Cooperation and Sustainability of Sport Events

On 19 November 2013 the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) organised a discussion on the sustainability of sport events.

Holger Preuss (University of Mainz, Germany) and Gerald Guskowski (Head of Sector Programme 'Sport for Development', GIZ) engaged in a talk that was chaired by Katrin Müller-Hohenstein (ZDF TV-channel).

The speakers began the discussion by comparing positive and negative examples of previous sport events with regard to sustainability. It was pointed out that there are different areas of sustainability and that no event has ever been sustainable in all aspects. Preuss and Guskowski agreed that to make future events more sustainable, it is necessary that sustainability has to become a priority in the planning of an event. According to the experts, technological capabilities have improved so that it could be a lot easier to conduct more sustainable events. If planned thoughtfully, they stated, the money invested could indeed pay off for the host country within a few years. The speakers referred to the importance of public support and that it is crucial to include civil society and all relevant stakeholders as from the very beginning. However, they also mentioned that every mega event will have winners and losers and that it is impossible to satisfy the needs of all stakeholders.

The discussion then moved on to the criteria international sport governing bodies apply when choosing a host country. A serious problem, the speakers noted, is that for instance IOC and FIFA do have defined sustainability standards, but that the concepts presented by the host countries often promise more sustainability than what is eventually turned into reality. Furthermore it was pointed out that sustainability is only one aspect among many with regard to choosing a host.

In the following debate with the listeners, Preuss and Guskowski talked about the upcoming Winter Games in Sochi and the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. One of the main issues of concern was whether these countries neglected human rights standards and whether it was a right decision to let them host the tournaments. While arguements were made for and against, it was noted that Western European countries receive much of the profits generated through mega events in such countries. A strong argument that received lots of support was the fact that mega sports events put issues on the political agenda, which might otherwise not get as much attention and that this should be seen as an opportunity.  

The event was hosted at the GIZ office in Bonn, Germany. 130 participants, mostly students and professors, but also representatives from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as well as NGOs came to listen to the speakers and to participate in the discussion.

Further information can be obtained from

http://www.giz.de/en/mediacenter/21476.html  

Summary provided to ICSSPE by Wiebke Balcke