Birmingham 2026 will deliver excitement and inspiration while offering a memorable experience for thousands of spectators – all while maintaining a focus on minimising emissions, reducing waste, conserving water and protecting nature before, during and after the Championship week.
To ensure environmental sustainability is central to all decision-making, it’s been named one of the three core pillars of the Birmingham 2026 impact plan, Beyond, which seeks to ensure the platform of the championships creates a lasting impact on the sport, region and city.
The three pillars of Beyond are:
- Provide community benefit through athletics and running
- Deliver an environmentally conscious Championships
- Help people to overcome hurdles to drive event accessibility and inclusion
To ensure pillar two is a success, sustainability and the environment are being considered in all aspects of the championships from the pre-event planning cycle to the spectator experience at each session and the breakdown post-event.
“We know that major events inspire spectators to be more active, so how can we also inspire people to be more green?” – Kate Chapman, head of sustainability at LME and Birmingham 2026 advisor.
Below are just some of the ways the environment is being put in podium position for the European Athletic Championships Birmingham 2026.
Lowering emissions, one transport decision at a time
With thousands of athletes, coaches, staff and fans of athletics all traveling to Perry Barr for the European Athletic Championships, sustainable transport has been at the forefront of planning.
To support spectators to make informed decisions about their travel, our official Travel Assistant can be used to map their journeys from wherever they are to their session, informing them about the carbon emissions of each option.
To further promote sustainable travel, the Travel Planner prioritises recommending the shuttle bus service, which makes use of electric buses and is a short walk from New Street station. There are also Park and Ride and, for those looking to be more active during their travel, Park and Walk options to reduce cars in and around the Perry Barr region.
Active travel is being promoted in other ways across the championships too, with volunteers being given free SWIFT cards for their shifts, allowing them free transport on all public transport across the city. With over 1,000 volunteers moving around the city to support the delivery of the championships, the free SWIFT cards will allow them to make sustainable, active travel choices during the Championships.
Active travel is not just being considered for event week. Inspired by the hosting of the European Athletic Championships, Birmingham City Council has teamed up with EcoBirmingham to create a new series of Local Explorer Routes. These encourage local residents and visitors to the Championships alike to discover new places across the city on foot or by bike. Designed as self-guided tours, people can complete the routes at their own pace and discover new and hidden gems across the city whilst enjoying the mental and physical benefits of moving and being active.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
To ensure Birmingham 2026 reduces its waste output and prioritises reusable materials and recycling, several initiatives have been introduced.
All food and beverage suppliers on site and across hospitality and our work force will have zero single use plastic, and packaging will be made of Notpla, a sustainable food packaging made of seaweed, and cutlery will be made of Vegware.
Plastic’s not the only consideration though, and to limit the carbon impact of the event, all fruit and vegetables are being delivered from a wholesaler within just two and a half miles of the stadium. There's also been a focus on promoting more plant-based and lower-carbon food options across the stadium. The sustainability and hospitality teams are also working closely to avoid overordering or food and drinks, and agreements are in place so that any leftover food from hospitality will be donated to local organisations.
All staff and media are being provided with a reusable water bottle supplied by our official water partner, and leading sustainable water brand, Re:Water, to make use of the many water refill points across the site. Re:Water is the only spring water served in a 100% recycled aluminium bottle. It will also be the only available water for purchase across the stadium, enabling spectators who buy a bottle of water to make use of the water refill points alongside those who bring their own bottles with them.
All staff and media are being provided with a reusable water bottle supplied by our official water partner, and leading water brand in sustainability, Re:Water, to make use of the many water refill points across the site. Re:Water will also be the only available water for purchase across the stadium, enabling spectators who buy a bottle of water to make use of the water refill points alongside those who bring their own bottles with them.
Creating environmental consciousness through behaviour change.
The environment is all of our responsibility, and we know there’s no way we can make Birmingham 2026 as green and sustainable as possible in isolation. That’s why we’ve put in the effort to communicate directly with all our different stakeholder groups – from athletes and coaches to volunteers and spectators – to highlight the ways they can help.
“We’ve put real thought into what we can do to encourage environmentally conscious behaviour change in all our audiences, ensuring that sustainability isn’t just in our minds as organisers planning the Championships, but that it’s front and centre in the actions of everyone who engages with us.” – Chris Moss, Impact Lead for Birmingham 2026.
Carbon labelling is being introduced across all food and drinks options across the entire site, with detailed information displayed on all options in hospitality for our VIP guests and QR codes encouraging spectators to scan and learn more about the CO2 levels of their choices.
But we’re not just asking them to think about the emissions of their food, we’re putting in efforts to offer up more sustainable options. From local fruits and vegetables to limited meat options across the site with workforce and hospitality menus being completely beef-free.
Water refills aren’t anything new but working with our experts we’re aware that in the heat of the moment, it can be all too easy to decide that just this once you’ll buy disposable plastic bottles of water for the week. To overcome that, every staff member is being gifted a Re:Water bottle when they arrive at the stadium, putting the physical reminder to make use of water refills in their hand.
Kit recycling points are also being introduced to all hotels, so athletes and staff can give new life to their old kit, and the spectator village in the stadium. Kit recycling will be accepting athletic wear and shoes, meaning those with need can give new lease of life to items that might otherwise have ended up in landfill.
“Together we can make Birmingham 2026 a leading example of what sustainable major events hosting looks like. While the athletes compete for medals and continental titles, our ambition is to inspire everyone who enjoys the event – whether they’re in the stadiums, cheering on from the sidelines on the streets of Birmingham, or watching from home – to play their part in reducing our environmental impact at these Championships and beyond. Where we can, let’s leave a positive impact on the environment around us.”– Kate Chapman, head of sustainability at LME and Birmingham 2026 advisor.
For more information about the sustainable initiatives we’ve implemented for Birmingham 2026, check out our sustainability webpages here.
The Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships take place from 10-16 August. Tickets are on sale via this link.
For more about the Beyond programme, click here.