Second Party Certification of ISO 20121:2024
Switzerland, 11 December 2025
On International Mountain Day 2025, the Sustainable Mountain Alliance (SMA) has the great pleasure to launch the world’s first Sustainable Event Label dedicated to the mountain environment, founded on ISO 20121:2024.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global body that develops standards to ensure quality, safety, and sustainability across industries. ISO 20121:2024 is the international standard and global benchmark for Event Sustainability Management Systems. It’s the world’s leading framework for embedding sustainability across events and within organisations. The SMA Sustainable Event Label offers second-party ISO 20121:2024 certification of events that implement this rigorous framework. This sits between first-party certification, where an organisation declares implementation itself, and third-party certification, where an independent, accredited body audits and certifies implementation.
The SMA Sustainable Event Label provides a dedicated framework by which events taking place in mountain environments can assess and measure their sustainability efforts. It encourages continuous improvement while stimulating the sharing of good practices and knowledge across organisers. Mountains are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to several interconnected factors, including mountains warming faster than global averages, cryosphere changes, water security impacts, ecosystem vulnerability and cascading natural hazards with implications for those in the mountains and downstream. Organising events that are as sustainable as possible, in alignment with the principles of sustainable development — stewardship, inclusion, integrity and transparency — is therefore fundamental.
For events taking place in the mountains, the challenges of organisation include those related to altitude, environmental sensitivity (fragile ecosystems, protected areas), logistical complexity (access, safety, waste management), remote settings with limited infrastructure and seasonal constraints (weather windows, snow conditions). For these reasons, a dedicated standard that recognises the principal issues that a mountain event can address will serve the following key purposes:
- Encourage responsible event practices – Promote the adoption of sustainable planning, operations, and legacy strategies that minimise negative impacts and enhance positive contributions to mountain ecosystems and communities.
- Provide credible recognition – Offer a transparent and verifiable certification process that validates an event’s sustainability performance, aligned with international standards and tailored to the unique challenges of mountain regions.
- Support stakeholder engagement – Foster collaboration amongst event organisers, local authorities, businesses, and civil society to ensure inclusive decision-making and shared sustainability goals.
- Drive innovation, improvement and investment – Inspire continuous innovation in event design and delivery, including circular economy practices, climate resilience, and community empowerment.
- Strengthen local economies and cultures – Encourage events to source locally, celebrate regional heritage, and contribute to the long-term vitality of mountain communities.
- Align with global sustainability goals – Contribute to broader sustainability agendas, including the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate action, and biodiversity protection.
A ‘mountain event’ is classified by the SMA as any event held at a significant elevation (often above 1,000-1,500 meters) and/or in alpine or mountainous landscapes with notable terrain features like peaks, slopes, valleys, or passes. Such events may include skiing and snowboarding, mountain/trail running, cycling, music, biathlon, ski mountaineering, paragliding, adventure races, music festivals, conferences, etc.
The SMA Sustainable Event Label is suitable for all sizes of events, from small local events to large mega events, following a process of Plan – Do – Check – Act. Events wishing to obtain the Label are invited to complete the Expression of interest Form and subsequently receive the Implementation Toolkit. Once the audits have been conducted, the SMA team will evaluate the event using a standardised scoring system. Based on your score, you will be awarded one of the following label levels:
- No Label – Minimum criteria not met.
- Bronze Label – Basic sustainability practices in place.
- Silver Label – Intermediate level with measurable actions that are implemented in a structured manner
- Gold Label – Advanced sustainability integration and continuous improvement.
The conformity assessment will be aligned with ISO audit standards. If successful, you’ll receive certification valid for three years (may be subject to annual surveillance audits).
For more information:
Web: https://sustainablemountainalliance.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainablemountainalliance
Instagram: @SustainableMountainAlliance
Twitter : @SMASportTourism
Email: info@sustainablemountainalliance.org