security industry, has become the first company to be awarded the Kitemark for thief-resistant lock assemblies, in line with BS 10621:2007 Thief resistant dual-mode lock assembly.
UK film industry pioneers sustainability standard developed by BSI
The British film industry, in conjunction with BSI, is taking the lead in the global entertainment market with the announcement at the Cannes Film Festival of a new British Standard that will improve the industry's environmental, social and economic impact. For example, in London alone, screen production accounted for 125,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2009, 40% of which came from studios and 28% from TV and film production.
Question: Given the state of the environment, should issues like energy management in business be more regulated and closely monitored instead of voluntary?
Climate change is such an urgent issue that some might argue the only answer to this question is "Yes". However, creating laws that achieve their goals in precisely the right way is challenging and time consuming at the best of times. And when it comes to climate change, the factors involved are varied - too many for any one law or set of laws to cover adequately.
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