NAIROBI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has joined hands with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for creating a new guide ‘Sport and Biodiversity: Guidelines for mitigating biodiversity impacts of new sports venues’.
It was released at the United Nations Environment Assembly taking place in Nairobi, Kenya. It offers the global sports sector detailed guidance on how to integrate biodiversity considerations into the development of sports venues, and identifies ways in which such developments can enhance nature conservation.
“A healthy environment is essential for the long-term viability of the sporting industry, as well as for the athletes and communities who invest in it,” IUCN Director General Inger Andersen stated.
“It is in everyone’s interest to ensure new sports facilities minimise their impacts on biodiversity and safeguard healthy outdoor areas for future generations.”
“We are proud to have partnered with IUCN to help the sports sector contribute to the conservation of the natural world, on which it so strongly depends,” IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper added.
“This guide is the first of its kind to provide detailed advice on how to consider nature in all stages of the development of sports venues. It will help all those involved in venue development understand the potential impacts they can have on nature, and ensure that sporting events leave a lasting, positive legacy for local people and the environment.”
According to the guide, sports organisations, public authorities and financial institutions, as well as those involved in the construction and decommissioning of sports venues, all have a role to play in protecting and conserving nature. Measures that they can take include avoiding impacts on World Heritage sites and protected areas, such as national parks and nature reserves; restoring degraded sites; using sustainable design elements; and supporting local efforts to conserve biodiversity.
The guide is the second in a series published under the collaborative partnership between IUCN and the IOC, which was initiated in 2016.
As part of this partnership, IUCN also provided input into the candidature process for the Summer Olympic Games of 2024 and 2028 and the 2026 Winter Olympics, as well as other areas related to the IOC’s Sustainability Strategy.
