Sports, Sustainability, and Climate Change

Sports and sustainability have a natural bond. From the beginning, sport was developed in the outdoors and made use of the natural resources available. Without available fresh air, land, and water athletic achievement would be severely diminished. The Olympic committee has recognized this connection and made the environment one of the three Olympic pillars. The United Nations also recognized this connection by organizing the World Conferences on Sport and the Environment through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). This emphasis had its first affect on a local level, driving athletic events to pursue low waste solutions. However, climate change has now evolved to the central issue. As best illustrated in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, the air quality was so poor some athletes contemplated skipping the games all together, and climate change was thrust to the forefront of the media and public’s attention. From this experience the culture surrounding large scale sporting events has forever changed. China has taken steps to launch a comprehensive cleaning of the air quality that has echoed through the World Exposition in Shanghai. The following Olympic Games in 2010 had the most environmentally friendly venues ever and achieved Platinum LEED certifications. Now, all large cities that are seriously considering an Olympic bid must first consult a sustainability expert. But, is this because event organizers are truly concerned about the long-term environmental impacts of the games? I believe so, but the economic and status benefits are equally important.