Bateaux London, the capital’s leading restaurant cruise provider, which last year became the first Thames Operator to gain BS8901:2009 certification has further developed the standard and retained its accreditation. The certificate is awarded for sustainable practice for the management of events and requires Bateaux London to meet and pass a rigorous external accreditation process on an annual basis.
The British Standard for sustainable events
BS8901 is the British Standard for sustainable events in the events industry and acknowledges a balanced and committed approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress relating to events. It was created as part of London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics as it was recognised that there was a need for a UK sustainability standard. It is applicable to any organisation that is involved in events from suppliers to actual organisers, and is designed to inform events industry stakeholders of a company’s sustainable practice.
Bateaux London continued to make significant progress on last year’s accreditation which was awarded based on a number of initiatives including: investment in energy efficient engines; a commitment to reduce energy consumption; the integration of a green visitor charter to encourage Bateaux London’s guests to make sustainable decisions; implementation of Optimo, and new sustainable ticketing system
This year’s auditors commended the strong waste management process in operation aboard Bateaux London and the effective team training in place to oversee the sustainable initiatives. They additionally praised the robust Marine Safety Management System in place and applauded the overall processes and tools in place to effectively measure and manage sustainable performance.