The Olympic Games are, by far, the world’s greatest spectacle of sporting prowess. However, behind the spectacular ceremonies and athletic feats, the Games — as with many other mega-sporting events — are increasingly focused on a different race, one towards sustainability.
And in a world that is increasingly conscious of the need to ensure that every activity has a positive impact on the environment, the community and the economy, sporting events are no longer concentrated around a single burst of activity.
Today’s events are being planned and designed with a sustainable future in mind, a future that stretches well beyond the final winning podiums and memorable closing ceremonies. What the recent Winter Olympics has shown, together with the upcoming major sporting events in Brazil, is that these mega-events are now increasingly being hosted in environments that present challenges for sustainable construction and execution due to the impact of the natural elements — most importantly, the weather.
Large-scale events require enormous amounts of planning and crucially, innovation. The Middle East has taken on the challenge of constructing world-class sports facilities and stadia that will adhere to international standards of energy-efficiency and carbon-emission reduction. Furthermore, season-specific sporting events such as the Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup pose unique challenges to organisers in the region, who have to contend with significant environmental factors, such as water scarcity, high temperatures and consequently, high energy consumption costs.
The 2012 London Olympics was billed as the most sustainable Games in modern history, and for good reason: the facilities were constructed using recycled steel and sustainably sourced timber; 73 per cent of the waste generated was recycled; carbon emissions were reduced by 47 per cent; and wastewater was treated and reused to irrigate the landscaping.
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics followed suit, with the Games’ direct carbon footprint being mitigated through the implementation of energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies in the key areas of infrastructure, industry and agriculture. Notably, Sochi was also the very first Games to mitigate a 100 per cent of emissions associated with the travel and accommodation of athletes, staff, and volunteers; the operation of the sports venues during Games time; and the Sochi Organising Committee’s activities right from 2007 (when Russia won the bid to host these Winter Olympics) until the Paralympic Games’ Closing Ceremony, on March 17, 2014. Quite an achievement!
The lessons learnt from London and Sochi can, and should, be applied to future events, including those held here in the Middle East. The region is fast emerging as a prime location for major sporting events and has, in recent times, hosted the Dubai World Cup, Mubadala World Tennis Championships and Formula One Grand Prix.
There is no denying that holding mega-sporting events can have a significant impact on the social and economic success of a country and of the region, as a whole. Importantly, sporting events can contribute towards the region’s economic diversification plans. The catalytic impact ranges from the generation of jobs and revenues for the businesses involved in establishing the infrastructure to the host country being able to reap the benefits of sports tourism.
Despite the challenges, the region refuses to be daunted and is investing considerable resources in developing innovative solutions. It has often been the case that innovations made specifically for an event can often lead to off-the-shelf solutions being made available for wider use, creating other tangible and sustainable benefits from mega-sporting events.
As the Olympic Movement’s Official Carbon Partner, Dow was tasked with ensuring that the direct carbon footprint associated with the delivery of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Games would be mitigated through the implementation of energy-efficient technologies.
As sporting event organisers seek to up their game in sustainability, innovation will drive solutions and creative uses of technology. With this will come the need for the private sector to contribute their know-how and expertise, by partnering with sporting organisations and local and national governments to achieve the very best end game: international sporting events that promote active lifestyles raise national pride, support businesses and drive economic growth that all citizens can share in.
— The writer is global sports marketing director at The Dow Chemical Company.
