Expo 2020 has announced that Dutch company Global Sustainable Enterprise System (GSES) will assess the sustainability performance of all participating nations, exhibitors and suppliers at the event.

A software platform developed by GSES will generate rating cards based on independent audits. Requests to sign up to the platform have been sent to stakeholders.

Once registered, suppliers and participants can upload records of sustainable performance with supporting evidence. Desk audits will be carried out by GSES, while on-site Expo 2020 teams will ensure stakeholders comply.

The system, developed based on the expo's existing Respect, Impact, Safety and Environment (RISE) guidelines, is designed to ensure optimal performance standards across the event's planning, operations and decommissioning stages.

The RISE guidelines cover people, products, services and places associated with the operation of the event, as well as any supplier intending to provide products or services before, during or after the expo.

The GSES rating cards will be transparently accessible through the software platform for all registered entities.

The collaboration between Expo 2020 and GSES follows a trade mission on innovation organised by the Netherlands' Foreign Affairs Ministry during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2021 in January. The collaboration became official over the course of this year, with GSES selected as a direct supplier for Expo 2020.