For over a yr now, challenge groups in Particular Olympics Belgium and Particular Olympics Italy—led by SO Europe Basis and supported by Suppose Past—have been rigorously growing, testing and tweaking a Sport Sustainability Framework (SSF). The final word purpose is to supply a complete doc which can provide greatest practices and suggestions that any and all Particular Olympics groups the world over can use to enhance the sustainability of sports activities occasions.
Because the workforce enters the house strait—a Particular Champions League match on 5 and 6 October in Belgium serves as the ultimate official take a look at occasion—we caught up with them to grasp their challenges, progress thus far and hopes for the ultimate lap of the challenge.
Particular Olympics occasions are so usually organized at the side of an array of companions who might all be at completely different phases of their sustainability journey so there is usually a problem aligning goals. Audrey Desclée, Undertaking Coordinator with Particular Olympics Belgium notes, “We’ve got so many companions and we frequently rely closely on them for assist.”
These companions can embody the cities that Particular Olympics Belgium organises its Nationwide Video games in cooperation with. Frank De Vos, Undertaking Coordinator, says, “If we are able to persuade the city to be sustainable then we are able to transfer ahead. Fortuitously, that is the path that the majority cities are shifting in. They need to show that they’re sustainable and, in that case, it might actually facilitate the partnership if we are able to say from the primary second that we even have sustainability goals.”
For Giorgio Scarnecchia, Undertaking Supervisor with Particular Olympics Italy, the bottom line is additionally to align with companions. He says, “It’s necessary to set widespread requirements for everybody and discover greatest practices that may be adopted by everybody at each occasion. It’s essential to get stakeholders and sponsors concerned and eventually to create a legacy.”
Picture by Marco Ciccolella
One other space that Particular Olympics Italy have been specializing in is the usage of sustainably sourced, native meals at occasions. Sara Capone, Undertaking Supervisor with Particular Olympics Italy, says with a smile, “We’re Italian, and we care loads about meals! We at all times select native suppliers for meals.” The workforce can also be in discussions with suppliers to see that are utilizing recycled materials and is making selections on the acquisition of merchandise and different gear with this criterion in thoughts.
Particular Olympics Belgium too has been reflecting on the merchandise, kits and gear that it makes use of with a give attention to reuse and discount. They’ve requested that key volunteers hold their uniforms for 3 years reasonably than producing new kits which can solely be worn for a couple of days every year. They’re additionally bettering their digital visibility provide for sponsors, which allows them to scale back the brand new branding materials to be produced yr after yr.
The challenge workforce have been wanting into the person steps that they’ll soak up these areas and lots of extra however the important thing, they consider, is to take motion. Embracing sustainability is just not an choice in accordance with this workforce. Colin Kenny, Senior Supervisor of Undertaking and Grants at SO Europe Basis, notes, “As an organisation, we have to take it critically. We run so many worldwide, nationwide and native occasions that we’d like a technique to minimize our carbon footprint in line of what’s being achieved by different sports activities organisations on this house. We have to suppose forward and be progressive.”
Ellen Salter, Sustainability Director at Suppose Past who’ve been supporting the challenge workforce, notes that the event of the challenge framework is precisely the path that sports activities organisations like Particular Olympics needs to be shifting in. She says, “It’s been nice to work with Particular Olympics and be taught extra in regards to the work of the organisation and the environmental sustainability efforts underway. Throughout sport, an absence of widespread steerage can usually create hesitancy across the improvement and sharing of sustainability concepts, which is a problem. This Particular Olympics challenge facilitates shared information and studying to drive change. We’d like a collective understanding that sustainability is just not one thing to be perfected, and we needs to be clear, collaborative and be taught from one another.”
It’s hoped that Particular Olympics groups the world over may have the chance to be taught from this challenge’s Sport Sustainability Framework (SSF) which will likely be produced and disseminated in November 2024.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are nevertheless these of the creator(s) solely and don’t essentially mirror these of the European Union or the European Schooling and Tradition Government Company (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA could be held chargeable for them.
