The participants of the 8th World Conference on Sportand Environment comprised National Olympic Committees, International SportsFederations, Organizing Committees of the Olympic Games (BOCOG, VANOC, LOCOGand Sochi 2014), Candidate Cities, representatives of the International OlympicCommittee, International Paralympic Committee, Olympians, the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP), Partners of the Olympic Movement, sport andrecreation events organizers, environmental organizations, researchinstitutions, other members of the Olympic Movement.
The conference acknowledged the significance of the location and date of thisevent being on the traditional territories of Four Host First Nations with theVancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games being less thana year away, and express gratitude for their involvement and presence.
Two over-arching themes provided the contextual backdrop for the conference asfollows:
i. The current economic crisis is global, affecting everyone.While the crisis presents additional challenges, it also provides uniqueopportunities in which environmental and sustainability matters must remain ofthe highest priority. The economy and the environment are to be dealt withtogether to enhance environmental sustainability.
ii. The importance of the youth involvement in the world ofsport is acknowledged by all. The IOC’s emphasis on this is evident by thelaunch of the first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, with asignificant educational component, including a strong environmental content.Early exposures to the best sustainable development practices and theappropriate education of future generations on environmental matters will havea lasting impact.
With the above themes in mind the conference focused on the key aspects ofInspiration and Innovation that “fuel” the participants’ joint efforts toadvance sustainability through sport.
Fourteen years after declaring environment as the third pillar of the Olympicmovement, alongside sport and culture, the conference provided an opportunityto reflect on the hard work and achievements during this period, and thegrowing number of success stories. This provides due inspiration for anever-increasing number of constituents.
It was acknowledged that creativity and innovation are critical components inachieving demonstrable results. Conference participants put forth the followingspecific conclusions and recommendations:
1. National Olympic Committees (NOC) play an increasing rolein ensuring continuous involvement of the sports world in sustainable development
• It is acknowledged that NOC’s have to tackle differentchallenges within their own environments. Nevertheless, it is essential thatNOC’s recognize their important role as a major conduit for action to furtherthe Olympic Movement’s sustainability agenda.
• NOC’s are encouraged to continue to develop theirunderstanding of the programmes, practices and legacies of Olympic OrganizingCommittees as well as the proposals and objectives of candidate cities.
It is recommended that NOC’s identify, and reach out, to domesticand external partners with specific projects that could be supported withintheir own communities and consider including in their contractual arrangementsprovisions for sustainable actions.
• NOC are encouraged to form partnerships with localgovernment entities in order to implement specific environmental projects.
2. International Sport Federations are critical to advancingsustainability within sport organizations around the world
• Each International Federation is encouraged to adopt apolicy and supporting programme to advance the principals of sustainabilitythrough their sport and promote those principles to national sport federations.
3. OCOGs are a key source of innovation in the planning,delivery and legacy of sports facilities and events
• The examples provided by OCOGs and candidate cities shouldbe studied by others in the sports world for possible application at anappropriate scale in their own programmes.
• OCOG’s have the ability to utilize the latest ininnovations and technology to create and promote Games of the highest standardsof sustainability and legacy.
• The sharing of and transferring of these best-practices, isessential in ensuring that the sustainability of the Olympic and ParalympicGames is continuously advanced.
• The Games present a unique opportunity to raiseenvironmental awareness and develop a new environmental approach in acommunity, and implement a « green code », thereby arriving at a set of new localstandards of higher quality.
4. Corporate sponsors of the Olympic Movement continue toplay a valuable role in creating sports events that mutually benefit sport, thecommunity and sponsors
• The conference encourages sponsors of the Olympic Movementto share their sustainability practices and technologies with the Olympicfamily, and channel available resources for educational purposes to increaseenvironmental awareness and the engagement and empowerment of youth.
Community-based organizations are an essential component of sport andenvironment actjvities as they are central to the promotion of localinvolvement, innovation and inspiration and the spreading of best-practices.
Athletes are important role models, as their commitment to promoting thesustainability agenda has the potential to influence and inspire others,particularly youth, to take action.
The conference concludes with the words of a participating athlete: “There are no minds more innovative than the minds of youth. No one ismore attuned to the environment than youth.”
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