As part of the project, the German Sport University Cologne conducted an online survey on the topic of “Sustainability performance of German sport events” in summer 2023. The organisers contacted were drawn from a database of major German sport events set up by the German Sport University. Relevant events were selected based on the following criteria: 

– Number of spectators (from 50,000 or 200,000 per year regarding league events), 

– Number of participants (from 20,000), 

– Significance for the sport (continental and global). 

450 relevant events were included in the database, although there was no claim to completeness. Once the contact details had been determined, a survey invitation was sent to the respective event organisers. 82 event organisers completed the survey. After the data was cleansed, 74 data records were used for the analysis. 

74.3% of these organisations have integrated the topic of sustainability into their mission statement. Of these, 28.4% state that they have a comprehensive sustainability strategy based on objectives and measures. Another 55.4% stated that they had a partial sustainability strategy. Within the sustainability strategy, 62.2% orientate themselves on existing concepts or principles. Internal principles of the organisation and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals were mentioned in particular. Around half of the organising committees have a full-time position that handles matters of sustainability. In 23.0% of cases, there is a sustainability department within the organising committee and in 16.2% of cases, sustainability is dealt with as a cross-cutting task of the committee. In addition, 55.4% of the events do not prepare a sustainability report, 31.1% exclusively after the event, 8.1% before and after the event, and only 1.4% exclusively before the event. These results are comparable to those of the sustainability strategy. For a further study, it would be interesting to find out why many people find it difficult to draw up sustainability strategies or reports. 

Only a few of the respondents (17.6%) have themselves externally certified, while around half of those responsible for sustainability utilise external support (e.g. in implementation and reporting). 

The survey participants were asked to indicate measures already implemented or planned that they consider important in the area of sustainability. They were asked to focus on the three most important ones. These are 48.7% in the area of “waste”, 46% in “transport”, 21.6% in “energy”, and 14.9% each in “material consumption” and “catering”. All of these measures can be assigned to the ecological dimension. This is consistent with the information on the subject areas in which sustainability performance was ultimately also implemented.

In the ecological dimension, 81.1% mentioned “waste” as a topic area, 71.6% “transport”, 67.6% “energy” and 66.2% “material consumption”. In the social dimension, “sports development” (66.2%), “health” (58.1%) and “diversity” (56.8%) were the most frequently named topics. In the economic dimension, “financing” (51.4%), “origin of resources” (44.6%) and “compliance” (41.9%) were rated as the most relevant. It can be seen here that the ecological area is mentioned more frequently than the social and economic areas. The charts show the areas in which sustainability efforts were made and the areas in which the three most important measures for dealing with sustainability issues can be found. 

Further analyses revealed that events with a comparatively large number of contributors are more likely to have a sustainability position on the organising committee than events with fewer contributors. In this case, 81.25% of those responsible for events with over 100,000 contributors stated that there was a full-time sustainability position. What is remarkable in this case is that there are comparatively few sustainability positions in the range between 3,001 and 10,000 contributors. Here, only 20.0% stated that they had a full-time sustainability office. A further comparison showed that the topic of “energy” is very relevant for league organisations. Here, 89.66% of those responsible stated that they pursue the topic of “energy” as part of their sustainability ambitions. In addition, the topic of “waste” is more relevant for events with a supporting programme than for events without a supporting programme. 81.67% of those responsible for events with a supporting programme stated that they pursue the topic of “waste” as part of their sustainability ambitions. However, no correlation was found between the availability of various resources (budget, time, personnel and expertise) and the type of event (size of the event, type of sport, periodicity or geographical level).

Sustainable sports require innovative thinking and practical action. With the project “Sustainable Major Sports Events in Germany,” we are developing the basis for responsible and sustainable events based on scientific findings – validated and sharpened through intense collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

These are our three project goals:

1. We are developing a practice-oriented guideline and a toolbox for the implementation of sustainable major sport events.

2. We are defining key fields of action and issues for sustainable major sport events.

3. We are developing minimum standards for ecology, social issues and economy in the context of sustainable sport events.

Fig.: Development process of the project “Sustainable Major Sport Events in German

We understand sustainability as a principle of action. We want to establish it for all people involved in sport events: We create and raise awareness for sustainability among everyone.

OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SUSTAINABILITY: NEEDS OF PEOPLE AND PLANET IN BALANCE

We base our work on the sustainability understanding that all action should take place within existing boundaries of participating systems.

What exactly does this mean? This understanding represents in simplified terms what is known as the ” Donut Model” by environmental economist Kate Raworth. It consists of two concentric rings: The inner ring shows the basic social needs of humans, and the outer ring shows the ecological limits of the planet. The area between the two rings, the ” Donut” itself, forms the framework for action of all economic activity. That means:

We act sustainably when we manage to meet the basic needs of all people without exceeding the planet’s limits.

DONUT IN SPORTS: OUR ADAPTATION FOR SUSTAINABLE MAJOR SPORT EVENTS

The economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability cannot be separated from each other, even in major sport events: The foundation is the environment, in which society and therein the economy are embedded. The donut model thus leads us to the question of how to meet the needs of participants, spectators, organisers, and local communities while minimising the event’s impact on the environment. The economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability are inseparable: The foundation is the environment, within which is embedded society, and within that, the economy.

Complementary to the donut model, in the project “Sustainable major sport events in Germany” we support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 adopted in 2015.

Our understanding of sustainability can thus be simplified by the following model:

JOINT EFFORT OF SUSTAINABLE SPORT EVENTS: WHAT DRIVES US ON

It is from this basic understanding that we have derived our vision for the project “Sustainable major sport events in Germany”:

In the planning and implementation of sport events, we assume responsibility for the environment and society. In doing so, we act in an ecologically responsible, socially fair and economically sustainable manner. All of us – from event organisers to officials and athletes – are shaping the sustainable future of sport together with and for society: a joint effort.

Quellen:

Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century von Kate Raworth 2017

TEEB and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Bildquelle:

Own illustration adapted from an Azote Images for Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Download von: https://www.bmuv.de/themen/nachhaltigkeit-digitalisierung/nachhaltigkeit/integriertes-umweltprogramm-2030/planetare-belastbarkeitsgrenzen