The City, Green, GO! project members have worked to create a toolkit built around 7 principles as actionable, scalable steps that can be integrated into everyday operations. They are presented alongside good practices and initiatives that have already be done all around the world at different scale.
An eco-friendly grassroots sports initiative refers to a local or small-scale sports program or an event at the community level that prioritizes environmental sustainability. These initiatives seek to promote sports and recreational activities while actively addressing and minimizing their environmental impact. To achieve this, they are based on certain principles such as biodiversity, water conservation, renewable energy, waste reduction, sustainable materials, mobility, social equity and health and wellness.
The toolkit built 7 principles around the overall principle that eco-friendly grassroots sport initiatives are for all, meaning that all environments should support physical activity equitably across all ages, ethnicities, genders, and abilities, enabling everyone to be active and build long-term active habits and behaviours. The principles presented in this toolkit aim to cover the main areas in which sports event organizers can act most effectively, meanwhile addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all UN Member States in 2015. They enable us to take a holistic perspective to integrate these pillars into a more comprehensive sustainability strategy, and to link them to more global issues the world will face in the upcoming years.
Water Conservation
Sports facilities and events tend to use water in high quantities. However, some installations could help reducing water usage and associated water use, such as efficient irrigation systems or rainwater harvesting.
Energy
Renewable energy is increasingly embraced in sports facilities to combat climate change, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The Green Inspiration Programme supports European Athletics’ “Your Sport for Life” vision, making events more sustainable through waste management, eco-friendly catering, electric cars, and public transport. Energy efficiency is also key, minimizing energy use and emissions in lighting, heating, and air-conditioning with technologies like motion sensors and timers.
Waste Reduction
Sporting events often generate large volumes of waste. Thus, implementing waste reduction practices such as recycling and composting, can help minimize the amount of waste and to promote circularity.
The European School Sport Day® is an initiative with the main objective to promote sport and health enhancing physical activity at schools at international level and involve as many children and young people, schools, and organizations in physical activity programs as possible. This initiative endorses the consumption of tap water, reducing the need for bottled water and the waste it generates.
Sustainable Materials
The environmental impact of a sport project could also be reduced by using sustainable materials, such as recycled or natural materials, and thereby also reducing the use of waste.
The Budapest wharf project, which had the aim to give this space back to the residents of Budapest to do sports in the city center in a car-free environment, encouraged individuals to use their own equipment or repurposing existing resources. It demonstrated that this type of initiative can reduce waste and promote sustainability.
Biodiversity
The promotion of biodiversity is generally one of the main aspects of all eco-friendly initiatives. Indeed, using green spaces and nature integration can help support ecosystems health and resilience.
The promotion of biodiversity can be achieved through various manners. For example, Rails to Trails works in the United States to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. This transformation helps restore local ecosystems, supports biodiversity, and provides habitats for wildlife.
Mobility
Addressing transportation is key to reducing the carbon footprint of sports events, as travel by teams, fans, and equipment is a major contributor to emissions. Promoting carpooling, public transport, and low-emission vehicles, along with adopting green logistics like electric transport and regional storage, can significantly lower emissions. Event locations also matter—urban venues with better public transport options reduce travel-related emissions more than remote sites. Thoughtful planning of timetables and journeys can further cut emissions.
Social Equity
The Social Equity principle ensures that the benefits of sports and related sustainability efforts extend to all community members. Indeed, the aim is to support community health and well-being by promoting social equity through the access to sports facilities and inclusive programming.
Many initiatives aim to promote social equity. Hope Sports is a social inclusive initiative leaded by Organization Earth. Their mission is to implement numerous sports for good programs involving children, women and men, to use sport as a vehicle for a positive social change.
If you’d like to find out more about the City, Green, Go! toolkit, join us on YouTube streaming on 17 October from 1.15pm to 3pm. Stay tuned: https://forms.gle/5m3PcX1ui2QBTtwYA
