Environmental sustainability in the event industry: a systematic review and a research agenda

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the event industry has witnessed massive growth worldwide. This, however, has come with considerable environmental costs. Improper management of any type of event can indeed lead to significant environmental impacts, including increased carbon emissions, waste generation, and resource consumption. To establish a common knowledge base on the topic, we conducted a Systematic Literature Review and critically examined the current state of academic research regarding environmental sustainability in events. Our analysis reveals a fast-growing and interdisciplinary field, with 247 articles coming from multiple geographic locations and addressing multiple event types – from mega-events to small-scale festivals. We identify four thematic areas on which scholars have focused: (1) Events’ Environmental Impacts, namely the evaluation of the environmental impacts and legacy of events; (2) Green Event Management, the organization of environmentally friendly events across multiple perspectives (e.g., strategic, operational); (3) Environmental Policy & Guidelines, the contribution of policymakers and other industry stakeholders for a greener event sector; (4) Environmental Psychology of Event Stakeholders, the factors affecting perceptions and behaviours of event stakeholders in relation to environmental issues. We provide an in-depth review of these areas, identify gaps in our current understanding, and draft a comprehensive agenda to address them.