News
thE poweR of sustaiNability
The Olympic Games unites sports, culture and the environment which ignites passion and emotion like no other major event on earth. The legacy of the Olympic Games will be more and more related to the growing consideration for the environment not only in the world of sports but in the whole society.
Among key challenges facing sports today there is still the awareness on the Environment and Sustainability and its initiatives to make major sport events more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Sustainability in sports is also of utmost importance to the economy of any hosting country as sporting events involve significant investments. Poor implementation would lead to negative impact on the environment and the economy of the country. Management support and engagement by athletes’ will be an important factor to implement sustainability initiatives. It is clear that the green initiatives of IOC and GAISF must be followed by the International Sports Federation so that every game conducted should be responsible for reducing energy usage and impact on environment.
Sustainability is not yet viewed as a strategic priority in the sports sector. The sporting society needs to fully understand the relevance for pursuing sustainability, threats associated with ignoring it, and the opportunities it presents also for business improvements. Promoting sustainable development and resources consumption is a positive alternative to environmentally ignorant development and economically unsustainable growth. The need to eliminate the social and economic conditions that encourage individuals and industries to behave in environmentally disruptive ways is of prime importance.
Sustainability in sports shall not be considered as an extra cost and effort on the part of responsible organizations but it should become a mandatory requirement for all sports activities. Little droplets of these initiatives can impact an ocean of change for a sustainable sports event and the sustainable world.
Raffaele Chiulli President ARISF
Rohit Ramesh Project Manager ARISF