Standards for Organizations
What is Organizational Certification?
The Council for Responsible Sport's Organizational Certification is a three-year certification that evaluates how sustainability and social responsibility are embedded into an organization's governance, decision-making, policies, and business practices.
Based on a complete year of data, it assesses the organization's structure, accountability, and performance across its operations and portfolio of events.
Built with the industry's leading voices
The Responsible Sport Standard was developed through a rigorous multi-stakeholder process involving dozens of organizations and more than 100 industry experts from across the global sports ecosystem.
The playbook for responsible sport organizations
To create the first-ever Responsible Sport Standard for Organizations in the sports event sector, the Council for Responsible Sport led a comprehensive process to collect standards of best practice, put them through intensive review, develop tools in support of meeting the standards, and test them in action.
Vision and Standards
The Council for Responsible Sport envisions a future where sporting events are consistently produced with responsibility at the forefront. We acknowledge the significant impact these events have on the experiences of millions of participants and attendees, and with such influence comes substantial responsibility.
Listening to the Industry
To ground that vision in reality, the Council sought input directly from sport industry professionals. We surveyed people who had worked for an organization producing sports events within the past three years, focused on their perception of organizations' capabilities to act on social and environmental values. The survey ran from August through October of 2020, drawing more than 950 views, 98 surveys begun, and 39 completed by event industry professionals.
Building the Standard
That input helped shape a comprehensive measurement and reporting framework tailored for the sports event industry. The inaugural Responsible Sport Standard for Organizations (version 1) comprises meticulously reviewed and revised standards of best practice, developed through an extensive process of stakeholder engagement and feedback. Organizations embracing this standard exemplify leadership in producing events with heightened responsibility and intentionality for measurable positive outcomes.
What's Next
Version 2 is currently being developed through the collaborative efforts of ten Columbia University graduate students as part of the Spring 2026 Integrative Capstone Workshop for the M.S. in Sustainability Management.
How to get certified
Council for Responsible Sport will guide you through all the steps of the Organizational Certification, from application to certification. The process typically takes between two and twelve months, depending on the event's planning timeline, readiness, and responsiveness throughout the certification process.
Enroll & Access
Choose your certification type and gain immediate access to ReScore platform.
Plan & Implement
Track progress, implement sustainability practices, and gather supporting evidence throughout your event.
Submit for Review
Upload all documentation within 60 days after your event or reporting period concludes.
Questions
Find answers about Council for Responsible Sport's certification process and requirements
The Council for Responsible Sport's Organizational Certification is a three-year certification that evaluates how sustainability and social responsibility are embedded into an organization's governance, decision-making, policies, and business practices.
Based on a complete year of data, it assesses the organization's structure, accountability, and performance across its operations and portfolio of events.
The timeline depends on how quickly you submit documentation and schedule your on-site verification visit. Typically, certification is processed within 4-14 months.
Your certification fee covers platform access to ReScore, documentation review by our team, and the certification decision. On-site verification travel expenses are paid separately by the applicant. The fee does not include consulting services or implementation support.
If you don't achieve the minimum points for certification, you'll receive detailed feedback on your submission. You can reapply after implementing recommended improvements. Many organizations use this feedback to strengthen their sustainability practices for the next cycle.
Certification helps events measure their impacts, improve their practices, and demonstrate responsible event production. Organizations ready to make a broader, long-term climate commitment can also explore the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework. The Council supports the framework’s goals and encourages organizations to learn more.
Learn more about Sports for Climate Action.