Gallowglass Awarded Both Environmental Management & Sustainability Management Standards ISO14001 & BS8901

Gallowglass worked closely with sustainability expert, EcoEvents, which specialises in sustainability management solutions designed specifically for the events industry, venues, and related supply chains. EcoEvents provided the consultancy and training to enable Gallowglass to gain certification after only six months of reviewing, developing and installing their sustainability policies and procedures. The certification was then awarded by AJA Registrars, a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited International Certification Body.

Gallowglass Managing Director Nick Grecian said: “Achieving these certifications provides impartial and independent evidence of our sustainability performance.”

“Many companies are paying lip service to environmental issues, and there are even some that have self-certified or have been awarded a ‘certificate’ by the very consultants that helped them develop and implement their systems.  This is not permitted by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and obviously such companies can’t claim with any validity that they have achieved certification.

“We knew that the legitimate way of achieving the joint certification was by working with a specialist consultancy with specific expertise in this area and then having the joint standards audited by a UKAS- accredited certification body”.

Sam Wilson, director, EcoEvents said: “Gallowglass passed both certificates with flying colours and is paving the way for suppliers within the events industry. It is  crucial that suppliers providing these essential services at the ‘front line’ have a pragmatic understanding of legislation and sustainability practices so that associated risks are identified, managed and reduced. Achieving the joint standards compliments Gallowglass’ commitment to be leaders and specialists in their field. In my opinion, first and second party certification is not worth the paper it is written on and I am in no doubt that both leading authorities and high profile event clients are aware of this. Anything other than accredited certification will result in our industry being de-professionalised and result in a lack of credibility. We have a unique opportunity to lead the way in sustainable development and differentiate ourselves amongst other industries. It would be a shame if we did not take full advantage of this.”

Gallowglass has reduced its carbon footprint by 44.44% since 2007, when it embarked on a programme to reduce its fuel usage and landfill waste.  Among the key areas of focus has been its fleet of vehicles, which it changed to more fuel-efficient alternatives, in line with a concerted effort to better manage its vehicle usage.