Crowberry delivers for the IMF

Chorley based Crowberry Consulting has worked with The International Monetary Fund (IMF) to enable it to achieve the global standard for event sustainability.

The IMF received the ISO 20121 accreditation for its spring and annual meetings held at the organisation’s headquarters in Washington DC.

The certification by the British Standards Institution (BSI) recognises the IMF’s commitment to managing the environmental, social, and economic impact of its operations during the meetings.

The IMF has been working with Crowberry since 2023 conducting gap analysis, internal auditor training and sustainable event system implementation.

Actions taken as a result have included the continuous offsetting of carbon generated by participants travelling to the meetings as well as considerations around materials, food waste, accessibility, and recycling.

The specialist sustainability consultancy also hosted virtual workshops for the IMF, which has 190 member countries. During the meetings delegates from the countries take part in cultural events, networking events, knowledge transfer and informational sessions.

Becky Toal, Crowberry Consulting’s chief executive, said: “It has been a pleasure to support the IMF to work towards and achieve the ISO 20121.

“We have supported the internal departments to implement a full internal audit programme, trained up the sustainability champions and guided them through the required documentation of the standard to ensure successful certification in 2024.

“We are delighted that the team has achieved the prestigious ISO 20121 standard, and this will inspire other large bi-lateral and political events to do the same.”

Tim Wren, BSI’s chief commercial officer, added: “As a globally important organisation, the IMF has a powerful opportunity to set an example for how events can be planned and delivered sustainably, benefiting people and planet.

“It’s fantastic to see them using their spring and annual meetings to create a lasting legacy.”

Crowberry Consulting has also worked on large scale events including the Cornwall G7 and Glasgow COP26, and major sporting events, including the London 2012 Olympics and UEFA Euros Champions in 2016.