The IOC sustainability report: priorities for 2021-2024

by Chiara Aruffo

Last week, the IOC published its sustainability report for the four-year period 2017-2020. In this third part, we go over the priorities for the upcoming four-year period 2021-2024.

On the 6^th December, the IOC published its third sustainability report, which contains the goals achieved in 2017-2020 and defines the new priorities for the period 2021-2024. In the first article, we presented the background of the sustainability report and its role within the IOC’s strategy. In the second part, we analyzed the achieved and partially achieved objectives for the four-year period 2017-2020. In this third article, we discover the future priorities for the 2021-2024 quadrennium.

Olympic Agenda 2020+5

Similarly to 2017-2020, when the objectives were set according to the Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC choose to tailor its priorities according to the Olympic Agenda 2020+5. Sustainability is indeed one of the three main pillars of the Olympic Agenda.

The Agenda contains 15 recommendations aimed at increasing solidarity, digitalization, sustainability, credibility and strengthening the role of sport in the society. Among these recommendations, three focus particularly on sustainability:

2. Promoting sustainable Olympic Games

10. Reaffirm the role of sport as enabler for of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

13. Continue to set an example in corporate citizenship

These three recommendations, together with the experiences of the past quadrennium, form the basis for the priorities identified for the 2021-2024 quadrennium.

Priority criteria

The new goals for the 2021-2024 quadrennium respond to five clear criteria:

1. Contribute to the Agenda 2020+5 and align with the 2030 strategic goals, as defined in the IOC Sustainability Strategy
2. Recognize the IOC’s commitment to be a climate positive organization by 2024 and to organize climate positive Olympic Games by 2030.
3. Recognize the outcome of the internal and external stakeholder consultation process about the new priorities.
4. Address the global context, specifically the challenge of climate change and biodiversity loss, the impact of COVID-19 in sport and contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
5. Address the environmental context in which the IOC operates and the partners with whom the IOC works.