Auditing refers to the evaluation of the effectiveness of an event's sustainability plan or the overall environmental performance of an event. Auditing shows how sustainable an event is and what could be done to improve performance against sustainability targets. The evaluation achieved through environmental auditing is integral to the implementation and improvement of sustainable practices.

Auditing allows areas of improvement to be identified and action to be taken to become more sustainable and energy-efficient. The outcome of any actions taken as a result of environmental audits will often ultimately lead to cost benefits such as in energy use and water consumption as is reducing waste transported to landfill. These ongoing cost savings alone are well worth the relatively small cost incurred through the auditing process.

Generally, auditing is conducted by taking samples of a range of event activities and testing them against certain indicators such as industry standards & recommendations or self-imposed targets. There are several companies that can assist with auditing and also offer further advice on sustainable event practice. However, if you have the experience within your production staff, you can carry out your own auditing to assess how your event is performing in terms of energy use, water consumption and/or waste generated. Some auditing can also be conducted through visitor surveys regarding aspects such as modes of transport used by visitors.