As climate change makes a more visible impact on our sport and the wider world, environmental sustainability has become one of the most pressing topics of discussion in athletics, particularly among new generations.
This was certainly in evidence at the Future Leaders Forum, which ran in parallel to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, which took place last month.
Valuable insights
Among four days of presentations and workshops at the Foro Italico complex, came a workshop on ‘Sustainable Events’ co-facilitated by Roisin Lande of Athletics Ireland and Jens Tybout, team leader at PreZero Nederland, a sustainable waste management company in the Netherlands.
Both Lande and Tybout shared valuable insights and practical advice on integrating sustainability into sports events and everyday life for an interested audience of future leaders from across the continent.
"I have done my post-grad in sustainability, and I work in sports at the moment. It’s something I am very passionate about," Lande explained.
“It’s about getting them thinking - We wanted them to have an interactive session, where they can tell us the issues they are facing in their federations and at events. Within small groups, they should think about solutions together and rethink about how to implement them.”
One such group activity included designing a sustainable sports event, considering factors like waste management, energy use, and community engagement.
Potential solutions
"Instead of just telling them ‘These are the issues and these are some potential solutions.’, the main goal was to have them think about this," Lande highlighted. “We understand that everybody comes from different nations and backgrounds, and they experienced things very differently, so one solution doesn’t necessarily fit all in sustainability.”
The international and collaborative environment at the forum fostered creativity, a sense of responsibility and a willingness to share best practice among the young leaders, according to Lande.
“The majority of them do benefit from another, not just in sustainability, but in other aspects. They just need to transfer the willingness to work together and learn from one another,” she emphasised.
“I am not saying steal the ideas from other, but the countries that are doing well in sustainability already would love for other people to be more involved.”
Lande also shared her thoughts about sustainability practices during Roma 2024. "We are all here and having a fantastic time, however, we all see little bits that could be improved," Lande noted.
Shocking and sad
Lande, is a water sports enthusiast, which was the foundation for her interest in sustainability. "Going back to certain areas where I used to surf as a kid, I can visibly see the destruction of the environment.
"There are certain places where you cannot swim anymore because the water is toxic. It’s really shocking and sad to me," she commented.
Now working for Athletics Ireland, Lande still sees a large impact on the sport. “The impact is still really visible, they (athletics) have it in different elements, air quality and heat are massive things, and I think the impact of it (climate change) will just increase and increase unless it is addressed,” Lande said.
Think in a more sustainable way
Also taking a seat and observing the sustainability workshop in Rome was Antonio Carvalho, supporting the EA development commission as a consultant of the sustainability program.
"We often meet with LOCs at an early stage to review the bidding process and then listen to what they are planning to introduce to the championships in terms of sustainability," he explained.
"We recommend other options that are more sustainable if they haven’t considered them. We try to emphasize as much as possible to take into account not only environmental sustainability but also social and economic aspects."
“I feel that young people are probably more keen to listen to anything about sustainability than ever more,” he said. “This is already part of the younger generation, but we need to look at all generations to learn more and make sure that they are thinking in a sustainable way.”
Looking into the future, Carvalho pointed out the necessary steps towards a more sustainable future. “We need to make sure, when the young people take over leadership positions, that they are already into organizations where sustainability is embedded in the culture,” he stated.
Annika Saunus for European Athletics