Sustainablity Theme for 2017 IF Forum

(ATR) Sustainability is the theme of the 2017 edition of the IF Forum in Lausanne.

The forum is organized by SportAccord, the entity that includes the 100 federations that make up the companion Global Association of International Sports Federations. The group includes Olympic and non-Olympic sports.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist in sailing Ben Ainslie opened the forum Wednesday night in a keynote speech.

IOC president Thomas Bach offered a brief welcome at the start of the meeting, the extent of his remarks this year to the forum.

BBC presenter David Eades leads the program over the next two days that highlight the intersection of sport with matters of sustainability and the environment.

International Golf Federation Executive Director Antony Scanlon will talk about sustainable golf courses, an important environmental consideration for the sport.

Mountaineering Federation project director Gloria Scarano is on the program to cover her work on protecting mountain environments.

Matt Smith, Executive Director of the International Rowing Federation, will address clean water issues vital to the safety of athletes as well as the public.

Thomas Kurth from UIM, the Federation for powerboating, will explain what’s being done with solar and electricity to power the watercraft.

GAISF President Patrick Baumann says "a very democratic" process settled on the theme of sustainability.

As international sport continues to be mired in ethics scandals and mismanagement of international federations, Baumann acknowledged sustainability may not be the most pressing issues for IFs.

"Other issues are on the table" he acknowledged at a media round table.

But the long-term viability for the Olympics and other mega events depends on a cost-sustainable model for event organizers, Buamann said.

"These mathematics are important to understand. We have to figure out how to get those costs down."

Noting that security, an unpredictable cost from host to host is one of the largest culprits of inflated Games costs, Baumann said the IOC is working on several proposals to reduce costs across the board.

Baumann is one of the most active members of the Olympic Family. His post at GAISF/SportAccord stems from his full-time job as secretary general of basketball federation FIBA. He’s also an IOC member, serving as vice chair of the Paris 2024 IOC coordination commission and chair of the Los Angeles 2028 co comm. And he’s the chair of the organizing committee for the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne.

The Thursday program includes a break sponsored by the Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition, a first at the forum from a U.S. city. The group is targeting a Winter Olympics bid one day, in addition to other winter sports events in the Nevada-California region.

The IF Forum concludes Friday with Sarah Lewis, Secretary-General of the international Ski Federation, leading the discussion on climate, a make or break aspect for the field of play for ski sport. IOC director of sport Kit McConnell is scheduled to sum up the meeting and offer some ideas on a strategic approach for the federations on sustainability.

With reporting in Lausanne by Ed Hula III.