The IOC sustainability report: strategy and themes
by Chiara Aruffo
Last week, the IOC published its sustainability report for the four-year period 2017-2020. In this first part, we look at the strategy and issues addressed.
On 6th December, the IOC published its third Sustainability Report, which outlines the objectives achieved in 2017-2020 and defines the new priorities for 2021-2024. In this first in-depth article, we explain the context of the report and how it fits into the IOC’s sustainability strategy.
Responsibilities and themes
The IOC sustainability strategy has three levels of responsibility: the IOC as an Organization, the IOC as the Owner of the Olympic Games and the IOC as the Leader of the Olympic Movement. There are five thematic areas: Infrastructure and Natural Sites, Sourcing and Resource Management, Mobility, Workforce, Climate. In terms of content, the strategy derives from the recommendations of the Olympic Agenda 2020 and the subsequent Olympic Agenda 2020+5.
The IOC Sustainability Strategy
The first Sustainability Strategy dates back to 2017 and originates from the commitments made by the IOC in the Olympic Agenda 2020 and the roadmap of the Olympic Movement. The drafting took two years, and in the meantime the Paris Agreements were finalized and public opinion became increasingly focused on issues such as climate change, biodiversity and emissions reduction. The world of sport followed quickly, and federations, event organizers and clubs took important steps towards a more sustainable future.
The sustainability report closes the four-year period 2017-2020 and has been published two years after the last update in 2019. While analyzing objectives and results, we need to take into account that the last few years have been disrupted by global events such as COVID-19 and the accelerating climate crisis.
Cover image: IOC
