Large sporting events: Fun and environmental protection - can the two go together?

Large sporting events like the Olympic Games or World Football Championships are always of global significance, both for the players and the fans.

At the latest since the 2006 FIFA World CupTM in Germany, we are aware of how such a sporting event can captivate the attention of large sections of society. The enthusiasm felt for a common goal brings people together and produces positive emotions.

Higher transport demand
At the same time large sporting events also cause substantial environmental burdens. In the case of an international competition teams and coaching staff travel from all over the world to the sporting venue. The same goes for journalists, officials and, last but not least, the fans.

All cover long distances by plane, bus, rail or car so that they can be “live” in the stadium. In doing so, large quantities of CO2 emissions are caused. If an event is being held at different sporting venues, a significant share of mobility also occurs “on the ground”, i.e. through journeys to and between the venues.

Large building projects
Transport-related greenhouse gas emissions are not the only environmental burdens caused by such events. The building of competition sites requires huge quantities of building materials such as steel, concrete, glass and synthetic membranes. In the case of outdoor sports which do not take place in stadiums, it is necessary to avoid interference with sensitive open spaces.

Increased waste, power demand & water demand
Due to such events being held, additional environmental burdens arise. When 50,000 fans in the stadium eat hotdogs and drink beer during the game, considerable mountains of rubbish are produced overall.

Furthermore, the power consumption – for the purposes of, for example, lighting and air conditioning – is high. The pitches are irrigated and whenever an event is held several hundred cubic metres of water are needed for sanitary facilities.

Green Goal for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011
For the FIFA World CupTM an environmental programme was developed with the goal of keeping negative environmental influences as low as possible. Oeko-Institut has provided consultancy to the German Football Association (GFA) for the planning, development and implementation to this end. The environmental programme entitled “Green Goal” constituted something of a first in the world of football and has attracted great interest and popularity globally.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held in Germany in 2011. The GFA has again commissioned Oeko-Institut to develop and implement an environmental programme for this occasion. The project “Green Goal 2011” has been running since summer 2010.

Introduction of an environmental management system
First, the current status of all nine World Cup stadiums are analysed with the goal of implementing environmentally friendly measures together with the stadium operators. These measures include the introduction of an environmental management system, the use of “green” power and energy-saving lighting, and the installation of water-saving sanitary ware.

A particular challenge in this context is the consideration of the typical usage patterns of a football stadium, i.e. peak loads on days in which games are played and the relatively quiet periods in between. For the researchers at Oeko-Institut it is important not only to accord the stadiums measures of the environmental programme, but also to involve as many of those involved in the event as possible.

Since transport plays a highly significant role in the case of events such as these, it is very important that the message reaches each viewer and convinces him or her to use environmentally friendly means of transport.

Compensation of unavoidable CO2 emissions
The declared goal of the FIFA Organizing Committee is to realise a climate-fair Women’s World Cup in 2011. This means that all unavoidable CO2 emissions caused within the scope of the event will be compensated elsewhere.

Implementation of environmental measures in the stadiums, raising awareness amongst the public, and climate compensation in compliance with the highest standards are some of the key objectives of “Green Goal 2011”.

Sport AND environmental protection – both is possible!
Oeko-Institut’s dedication to recognising and addressing environmental protection concerns within the scope of large sporting events has been a great success. Environmental programs like “Green Goal” are making more and more organisers, and increasingly the viewers and sponsors, aware of the environmental impacts of sporting events.

In international comparison Germany is already setting high standards. Now it is necessary for these requirements to also be incorporated in the planning and implementation of large sporting events abroad. A key role should be accorded international sporting associations for this purpose.

Recreational sport needs more environmental attention
In addition, experiences gathered in the context of large sporting events should be transferred by experts to sport pursued recreationally. Sporting events help bring people together peacefully and get them enthusing about a shared undertaking. They create a sense of fun for people. This shouldn’t happen, however, at the cost of the environment.

An environmental programme which deprives people of this sense of fun and is excessively based on rules and bans is unlikely to gain acceptance. This area of tension is the wellspring of both opportunities and challenges within the scope of Oeko-Institut’s focus on sport and the environment.

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