Environmental Sustainability in Event Management: A Critical Commentary

Abstract

This critical commentary focuses on the development of research in Event Management on environmental sustainability in the context of events. Findings suggest that there are some areas that have been researched in detail to date, such as how proactive managerial decision-making can contribute positively to the overall environmental sustainability of events. The article goes on to highlight the limitations of the existing research and presents an agenda for future research, calling in particular for more attention to be paid to environmental sustainability at events in non-Western contexts, more mixed method and longitudinal studies, and a broader selection of event types as the majority of existing research has been conducted at festivals. Further, incorporation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as at least some of the sustainable event standards and certifications (e.g., ISO 20121), would enhance the literature in the events field.