In 2018, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by signing up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations (UN) Environment’s Clean Seas campaign. Now, the ICF has introduced a sustainability strategy for events to raise environmental awareness, reduce environmental impact, protect the natural environment and demonstrate its commitment to social and economic sustainability
In 2018, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) agreed a partnership with UN Environment to pilot a worldwide air-quality monitoring network that could link 1,000 athletics tracks worldwide According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths every year and 91 per cent of the world’s population breathes non-compliant air. Even more alarmingly, 1.8 billion children breathe air so polluted that it puts their health and development in serious jeopardy
In August 2018, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Guatemala (COG) implemented a Green Office project to reduce its workplace environmental footprint and day-to-day operating costs. Created in cooperation with the Cleaner Production Centre of Guatemala (CGP+L), the programme focuses on optimising resource usage.
Every year, around 640,000 tons of fishing equipment ends up in the oceans, polluting the seas and trapping whales, dolphins, turtles, fish and other marine animals. According to a 2018 study published by Scientific Reports, these “ghost nets” make up at least 46 per cent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean that is roughly the size of France. In March 2019, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) followed the lead of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by signing up to the Clean Seas initiative. Clean Seas was launched in February 2017 by UN Environment to increase global awareness of marine litter and tackle the problem.
On 25 June 2019, the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC SL) launched Give the Reef Another Chance at Polhena Beach in Matara under the auspices of Olympic Solidarity. This threeyear project aims to raise awareness about the importance of coral reef conservation along the Sri Lankan coast and implement actions to help restore the diminishing reef of Polhena
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) through its Environmental Accreditation Programme, the 2019 FIA WRC Rally de Portugal was the most sustainable in the event’s history. Since 2016, the rally has adhered to the FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme, created to help motorsport stakeholders
In August 2019, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) staged the FEI European Championships (EC) in Rotterdam - and sustainability was a key focus for the organising committee. The FEI EC organising committee engaged early with its stakeholders, including the City of Rotterdam and the main sponsors. The competition was a pilot event for coverage of sustainability initiatives by the FEI, and the FEI’s aim now is to promote such programmes at other FEI championships and events.
On 5 June 2018, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) joined United Nations Environment Clean Seas initiative (#CleanSeas) to beat plastic waste and called on other organisation and individuals from across the Olympic Movement to come on board. One National Olympic Committee (NOC) and ten International Federations (IFs) have so far joined the initiative, helping to tackle the global issue of marine litter with concrete actions.
The World Association of Kickboxing (WAKO) developed a program to sensibilize its community to the importance to consider climate change in the context of their activities.
The Paraguayan Fencing Federation (FPE), one of the 2018-2019 fencing season’s beneficiaries of the FIE’s Donate Your Fencing Gear! program, reported a successful year of fencing training and competition due, in part, to its use of donated equipment. The FIE program is aimed at collecting used but good-quality FIE-approved fencing gear from elite fencers to help disadvantaged fencers or beginners throughout the world, such as in Paraguay.