Major sporting event impact and legacy
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE LEGACY
At the heart of sustainability is the goal of “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 1
Sustainable practice, including for major sporting events, focuses on supporting the health and vitality of the environment, people, the community, and the economy. Finite resources need to be used wisely with a view to long-term conservation, priorities, and consequences. 2
Facilities and infrastructure
Facilities and infrastructure should be planned, designed, constructed, and operated to optimise social, economic, environmental and governance outcomes across their entire lifecycle.
Facilities and infrastructure
Hosting a major sporting event can lead to investment in various facilities and infrastructure, such as sport specific facilities and stadia, transport infrastructure (e.g., public transport or road upgrades), housing (athlete villages may later become available as private or social housing), increased hotel accommodation, accessibility upgrades for existing facilities, roads, buildings, and more.
Infrastructure investment, whether public or private, can help to boost employment during the construction and operation phases, and increase or improve essential community services, including accessible green spaces. 3, 4
Infrastructure Australia’s Sustainability Principles (2021) state that facilities and infrastructure should be planned, designed, procured, constructed, and operated to optimise the social, economic, environmental and governance outcomes across the entire lifecycle of the asset, which is longer than the specific event period. 5
Hosts of major sporting events, especially the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games are increasingly being encouraged to upgrade existing facilities or use temporary structures, rather than building unsustainable facilities solely for events. 6, 7, 8
Evidence suggests that facility and infrastructure planning that adopts a long-term, multi-dimensional approach, with a focus on community needs, can produce a positive return on investment when measured over many years. 4, 9
Universal design principles
Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability. An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. 10
While most frequently highlighted as a key consideration for people with disability, universal design principles also support improved experiences for everyone, from older people or those with limited mobility, to clear information for the benefit of people who have difficulty reading or understanding complicated information (e.g., those with lower literacy, or where the dominant language is not their first language).
Improved accessibility, universal design, and sustainability outcomes have become key parts of major event bidding, especially for the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games. Some examples of legacy outcomes and plans include:
- Legacy and sustainable policy, Paris 2024, (June 2022). Paris 2024, in alignment with the IOC Agenda 2020 and in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is committed to organize Olympic and Paralympic Games of a new era, including integrating universal accessibility in an exemplary way as early as the Games conception, with the aim of ensuring an inclusive experience for all and leaving a material and immaterial legacy.
- Beijing 2022 to bring greater accessibility for persons with disabilities, Beijing 2022/paralympic.org, (25 November 2021). Accessible facility and infrastructure improvements included: curb ramps put in place across most of Beijing, 12,528 tactile guide paths, 2,986 pedestrian crossings and 32 flyovers and underground passages repaired. 12,700 bus stops, underground stations and parking lots were made accessible. Entrance ramps and accessible handrails installed in 41,223 government, leisure, commercial, cultural, sporting, and public spaces, as well as 28,901 residential buildings that house disabled and elderly people. Over 600 government websites and apps have been more accessible. 30 accessibility design standards covering areas like facilities, residential communities, public buildings, municipal roads, and rail transit introduced.
- Japan’s Adoption of Universal Design Ahead of Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020, Global Accessibility News, (27 February 2017). In a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Abe on Wednesday afternoon (22 February) in Tokyo, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven praised the Japanese government for the approval of the Universal Design 2020 Action Plan.
- Post-Games Sustainability Report, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). Facility and infrastructure outcomes included: 18 world-class venues hosting 6,600 athletes and technical officials; 7 upgraded sports venues, 3 new sports venues, 1 new multi-purpose venue; 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses for legacy rental accommodation; 7.3km light rail extension completed.
- Shaping neighbourhoods accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment, Mayor of London, (2014). This guide builds on the lessons learnt from hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to ensure that all new developments in the London are built to the very highest levels of accessibility.
- Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019-2022, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, (2019). Before, during and after hosting the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, access and inclusion for diverse communities have been central tenets of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct, including establishing an Access Advisory Committee as part of the Games co-ordination, which continues to play a key role in the park development today. 11
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
Resources and reading
- IOC aiming to avoid "white elephants" with call for no new Olympic venues, Geoff Berkeley, Inside the Games, (2 June 2022). The IOC has released a report that claims that 85 per cent of all permanent Olympic venues since inaugural edition in 1896 remain in use. Future hosts of the Olympics are being urged not to build any new venues for the Games as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) looks to avoid "white elephants".
- Beijing 2022 to bring greater accessibility for persons with disabilities, Beijing 2022/paralympic.org, (25 November 2021). With 100 days to go, the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games are already delivering tangible legacies for persons with disabilities by improving accessibility in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, two of the zones that will be hosting sport next March. The CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality have made thousands of practical and legal changes to improve long-term accessibility for persons with disabilities in urban Beijing.
- Building a legacy: Designing sports facilities that serve communities for decades, John Hancock, Stantec, (10 December 2020). What to consider when designing infrastructure for a major sporting event—and how to make sure it flourishes afterwards.
- Building for the community is a win for the Gold Coast Games, Karine Dupré, The Conversation, (6 April 2018). Provides an overview of the infrastructure developed for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the first CG hosted by a regional city in Australia. Also notes that only two of the 13 Gold Coast venues were newly commissioned for the Games, with the majority of venues being previously established and requiring refurbishment only. The infrastructure had also been tested prior to the Games by other events, helping to ensure that they were fit for purpose, and many have also already been used by the community. Also mention of the light rail and the architectural benefits of several of the projects as examples of a well-planned, positive legacy for the Games.
- Preparations for the Olympics and Paralympics and inclusion of people with disabilities: the Australian experience. Ozdowski, Sev, Australian Human Rights Commission Speeches, (2003) This speech notes the changes made to provide accessibility and inclusion during the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games that will have lasting benefits for Sydney and Australia. Also, it was clear that the Paralympics as a celebration of the abilities of people with a disability had a positive impact on public attitudes to and awareness of disability issues in Australia.
- IPC Accessibility Guide, International Paralympic Committee, (October 2020). Inside the publication are a combination of supporting information, guidelines, recommendations, construction building codes and previous Games examples to help OCOGs and their partners deliver an inclusive sporting event. Furthermore, the document has been created with a wider audience in mind to assist similar organisers and hosts across the globe in creating a more accessible and inclusive environment. The Guide features details on a wide range of areas including accommodation, transportation, venue layout, access to information and services, along with best practices for disability and awareness training.
- Procurement of major international sport-events-related infrastructure and services: Good practices and guidelines for the Olympic movement, International Olympic Committee, (June 2020). Initial analyses conducted by the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) evidenced the links between corruption and procurement inefficiencies, both responsible for putting ethical and financial pressure on sporting events. Therefore, to complement the work already done, the following paper was developed under the leadership of two founding partners of the IPACS (the International Olympic Committee, IOC, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD). It outlines dimensions supporting the efficient procurement of major international sport-events-related infrastructure and services.
- GC2018 Legacy: Beyond the Games report 2024, Ernst and Young (EY), (2024). In June 2023, the Department of Tourism and Sport (DTS) engaged the services of EY to prepare the final Post Games Legacy Report (this Report) to assess the benefits against key objectives listed in the associated Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. This evaluation framework was collaboratively developed by the Queensland State Government and City of Gold Coast and other partners. This Report also provides an analysis of lessons learnt and potential considerations for Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics Games legacy planning. Highlights relating to facilities and infrastructure include:
- Infrastructure developed in the Gold Coast continues to provide social benefits to the community including Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre and Coomera Indoor Sports Centre.
- The community’s use of major sporting venues on the Gold Coast increased since GC2018 with an increase of 5,584 hours booked across all venues in the first 12 months alone. 4 Community usage of the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre increased.4 Major Sporting Venues have seen sports organisations booking numbers grow by up to 40% in the past four years, a testament to the success of GC2018, as inspired residents take up a variety of sports on a more regular basis.
- The delivery of the GC2018 included investment in public transport infrastructure for the Gold Coast with the duplication of heavy rail and construction of stage two of the G:link light rail system to connect with South East Queensland’s train network. Stakeholder consultation has revealed that active transport has experienced a significant uplift post GC2018. Data provided by the Department of Transport and Main Roads indicates that patronage continues to grow to pre COVID levels with the Gold Coast light rail being generally now back to pre-COVID levels. Data provided from post GC2018, but prior to COVID-19, shows growth in public and active transport usage. Due to COVID-19, a longer-term trend is unable to be determined.
- Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Our legacy, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (July 2022). Highlights from the publication include:
- State-of-the-art legacy facilities at the Alexander Stadium and Sandwell Aquatics Centre which will opened for community use in 2023.
- 1,400 homes in the first phase of the Perry Barr Regeneration Scheme, with hundreds more in future phases;
- The first Commonwealth Games to present inclusive, accessible medals with an adjustable ribbon that will suit all body shapes and sizes.
- Over 125 years of Olympic venues: post-Games use, Olympic Studies Centre, (May 2022). This report shares the results of the first ever inventory of the post-Games use of Olympic venues. We tracked the post-Games use of 923 Olympic venues at 51 summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games, from Athens 1896 to PyeongChang 2018. A total of 923 venues were used in the 51 Olympic Games editions from Athens 1986 to PyeongChang 2018. Of this total, 817 were permanent and 106 were temporary. Recent Olympic Games have 92 per cent of permanent venues still in use. 85 per cent of the permanent Olympic venues (all editions) are still in use.
- Game on Delivering sustained infrastructure outcomes through major sports and cultural events, PricewaterhouseCoopers (Australia), (2022). From some cities that hosted major events in the past, images have emerged of abandoned, decaying venues. Such relics are a serious risk to the reputation and economy of a city or country and to major events franchises themselves. To avoid expensive white elephants, cost blow-outs and community resentment, some changes are needed – and are now emerging – in the approach to venues.
- Changing the game: A critical analysis of accountability in Mega Sport Event infrastructure delivery, Engineers Against Poverty, (20 May 2021). This paper explores the meaning of accountability as an overarching value to improve the governance of MSEs and the delivery of related infrastructure. We highlight the challenges of establishing accountability mechanisms, explore the consequences that a lack of accountability can generate in addition to corruption and labour exploitation, and discuss how channels of civic engagement can help close the accountability gap. We also present recommendations that we believe are key to overcoming these challenges. including spaces for multi-stakeholder dialogue and the application of access to information laws.
- The Value of Community Sport and Active Recreation Infrastructure, KPMG for Sport and Recreation Victoria, (2020). The report is the first ever comprehensive investigation into the economic, health and social impacts of community sport and active recreation infrastructure in the state. Sport is an integral part of Victorian communities, contributing $9.2 billion to the Victoria economy and supporting more than 71,000 equivalent full-time jobs. By providing the perfect setting for communities to come together, connect, volunteer and learn, the report highlights the $2.6 billion in social benefits community sport and active recreation infrastructure delivers to the state. There are also the health benefits supported by community sport and active recreation infrastructure which include improved mental health and well-being, reduced risk of chronic illness, increased productivity is estimated at $2.3 billion. Economic benefits through construction and on-going employment include more than 13,000 full-time equivalent positions sustained through the delivery of sport and active recreation at facilities - injecting $2.1 billion into communities.
- Post-Games Sustainability Report, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). GC2018 was a transformational event for the Gold Coast, our event cities and communities throughout Queensland. It created new opportunities, built capacity and shaped an enduring legacy that will last beyond the Closing Ceremony. Some key impact and legacy outcomes relating to facilities and infrastructure included:
- 18 world-class venues hosting 6,600 athletes and technical officials; 7 upgraded sports venues, 3 new sports venues, 1 new multi-purpose venue; 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses for legacy rental accommodation; 7.3km light rail extension completed.
- Sustainable sourcing implemented Games-wide; 8,660 goods and services contracts - 98% of contracts awarded to Australian businesses.
- Value of Community Sport Infrastructure, KPMG for the Australian Sports Commission, (2018). The Australian Sports Commission partnered with KPMG and La Trobe University to investigate the value of community sport infrastructure to Australia – including the value of economic, social and health benefits associated with such facilities. The report estimated that community sport infrastructure generates an annual value of more than AU$16.2billion to Australia, with AU$6.3 billion worth of economic benefit, AU$4.9 billion worth of health benefit, and AU$5.1 billion worth of social benefit.
- Planning for a Sustainable Future The legacy of sporting venues following major events, KPMG, (2015). Due to their tangible nature, and the fact that a sports event cannot take place without them, the legacy from venues is one of the most heavily debated topics when discussing the pros and cons of hosting major sporting events. In an era of intense scrutiny of the investments made by public bodies, challenging economic and fiscal environments, and unprecedented media visibility and connectivity, bidding for and hosting a major sporting event requiring the construction of a stadium, arena, velodrome, aquatic centre or race track can often be hard to justify. This is especially true when the possibility of attracting private sector investment is limited. In such a context, a clear legacy strategy for sporting venues, based on an understanding of post event market trends and thorough design and planning briefs, is of paramount importance to ensure the long term positive impact of hosting a major sporting event. After having studied recent sporting events, both successful and less so, KPMG’s Sports Advisory practice publishes this thought leadership which aims to offer insight into the venue legacy planning associated with major sporting events.
- Game on: mega-event infrastructure opportunities, Price Waterhouse Cooper, (2011). Investment in mega-event related infrastructure can impact upon economic development for three decades. In this report, the analysis focuses upon infrastructure investments and the long-term implications for the region where those investments occurred.
- Using sports infrastructure to deliver economic and social change: Lessons for London beyond 2012, Davies, L., Sheffield Hallam University, (2011). This commentary examines regeneration legacy in the context of the London Olympic Games. In particular, it focuses on the use of sports stadia as a tool for delivering economic and social change, and by drawing upon previous examples, suggesting lessons London can learn to enhance regeneration legacies beyond 2012.
- Adaptable design in Olympic construction, Laura Alexandra Brown, Manuel Cresciani, International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, Volume 35(4), pp.397-416, (2017). In the selected case studies (Rome 1960, London 2012), adaptability has had a positive impact on the post-Games use of venues, all four of which remain in use today. However, there are multiple factors that contribute to post-Games legacy, and further research is necessary
Environment
Environmental sustainability outcomes have become key factors in event bidding and management, working to mitigate both short and long-term impacts from events, facilities and infrastructure.
Environment
Major sport events can involve significant impacts on the landscape and environment such as construction of new facilities and infrastructure and increased waste, energy, water, and CO2 use/emissions (including through international travel for participants and spectators).
A study of the FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) 2019 Women’s World Cup in France estimated that 95% of carbon emissions attributed to the event were from spectators (75% due to international air travel, and a further 25% due to other transport, accommodation, and catering). 12
Increasingly events are setting targets such as reducing carbon and waste, minimising environmental impact of construction (including impacts on biodiversity), and sustainable sourcing (e.g., using local businesses to supply majority of goods and services to help boost local economies). 26, 30, 31
The impact of climate risks (particularly heat and air quality) 13 on events, such as reducing the availability of snow for Winter competitions, 14 or having to move events (e.g., the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon) due to expected high temperatures must also be factored into early planning. 15
Improved environmental sustainability outcomes have become key parts of major event bidding, especially for the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games. Some examples of legacy outcomes include:
- All you need to know about Tokyo 2020 sustainability, International Olympic Committee, (22 July 2021). From the hydrogen-powered cauldron to medals made from recycled mobile phones, from gender balance to the first official Pride House, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are blazing a trail for the future.
- Sydney 2000 Legacy: Environmental efforts, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). From the solar-powered hot water system in the Olympic Village to the development of the 450-hectare Millennium Parklands, the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 left a substantial environmental legacy for the city. The efforts of the Sydney 2000 Organising Committee to protect the environment were recognised in the United Nations Global Roll of Honour in 2001. The environmental guidelines for the Sydney Games were adopted by the IOC as a benchmark for host cities in the first decade of the 21st century.
- Post-Games Sustainability Report, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). Sustainable sourcing implemented Games-wide; 8,660 goods and services contracts - 98% of contracts awarded to Australian businesses. 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses built to Liveable Housing Design Gold or Silver Standard, for legacy rental accommodation. Environment: 6 star and 6 leaf rated Commonwealth Games Village; zero helium balloons or lightweight plastic bags; 7 hectares of public parkland at the Commonwealth Games Village; first operational carbon baseline and management plan; 136,420 trees planted.
- Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games Post-Games Report, Commonwealth Games Federation, (2014). This report identifies several environmental initiatives or savings delivered by the Games. A carbon management program to offset vehicle emissions during the Games (including a tree planting program). The goal of being the ‘public transport games’ was achieved by including the cost of public transport to sporting venues into event ticket price. The first Commonwealth Games to commission a ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment’ capturing data on infrastructure development. Recycling furniture and office equipment (much of it from the 2012 London Olympic Games) and building materials for the Games headquarters facility.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
Resources and reading
- Queensland’s high-tech plan to make the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games smarter and greener, Davina Jackson, The Conversation, (21 November 2022). With Brisbane to host the 2032 Olympic Games, Queensland is accelerating “smart” and “green” infrastructure projects right across the coast from Coolangatta to Coolum. So what practical steps is the state government taking to bring Brisbane closer to being a smart city while managing rapid growth? And what differences can city residents realistically expect to see for themselves?
- In a year of sporting mega-events, the Brisbane Olympics can learn a lot from the ones that fail their host cities, Anthony Halog, The Conversation, (15 August 2022). In a year of major sporting events – the Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup, cricket’s T20 World Cup, the Winter Olympics – conversations on greening such events are more essential than ever. While the Brisbane Olympics are a decade away, lessons from events like these need to be applied from the start to maximise the benefits of the city’s transformation for the 2032 Games. Good planning can produce a positive environmental legacy for years to come.
- Brisbane's 2032 'climate-positive' Olympics commitment sets high bar on delivering sustainable legacy. Ashleigh Stevenson, Brittney Kleyn, ABC News, (8 November 2021). Brisbane's 2032 Olympics will be the first Games contractually obliged to operate as "climate positive", which is part of a bid to avoid the legacies of huge debts and abandoned stadiums faced by some previous host cities. A "climate positive" Olympic Games has to offset more carbon emissions than it produces. Specific details of how Brisbane 2032 will achieve a climate positive Games are yet to be laid out. In the process of trying to achieve a 2032 climate positive Games, Brisbane itself will transform, experts say.
- Tokyo 2020 legacy highlights social and environmental benefits created by the Games, International Olympic Committee, (7 August 2021). Increased sports participation, stronger engagement and initiatives to create a more sustainable city have been highlighted as part of a series of legacy case studies published by the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG).
- All you need to know about Tokyo 2020 sustainability, International Olympic Committee, (22 July 2021). From the hydrogen-powered cauldron to medals made from recycled mobile phones, from gender balance to the first official Pride House, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are blazing a trail for the future. Here’s everything you need to know about how Tokyo 2020 is helping build a better, more sustainable world through sport.
- Sydney 2000 Legacy: Environmental efforts, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). From the solar-powered hot water system in the Olympic Village to the development of the 450-hectare Millennium Parklands, the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 left a substantial environmental legacy for the city for the foreseeable future and beyond. The efforts of the Sydney 2000 Organising Committee to protect the environment have since been recognised internationally, being awarded the United Nations Global Roll of Honour in 2001. The environmental guidelines for the Sydney Games were adopted by the IOC as a benchmark for host cities in the first decade of the 21st century.
- Sydney 2000: Games of environmental responsibility and inclusion, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). There were several key objectives for the Olympic Games Sydney 2000. The platform provided by hosting the Games was to be used to redevelop run-down areas of Sydney. Environmentally responsible, world-class facilities in and around Sydney Olympic Park were to be created. And Australia’s Aboriginal heritage was to be highlighted and promoted.
- Lillehammer 1994 set the stage for sustainable Games legacies. International Olympic Committee, (2014). More than 20 sustainability projects were implemented before, during and after the Games, examples include: relocating the speed skating arena in Hamar to protect a sanctuary for rare birds; designing and constructing the ice hockey venue to conserve energy; using reclaimed stone from the construction of the ski jump site in other venues; and using local construction materials. More than twenty years after the Games, venues are still available for public use and have hosted many international events.
- Mitigating biodiversity impacts of sports events, International Union for Conservation of Nature, (2020). Wherever a new sports venue is built, or the refurbishment of an existing venue is undertaken, it is likely that biodiversity will be affected by that development, although the significance of impacts on biodiversity – both negative and positive – will vary enormously from sport to sport and location to location. Sports organisations, public authorities and financial institutions as well as those involved in the actual construction and decommissioning of venues all have a role to play in managing the range of impacts that sport venues may have on biodiversity. This includes implementing different measures that can be taken to mitigate any negative impacts and adopting approaches that contribute to biodiversity conservation. Moreover, with careful planning and design, new sports venues and the expansion of existing sites or temporary facilities can, in some cases, even contribute to an overall gain of biodiversity. This report offers in-depth guidance on how to integrate biodiversity considerations in the development of a new venue or a temporary facility, including five checklists covering all aspects from the early planning stage and site selection to the decommissioning.
- Sport and biodiversity, International Union for Conservation of Nature, (2018). Sport can have significant negative impacts on biodiversity, through the construction and use of sports venues and the staging of sporting events. Understanding and managing the potential negative impacts and opportunities for conservation is vital for ensuring that sports venues and sporting events deliver successfully both from the financial and operational standpoint. This guide is designed to help decision makers understand these potential impacts, and to present options for mitigating them, as well as for maximising opportunities to use sport as a way to promote and enhance biodiversity conservation.
- Study on the environmental and socio-economic impact of the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™, Utopies for Local Organising Committee and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), (February 2020: Translation: March 2021). Reflecting six months of work involving numerous organisations and territories, the results of the study provide a better understanding of and make it possible to gauge the environmental impact of the competition, as well as its economic influence and net capital gain for each of the affected territories. Some of the key environmental impacts highlighted included:
- Most of the carbon footprint is created by the spectators: as it is a global event, emissions caused by international air travel have the biggest impact on the environment. 95%: Spectators transport, accommodation and catering 75%: due to international air travel
- 6.4 tonnes of food waste collected and donated to local community-based associations
- Enhanced audio-descriptive commentary systems and waste management facilities left at stadiums in Host Cities
- Post-Games Sustainability Report, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). Delivering a GC2018 to international sustainable event management standards supported our Games Delivery Partner’s shared vision for a strong and diversified economy, a pristine natural environment and an active, inclusive Gold Coast community. Some key impact and legacy outcomes relating to sustainability and the environment included:
- Sustainable sourcing implemented Games-wide; 8,660 goods and services contracts - 98% of contracts awarded to Australian businesses.
- 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses built to Liveable Housing Design Gold or Silver Standard, for legacy rental accommodation.
- Environment: 6 star and 6 leaf rated Commonwealth Games Village; zero helium balloons or lightweight plastic bags; 7 hectares of public parkland at the Commonwealth Games Village; first operational carbon baseline and management plan; 136,420 trees planted.
- Playing for our Planet: How sports win from being sustainable, UEFA with the support of Green Sports Alliance, (May 2018). Environmental leadership is an increasingly important issue for all sport stakeholders and major sport events. Environmentally conscious operations are no longer solely a focus of visionary thinking, but have become a vital operational and economic requirement for federations, teams, rights holders, host cities, leisure activities and partners linked to the sport movement. UEFA, WWF and the Green Sports Alliance have led the development of a report which is designed to bring together good practices by key stakeholders of the sport movement: from federations, teams, fans, sporting goods manufacturers and venue operators, to sponsoring partners, environmental organisations and policymakers. Its main objective is to highlight innovative solutions which enhance the environmental and sustainable performance of sports.
- Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games Post-Games Report, Commonwealth Games Federation, (2014). This report identifies a number of environmental initiatives or savings delivered by the Games.
- A carbon management program to offset vehicle emissions during the Games (including a tree planting program).
- The first smoke-free games.
- Compliance with international food procurement sustainability guidelines.
- The goal of being the ‘public transport games’ was achieved by including the cost of public transport to sporting venues into event ticket price.
- Solar energy collection panels were built into the Games village.
- The first Commonwealth Games to commission a ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment’, using a holistic approach to capture data on infrastructure development.
- All waste management practices were compliant with Euro IV standards to improve recycling and reduce landfill waste.
- Conversion of the Hampden Park facility into the Games athletics stadium, instead of building a new facility.
- Recycling furniture and office equipment (much of it from the 2012 London Olympic Games) and building materials for the Games headquarters facility.
- Making a Difference, Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, Post-Games Report, (March 2013). This final report attempts to gather evidence to understand if resources used to stage the Games are in some way compensated for by more sustainable practices inspired by, or as a direct result of, the Games. Despite some difficulties along the way, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have both produced an excellent suite of policies that may be used in other situations, thus delivering a legacy of the 2012 Games.
- Triple bottom line assessment of the XVIII Commonwealth Games, Insight Economics, Report to the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination, (2006). Three main environmental programs were delivered through the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne. Under the Water Wise program, 18,000 trees were planted and four hectares of wetland were constructed; in addition to rainwater collection systems being incorporated into several Games venues. The Carbon Neutral program delivered the athlete’s village with a six-star energy rating; approximately one million trees were planted to offset greenhouse gas emissions; bicycle facilities were available at all Games venues; and fuel efficient vehicles were used for Games transport. Low Waste programs involved a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness to minimise waste and encourage recycling; 60% of the waste from the athlete’s village was recycled. This report concluded that although it was difficult to assess whether lasting behavioural change will result from Commonwealth Games linked programs, the overall objectives of the three programs were achieved.
- Predicting climate impacts to the Olympic Games and FIFA Men’s World Cups from 2022 to 2032, Walker Ross, Madeleine Orr, Sport in Society, Volume 25(4), pp.867-888, (2022). In response to concern for climate change impacting sport competitions and legacies, and the need to consider climate adaptability in event planning, this paper uses a combination of historical weather and air quality data as well as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report to predict climactic conditions for the mega-events of the 2022 through 2032. In doing so, this paper provides a preliminary overview of environmental conditions (e.g. temperatures, air quality, precipitation) that can be used by event planners to inform contingency plans for the events and their legacies. The most immediate concerns for the mega events between 2022 and 2032 include heat conditions unsuitable for competition and poor air quality, but there may be more harmful environmental concerns for the long-term legacies of these events. It is imperative that event organizers consider creating climate-resilient events, infrastructure, and legacies that can withstand environmental threats in the future.
- The Contribution of Sport to the Sustainable Development Goals: Insights from Commonwealth Games Associations, Haydn Morgan, Anthony Bush, Darragh McGee, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 9(2), (August 2021). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are hailed as a common language to unite a global commitment towards a change of trajectory regarding social, economic, and environmental development issues. Although not overtly cited within the SDGs or their related targets, sport has been widely accepted and promoted as an enabler of social change and a mechanism through which to strategically map and measure commitments to sustainability. However, despite the numerous case study examples of specific sport-based programs that have demonstrated the potential of sport to contribute to the SDGs, there is limited knowledge about the currency and value that the SDGs hold for key sport stakeholders in development, and a shortage of concrete evidence to assess the uptake and integration at the level of national policy. In an attempt to address this shortage, this paper presents insights from the analysis of secondary data collected by the Commonwealth Games Federation from 62 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in relation to their perspectives on the contribution of sport to the SDGs. The paper provides examples of specific areas of strength, or those in need of further development, to present a baseline for the current state of play in understanding the contribution from individual CGAs to the SDGs.
- Existential threats to the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games? a review of emerging environmental health risks, Michael Annear, Tetsuhiro Kidokoro, Yasuo Shimizu, Reviews on Environmental Health, Volume 36(2), (January 2021). This review highlights two intersecting environmental phenomena that have significantly impacted the Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games: infectious disease outbreaks and anthropogenic climate change. Following systematic searches of five databases and the gray literature, 15 studies were identified that addressed infectious disease and climate-related health risks associated with the Summer Games and similar sports mega-events. Over two decades, infectious disease surveillance at the Summer Games has identified low-level threats from vaccine-preventable illnesses and respiratory conditions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and expansion of vector-borne diseases represent emerging and existential challenges for cities that host mass gathering sports competitions due to the absence of effective vaccines. Ongoing threats from heat injury among athletes and spectators have also been identified at international sports events from Asia to North America due to a confluence of rising Summer temperatures, urban heat island effects and venue crowding. Projections for the Tokyo Games and beyond suggest that heat injury risks are reaching a dangerous tipping point, which will necessitate relocation or mitigation with long-format and endurance events. Without systematic change to its format or staging location, the Summer Games have the potential to drive deleterious health outcomes for athletes, spectators and host communities.
- Environmental legacy of mega sport events, Timothy Kellison, Jonathan Casper, Chapter 7 in Legacies and Mega Events, Routledge, (2017). Mega sporting events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games and FIFA World Cup can come at significant environmental costs due to the construction of infrastructure and sports venues and the travel of athletes and spectators. In light of this potential impact, event organisers are endeavouring to promote environmental stewardship through smart facility design, concerted educational campaigns, and a formalised long-term environmental legacy plan. In this chapter, we provide an historical summary of environmental issues related to mega-events. Additionally, we highlight several examples of sport’s largest international sporting events and compare their pre-event legacy development with post-event environmental impact analyses. We conclude the chapter by outlining the challenges that come with planning and operating a mega-event, many of which come long after the event has ended.
- The adoption and evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Games, Walker Ross, Becca Leopkey, Managing Sport and Leisure, Volume 22(1), pp.1-18, (2017). This paper explores the evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Movement and how they have become institutionalized within the field by using qualitative methodology consisting of content analysis of International Olympic Committee and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games documents as well as other archival sources.
- The making of the IOC environmental policy as the third dimension of the Olympic movement, Hart Cantelon, Michael Letters, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Volume 35(3), (June 2016). The Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan, in 1998 marked the first Games at which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had a clearly articulated environmental protection policy that was to be followed by the organizing committee. This article attempts to explain the conditions under which this policy came to be, arguing that it was the widespread environmental damage at the 1992 Albertville and the Savoie Region Games, and the subsequent environmentally conscious Green Games of Lillehammer, Norway (1994), that were the historical benchmarks for the development of this policy. The importance of human/environment interaction in the creation of global sport policy is developed and demonstrates the primacy of local initiatives (Albertville, Lillehammer) upon transnational global concerns (IOC environmental policy).
- The Olympic Games Impact (OGI) study for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games: strategies for evaluating sport mega-events’ contribution to sustainability. Vanwynsberghe, Robert, International Journal of Sport Policy, Volume 7(1), pp.1-18, (2015). This paper introduces three techniques for evaluating the sustainability of sport mega-events. The three techniques are bundling/leveraging, before–after control, and sustainability scorecards. This article would be of interest to future prospective Olympic host cities, researchers of mega-events and their impacts and practitioners who evaluate urban sustainability.
- Green Olympics, green legacies? An exploration of the environmental legacies of the Olympic Games. Shalini Samuel, Wendy Stubbs, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Volume 48(4), pp.485-504, (2013). This paper explores the legacies from the greening of the OG through an analysis of Beijing 2008, Singapore 2010, and London 2012, drawing on interviews with key stakeholders. While each OG is different, the key determinants for green legacies include: the breadth and depth of environmental commitments during the bid process; embedding sustainability in the vision, mission and branding of organizing committees; embedding sustainability in various aspects of OG organization, which is an important practical application of a sustainability vision; and the transfer of knowledge from one OG to the next, allowing newer host cities to enhance green legacies.
- Leveraging the 2010 Olympic Games ‘Sustainability’ in a City of Vancouver Initiative, VanWynsberghe R, Maurer E, Derom I, University of British Columbia, (2010). Theoretically, sustainability is likely to be a factor in future leveraging efforts because it is an increasingly strategic move in sporting mega-event bidding. ‘Sustainability’ in this context means attempting to reconcile constituents’ needs in three broad areas—economic, environmental, and social. Sustainability is also a coherent rationale that directs the public’s post-event momentum toward individual actions that enhance the community's collective well-being and prosperity. Public perceptions of ‘good’ environment practice may be one of the longest lasting legacies of hosting a major sporting event. One year before the 2010 Winter Games, the City of Vancouver announced its ambition to become the world’s ‘greenest city’ by embracing a series of citizen based actions toward environmental concerns – such as recycling initiatives, encouraging active transport (commuting by bicycle and walking), and improving curbside landscaping in residential neighbourhoods. There were also government led initiatives — such as setting a world leading green building code, creating a corporate leaders program to champion environmental issues, and requiring electric-car charging units be built into new multi-unit residential buildings. All initiatives were ‘leveraged’ by Winter Olympic hosting promotions.
- Olympic environmental concerns as a legacy of the Winter Games, Chappelet J, The International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 25(14), pp.1884-1902, (2008). This paper explores how the ideas of environmental protection and sustainable development have been slowly incorporated into the Olympic narrative. The author shows how a set of environmental principles were developed through the experiences of local committees during the 1970s, and how the International Olympic Committee adopted them for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games and incorporated them into the Olympic ideal.
- ISO 20121:2012 - Event sustainability management systems — Requirements with guidance for use, ISO, (last reviewed and confirmed 2017). Specifies requirements for an event sustainability management system for any type of event or event-related activity, and provides guidance on conforming to those requirements. ISO 20121:2012 is applicable to any organization that wishes to: establish, implement, maintain and improve an event sustainability management system; ensure that it is in conformity with its stated sustainable development policy; demonstrate voluntary conformity with ISO 20121:2012 by first party (self-determination and self-declaration), second party (confirmation of conformance by parties having an interest in the organization, such as clients, or by other persons on their behalf), or an independent third party (e.g. a certification body). ISO 20121:2012 has been designed to address the management of improved sustainability throughout the entire event management cycle.
- Sustainable events with ISO 20121, ISO, (2012). A free brochure giving an overview of ISO 20121, a practical tool for managing sustainable events.
- Legacy and sustainable policy, Paris 2024, (June 2022). Paris 2024, in alignment with the IOC Agenda 2020 and in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is committed to organize Olympic and Paralympic Games of a new era; Games that contribute to the ecological and social transformation of the society.
- Be exemplary and innovative in environmental matters by delivering carbon neutral Games; preserving and regenerating biodiversity; developing a circular economy; building environmental resilience and contributing to the acceleration of the sport, territories and major events ecological transformation.
- Carbon neutral legacy, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (2022). Our approach has been developed after analysis of previous Commonwealth Games and applies the International Olympic Committee’s established methodology to measure and manage our carbon footprint. As the Games’ carbon footprint is being measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), this measure also includes the impact of not just carbon dioxide but other greenhouse gases too.
- Carbon management plan, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (2022).
- Creating a carbon neutral legacy - Credibility checker, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (updated 22 June 2022).
- Building the Legacy - Beyond 2020, Bureau of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Preparation, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, (July 2021). Legacy: It is the social, economic and cultural benefits of holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games that the host city and host country can inherit and enjoy for many years. We’ve come up with nine themes to better define our preparations and ongoing initiatives towards an enduring the Tokyo 2020 Games legacy: Safety and security; Urban development; Sports and health; Participation and cooperation; Culture and tourism; Education and diversity; Environment and sustainability; Prosperity and technology; Disaster recovery.
- Legacy Reporting Framework. The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has released 24 summary case studies about initiatives that focus on the Tokyo 2020 Games legacy aiming to understand the benefits of the Games to the host city.
- Sustainability, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (accessed 3 February 2023). Our pledge sets out our sustainability goals, it's our blueprint that outlines how the Games can help play its part to achieve a better and more sustainable future.
- Sustainability video, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games/YouTube, (November 2021).
- Sustainability pledge, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (2022).
- Sustainable sourcing code, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (2022).
- Sustainability report, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (2022).
- Sustainability policy, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). There are many definitions of sustainability, but perhaps the most widely recognised is that given in the Brundtland Report1 - “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Based on this principle, GOLDOC is committed to addressing sustainability criteria in all of its GC2018 activities, to achieve positive economic, social and environmental outcomes. We are committed to the following governing principles of sustainable development: Inclusivity – To ensure that all interested parties are able to participate without fear of discrimination; Integrity – To conduct GC2018 in an ethical manner, consistent with international standards of behaviour; Stewardship – To take responsibility for the economic, environmental and social outcomes to be shared by all; Transparency – To communicate willingly and openly about the decisions and activities that affect the social, environmental and economic outcomes of our actions; Leadership – To demonstrate leadership by delivering GC2018 to international standards, constantly improving our ways of working and meeting all legal and other requirements. Related documents include:
- Sustainability [website], Gold Coast 2018, (accessed 22 October 2021). As a transformational event, GC2018 presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate leadership in sustainability by delivering to international standards of best practice, leaving positive economic, environmental, social and community legacies that last beyond the Closing Ceremony.
- Towards a Sustainable GC2018, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). This sustainability framework “Towards a sustainable GC2018” was first published in 2014. Since that time, the organisation has undergone significant growth and evolution. Therefore, to ensure that GOLDOC’s approach to sustainability continues to evolve and in accordance with GOLDOC’s commitment to continual improvement, this document has been reviewed with minor updates incorporated.
- Action and Legacy Plan, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, (July 2016). To promote actions that will result in positive and long lasting legacies, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee is working closely with various stakeholders to promote a range of comprehensive actions from the initials stages of planning in the five following pillars: Sport and Health; Urban Planning and Sustainability; Culture and Education; Economy and Technology; Recovery, Nationwide Benefits, and Global Communication.
- Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Sustainability Plan, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, (2016). The Tokyo 2020 Games set five main sustainability themes, which Tokyo 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Government of Japan and other delivery partners work on in preparations for and operations of the Games. In addition, Tokyo 2020 formulated the Tokyo 2020 Sustainable Sourcing Code as a tool to ensure sustainability throughout the supply chains of products and services Tokyo 2020 procures as well as licensed products.
- Climate Change - We will promote energy savings and use of renewable energy as much as possible "Towards Zero Carbon".
- Resource Management - Through 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle), we aim to "Zero Wasting".
- Natural Environment and Biodiversity - We will contribute to the realization of "City within Nature/Nature within the City".
- Human Rights, Labour and Fair Business Practices - We will operate the Games in accordance with the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- Involvement, Cooperation and Communications (Engagement) - Through the participation and collaboration of entire society, we will create the Games which open to everyone.
- eventIMPACTS, (accessed 31 January 2023). Developed by a consortium of UK-based organisations that have an interest in staging or supporting major public events, the eventIMPACTS ToolKit is intended to provide organisers and supporters of public events with some key guidance and good practice principles for evaluating the Economic, Social, Environmental and Media related impacts associated with their event. Environmental impacts included are: Waste, Energy, Water, Transport and travel, Food and drink, and Measures of sustainability planning and management.
Human rights
Ethical events comply fully with human rights principles and practices as proposed by the United Nations (UN) in the 2011 Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Human rights
Ethical events comply fully with human rights principles and practices of the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights published in 2011. These principles outline state responsibilities to protect human rights, corporate responsibilities to respect human rights and access to remedy for those whose rights have been infringed. In the major sporting event context, host governments and awarding bodies are expected to comply with these guiding principles. 16
Events can have both positive and negative impacts on different human rights issues. On the positive side, events can help develop social infrastructure, create jobs, lead to urban renewal, and provide powerful demonstration of good and promising practice. On the negative side, force evictions or removal of homeless people or people from areas where construction will take place, 17 death or exploitation of workers or volunteers, supply chain issues such as using ‘sweat shops’ or child labour for manufacturing of merchandise or apparel have all impacted events in the past. 18
Major sporting events are increasingly recognising the responsibility to protect human rights. The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games organising committee was the first major sporting event to publish a human rights position statement, 19 followed by its post-Games report. 20 From 2024 the Olympic and Paralympic Games host contracts also include human rights clauses. 21 Other examples of human rights policies and guidelines include:
- IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights, International Olympic Committee, (September 2022). All constituents of the Olympic Movement need to respect internationally recognised human rights within their respective remit. The IOC Human Rights Strategic Framework will reinforce key programmes and initiatives by mainstreaming a human rights approach into current work and programmes, in close cooperation with the teams in charge of complementary topics such as gender equality, safeguarding, sustainability and key functions and departments within the IOC.
- Human Rights Policy Statement, Commonwealth Games Federation, (June 2022). Through this Human Rights Policy Statement, we aim to mobilise and leverage the potential of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement to protect, respect, remedy and promote the human rights of athletes, citizens and communities across the Commonwealth who are involved with or impacted by our events, actions, programmes, and activities.
- Approach to Human Rights and Post-Games report, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (August 2018). GOLDOC demonstrated its commitment to human rights, transparency, and accountability through the publication of its Human Rights Policy (Policy). This Policy guided and directed actions and decisions taken by GOLDOC in relation to matters associated with human rights in the planning and delivery of GC2018. Focus areas included: supply chain impacts; athlete wellbeing; local community impacts; security; work health and safety.
- The Mega-Sporting Event Lifecycle: Embedding Human Rights from Vision to Legacy, Mega-Sporting Events Platform for Human Rights, (April 2018). This guide presents the lifecycle of a mega-sporting event, with specific elements of good practice at each stage that those involved in hosting the event should integrate into their planning, delivery, and legacy to ensure a rights-compliant event.
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Resources and reading
- GC2018 Legacy: Beyond the Games report 2024, Ernst and Young (EY), (2024). In June 2023, the Department of Tourism and Sport (DTS) engaged the services of EY to prepare the final Post Games Legacy Report (this Report) to assess the benefits against key objectives listed in the associated Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. This evaluation framework was collaboratively developed by the Queensland State Government and City of Gold Coast and other partners. This Report also provides an analysis of lessons learnt and potential considerations for Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics Games legacy planning. Highlights relating to human rights include:
- From a human rights perspective, there were several initiatives targeted at supporting human rights in the lead up to and during GC2018, with examples including measuring the inclusion of LGBTI+ people in Australian sport, having equal event and medal chances for both men and women and the inclusion of the RAP. GOLDOC won the inaugural Government Award from the Australian Human Rights Commission for its human rights policy, which has been used to inform the human rights approach of other events (e.g. 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup).
- FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup Human Rights Risk Assessment, Australian Human Rights Commission, (December 2021). In July 2021, in line with its stated commitment to human rights, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) partnered with the national human rights institutions of the two host countries: the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission (NZHRC) to consider human rights concerns related to the FWWC2023. This Human Rights Risk Assessment has identified the salient human rights risks, which the AHRC and NZHRC recommend that FIFA should take into consideration in preparation for the FWWC2023. Recommendations in relation to these risks are set out in section 4 of this report. Salient risks categories identified included:
- Risks for workers (including in supply chains)
- Risks of labour exploitation for volunteers
- Risks pertaining to sponsors and broadcasters
- Risks for players, coaches and support crew
- Risks for spectators and the broader community
- Australia’s First Nations peoples and Aotearoa New Zealand’s tangata whenua (the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand)
- Accessibility risks
- Risks for children and young adults
- Safeguarding, grievance mechanisms, risks to the right to remedy
- Other human rights issues to be considered
- Changing the game: A critical analysis of accountability in Mega Sport Event infrastructure delivery, Engineers Against Poverty, (20 May 2021). This paper explores the meaning of accountability as an overarching value to improve the governance of MSEs and the delivery of related infrastructure. We highlight the challenges of establishing accountability mechanisms, explore the consequences that a lack of accountability can generate in addition to corruption and labour exploitation, and discuss how channels of civic engagement can help close the accountability gap. We also present recommendations that we believe are key to overcoming these challenges. including spaces for multi-stakeholder dialogue and the application of access to information laws.
- Risks to Children in relation to Mega-Sports Events, Centre for Sport and Human Rights, (September 2020). Based on the Sporting Chance White Paper 4.1 “Children’s Rights in the Sport Context” (2017), a literature review and consultations with more than 30 Partners and Stakeholders, the following were identified as risks specific to children in relation to mega sporting events.
- Recommendations for an IOC Human Rights Strategy, Independent Expert Report by Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and Rachel Davi to the International Olympic Committee, (March 2020). To build on its work to date, respond to existing human rights challenges, get ahead of emerging ones, and take account of changing stakeholder expectations, the IOC needs to clarify how it understands its responsibility for human rights. Doing so will help bring coherence to its human rights efforts, and enable it to lead the Olympic Movement’s engagement with a range of salient human rights issues for sports. We believe that the UN Guiding Principles are the logical reference point for clarifying the IOC’s responsibility and developing a strategy to put this into action. In this section we explore the key contours of this shift in understanding of responsibility and what it would mean for the IOC in practice.
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sport Modern Slavery and Human Rights: Interim Report, Institute for Human Rights and Business, (July 2019). The APPG has also taken a particular interest in MSEs, hearing from those companies, trade unions and NGOs involved in events such as the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Tokyo 2020 and Qatar 2022. The conditions facing migrant workers in construction are a particular concern and the APPG has seen the value of human rights due diligence under frameworks such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The APPG also heard from journalists who cover some of these events as well as a number of media companies about their responsibilities as broadcasters. This report shares some initial findings from the APPG for the UK Government and legislators. These findings are based on the evidence received in the first half of the APPG and are therefore subject to change and review.
- Approach to Human Rights and Post-Games report, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (August 2018). GOLDOC demonstrated its commitment to human rights, transparency and accountability through the publication of its Human Rights Policy6 (Policy). This Policy guided and directed actions and decisions taken by GOLDOC in relation to matters associated with human rights in the planning and delivery of GC2018. The Policy adopted the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) as an appropriate reference standard to provide guidance to embed a human rights-based approach within the organisation. Focus areas included: supply chain impacts; athlete wellbeing; local community impacts; security; work health and safety.
- Post-Games Sustainability Report, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). GC2018 was a transformational event for the Gold Coast, our event cities and communities throughout Queensland. It created new opportunities, built capacity and shaped an enduring legacy that will last beyond the Closing Ceremony. Some key impact and legacy outcomes relating to inclusion and human rights:
- World-first commitment to delivery legacy outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; first-time gender equality in medal events for men and women; Participation in Australia's first bench-marking program designed to measure inclusion of LGBTI people in sport; accessible venues for people with accessibility requirements; largest para-sport program in Commonwealth Games history - 38 medal events and 300 para-athletes; human rights policy, demonstrating commitment to the UN Guiding Principles.
- Approach to human rights: post games update, Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games, (2014). In December 2013, coinciding with International Human Rights Day and the launch of SNAP, Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights, the Organising Committee (OC) published its own ‘Approach to Human Rights’. The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) subsequently advised that this “became the first [mega sporting event] organiser to publish a human rights position statement.” The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny provided us with the framework we needed to outline our plans in the Approach and we have retained this framework for the purposes of this paper. What follows is a progress report on the major programmes and activities outlined in section 3 of the Approach, as well as a reflection on lessons learned.
- Human rights and the olympics: from an ideological paradox to a new anti-corruption legacy, Dikaia Chatziefstathiou, Simon Rofe, Frontiers in Sports and Acitve Living, Volume 6, (September 2024). This article aims to explore the evolution of the debates surrounding human rights in the discourse(s) of major sporting events (MSEs), particularly the Olympics. The paper will first analyse the western-centric origins of the “universality” of the Olympic philosophy and how it affected the protection and promotion of human rights, as well as addressing practical challenges or limitations faced. It will then focus on unpacking the elements of sportswashing and soft power in the multi-discursive context of sport where power, privilege, politics, and position are (re)produced. In doing so it draws upon the emergent field of Sports Diplomacy as the most appropriate explanatory framework to share in this discourse. Finally, it will explore the potential impact of anti-corruption reforms on the establishment of a meaningful human rights legacy.
- The role of advocacy organisations for ethical mega sport events, David McGillivray, Joerg Koenigstorfer, Jason Bocarro, et al., Sport Management Review, Volume 25(2), pp.234-253, (2022). Non-governmental organisations have sought to enshrine progressive and ethical principles, protocols, and practices into governance arrangements for mega sport events. Evidence on whether, and how, they influence awarding bodies and events for the better, however, is scarce. Two research questions guided the present research: What role human rights advocacy organisations play at different stages of the event lifecycle? What is the nature of relationships between advocacy organisations and event awarding bodies to ensure that human rights are effectively embedded into decision-making processes? The authors conducted interviews with representatives from three advocacy organisations campaigning for human rights, two event awarding bodies and two intermediary organisations. A thematic analysis revealed four central themes: accepting responsibility for human rights; considering events as human-rights leveraging opportunity; facilitating within-coalition balance and independence of advocacy organisations; and implementing good governance and structural change. The findings contribute to the understanding of advocacy organisations within the sport event context by identifying relevant roles and relationships (including success factors and burdens on human rights).
- Embedding Child Rights Principles and Practises in Mega Sport Event Planning, Oluwaseyi Aina, David McGillivray, Sandro Carnicelli, et al., frontiers in Sports and Active Living, (September 2021). Recently, there has been growing concern about the lack of intentionality of mega sport event (MSE) organisers in ensuring that child rights are adequately respected, protected and promoted before, during, and after the events take place. In the context of the summer Olympic Games, reported child rights infringements have been on the rise, both in relation to abuse in sport itself and the negative consequences associated with planning and delivering the Games. In response to reports of child rights infringements, a coalition of actors, including non-governmental and civil society organisations have sought to pressure event owners and organisers to strengthen protections in the planning and delivery of their events. To date, however, child rights commitments have not been fully embedded in policies and principles guiding the planning and delivery of the Olympic Games. In this article, we explore the field of child rights in the context of the Olympic Games, focusing on a case study of the Tokyo 2020 edition. Findings show that while the Japanese authorities have signed up to international child rights conventions and embedded some child participation strategies in Games-related activity, there was little evidence that Tokyo 2020 organisers had developed or implemented robust policies, principles or practises to respect, protect and promote child rights in Games planning. This absence, we argue, is because there was no requirement to embed child rights commitments during the bidding or planning phases, as the IOC had yet to enshrine human rights in its host city contract when the Games were first awarded to Tokyo. We argue that it is imperative the IOC embeds child rights principles and protocols in the bidding and planning processes to ensure that the risks to children are foregrounded and acted upon by host cities and their partners, elevating human rights to a position equal to other Games requirements. This study is of international significance as the evidence will aid future host city bidders to ensure children's rights are embedded in MSE policies for each nation.
- A conceptual model and research agenda for bidding, planning and delivering Major sport events that lever human rights, David McGillivray, Michael Edwards, Ian Brittain, et al., Leisure Studies, Volume 38(2), pp.175-190, (2019). In this conceptual article, the authors propose a framework for how progressive human rights outcomes may be obtained in the context of bidding, planning and implementing major sport events (MSEs) through the implementation of four pathways, including good governance, the democratic participation of stakeholders, the formalisation of human rights agendas and the deployment of sensitive urban development. The authors argue that there is a need for adherence to internationally recognised standards, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights if rhetorical statements from MSE awarding bodies and host organisers are to be accountable to a wider set of actors.
- Breakthrough or much ado about nothing? FIFA’s new bidding process in the light of best practice examples of human rights assessments under UNGP Framework, Florian Kirschner, International Sports Law Journal, Volume 19, pp.133-153, (2019). The article will first identify the new requirements as result of the recent MSE and human rights discourse and embed FIFA’s approach in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) Framework. The paper will then identify standards and best practice examples for HRIA under the UNGP Framework, which serve as benchmarks for the evaluation of the approach taken by FIFA and its implementation by the submitted Bid Books. While parts of the framework for the HRIA established by FIFA are quite progressive, other parts do not qualify for ‘playing in the premier league’. Areas of concern are the meaningful engagement of stakeholders, monitoring as well as aspects of transparency. Therefore, the paper suggests to mandate a multi-stakeholder entity to develop the human rights strategy, to conduct the HRIA and to monitor the human rights performance, as well as to implement of a fixed human rights evaluation matrix.
- The right to adequate housing: evictions of the homeless and the elderly caused by the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Naofumi Suzuki, Tetsuo Ogawa, Nanako Inaba, Leisure Studies, Volume 37(1), pp.59-96, (2018). The reconstruction of the National Stadium for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo has induced displacement of two groups of vulnerable people, raising concerns of the violation of human rights, particularly the right to adequate housing. The expansion of the stadium led to the expulsion of dozens of homeless people who lived in and around the park surrounding the stadium, and a sudden decision to demolish a nearby public housing estate built for the 1964 Summer Games forced over 200 tenants, most of whom were elderly, to be relocated. While the homeless people engaged in several rounds of negotiation with the government authorities, the majority of the housing tenants reluctantly agreed to move except for a few who kept demanding respectful treatment from the metropolitan government. Presenting the preliminary results of a mixed-method three-year qualitative study, this research note demonstrates that while the authority might have offered alternative housing considered ‘adequate’ in terms of physical living conditions, the process of evictions did not afford autonomy for the affected to choose where to live. The respective status of the affected – homeless and elderly – may demand the reconsideration of the concept of ‘adequate housing’ in relation to human dignity.
- Tapping the potential of human rights provisions in mega-sporting events’ bidding and hosting agreements, Daniela Heerdt, International Sports Law Journal, Volume 17, pp.170-185, (2018). This article explores the implications of unprecedented commitments by leading international sports organizations to include human rights principles into their bidding requirements and hosting agreements. In May 2017, UEFA communicated their updated requirements for the 2024 tournament, which now explicitly refer to human rights protection. Four months later, the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympic Games have been awarded to Paris and Los Angeles, for which the IOC drafted host city contracts that for the first time in the history of Olympic Games include human rights clauses. In November 2017, FIFA announced the adoption of new bidding requirements for the 2026 tournament, which expressly mention the protection of human rights. The aim of this article is to examine if and how such provisions and requirements could improve access to remedy for victims of human rights violations that occurred in the course of delivering mega-sporting events. In pursuing this aim, this article sheds light on the scope and enforceability of these measures and looks into the extent to which the Court of Arbitration for Sport is equipped to deal with human rights matters.
- Understanding the denial of abuses of human rights connected to sports mega-events*, John Horne, Leisure Studies, Volume 37(1), pp.11-21, (2018). Academics debate the positive and negative consequences of hosting sports mega-events, and although there is a general recognition that doing so cannot be a panacea for solving other social issues, who wins and who loses tends to be the same. This article considers why mega-events are not more regularly resisted given the routinization of harm to local populations that they tend to invoke. It develops ideas derived from the late sociologist and criminologist Stanley Cohen concerning the relationships between, and the politics of, denial and acknowledgement, with specific attention to the role of academics, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the media. The article illustrates the difficulties in exposing, contesting and transforming these human rights abuses, but suggests that there are grounds for optimism as new strategies for communicating human rights abuses in connection with sports mega-events are developed.
- Mega-sporting events and children’s rights and interests – towards a better future, Suzanne Dowse, Sacha Powell, Mike Weed, Leisure Studies, Volume 37(1), pp.97-108, (2018). The public subsidy of Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup hosting opportunities is invariably justified on the basis that they will secure a range of public good outcomes. Problematically, the information available inspires less confidence that these ambitions will be met and highlights how social costs and benefits are unevenly distributed. As a result, interest in the social dimension of hosting has grown, yet the knowledge to support responsive and evidence-based events policy remains relatively underdeveloped, particularly in relation to the specific needs and experiences of affected communities. The impact on children as a particularly stakeholder group reflects this context of recognition and knowledge gap. For example, while it is accepted that immovable deadlines and risk of reputational consequences raise a variety of social justice concerns throughout the event lifecycle, the nature and scale of these impacts on children is poorly understood and frequently mismanaged. Findings drawn from research commissioned by Terre des Hommes International Federation which explored the intersections between children’s rights and social justice concerns highlights how such initiatives present risks and opportunities that cannot be managed effectively until children are included within associated planning processes as a specific stakeholder group with distinct needs and interests.
- Human rights and the Beijing Olympics: imagined global community and the transnational public sphere, Susan Brownell, British Journal of Sociology, Volume 63(2), pp.306-327, (June 2012). The Olympic Games are increasingly used by non-governmental organizations to demand transnational forms of accountability from public authorities. This article assesses the effectiveness of transnational public opinion surrounding the Beijing 2008 Olympics, when the pressure of Western public opinion was exerted upon the government of the world's most populous non-Western nation to improve its human rights record. Utilizing the concepts of ‘imagined global community’ and ‘transnational public sphere’, it finds that the Olympic Games had helped to call into existence a transnational public that ran up against the obstacle posed by the incomplete formation of supra-national forms of governance. The International Olympic Committee, a non-governmental organization, was a weak substitute. Because of the strong desire of Chinese people to take part in transnational deliberations, the article concludes with optimism about the potential of transnational public spheres that include Chinese people to develop toward more effective forms of transnational governance. But the IOC must strengthen the voice of its non-Western members, and Western interlocutors, including the media, must accept their share of the responsibility for creating the conditions for egalitarian dialogue.
- The Olympics as a platform for protest: a case study of the London 2012 ‘ethical’ Games and the Play Fair campaign for workers’ rights, Jill Timms, Leisure Studies, Volume 31(3), pp.355-372, (2012). The Olympic Games, with its distinctive ethos and reach, offers a valuable opportunity for those able to mobilise it as a platform for their own purposes. This paper focuses on how global social justice groups are pursuing this goal. It is argued that the types of protest utilising the Olympic platform change over time and reflect distinct historical phases of the Games. Contemporary anti-Olympic and Olympic watchdog campaigns are characterised by contestation over the prioritising of corporate interests, so contribute to wider critiques of globalising capitalism. The Play Fair campaign for the rights of workers making official Olympic merchandise and supplies exemplifies this, as it mobilises the Olympic platform to question and influence working practices within transnational supply chains. A case study of the campaign is presented, drawing on documentary analysis, interviews and participant observations undertaken since the launch of PlayFair 2012 in February 2010. It was found that by targeting London 2012 corporate discourses of ‘ethics’ and ‘sustainability’ in its campaign to ensure a ‘sweat free’ Olympics, Play Fair connects the production of major sporting events to wider issues of global inequality, poverty and structural problems in transnational labour markets.
- IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights, International Olympic Committee, (September 2022). In order to fulfil the goal of Olympism, all constituents of the Olympic Movement need to respect internationally recognised human rights within their respective remit. The IOC Human Rights Strategic Framework will reinforce key programmes and initiatives by mainstreaming a human rights approach into current work and programmes, in close cooperation with the teams in charge of complementary topics such as gender equality, safeguarding, sustainability and key functions and departments within the IOC.
- Advisory Committee on Human Rights, (accessed 16 December 2022). The Advisory Committee’s mission is to provide strategic guidance to the IOC and advise on the implementation of the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights.
- Legacy and sustainable policy, Paris 2024, (June 2022). Paris 2024, in alignment with the IOC Agenda 2020 and in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is committed to organize Olympic and Paralympic Games of a new era; Games that contribute to the ecological and social transformation of the society.
- Organize Games that drive social and economic development for the host territories and improve their quality of life for as many people as possible; that support inclusion, egality, solidarity, the fight against racism and stereotypes; and that strengthens the role of sport in society.
- Mobilize the Generation 2024 to accelerate society transformation through education and citizen engagement, by and through sport.
- Human Rights Policy Statement, Commonwealth Games Federation, (June 2022). Through this Human Rights Policy Statement, we aim to mobilise and leverage the potential of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement to protect, respect, remedy and promote the human rights of athletes, citizens and communities across the Commonwealth who are involved with or impacted by our events, actions, programmes and activities. All Commonwealth citizens are all equally entitled to human rights without discrimination, whatever their ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, culture, religion or belief, political opinion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability or any other improper ground. These rights are universal, and all connected, interdependent and indivisible from each other.
- Safeguarding Policy, Commonwealth Games Federation, (June 2022). The CGF recognises the importance of Safeguarding and is committed to working towards the creation of a safe sport environment at all levels. After a wide stakeholder consultation, the CGF is pleased to share its first safeguarding policy. The CGF Safeguarding Policy aims to set a framework to protect all individuals connected with CGF, in particular children and adults at risk, including adult athletes, from any type of harm and/or abuse when they come into contact with CGF or are engaged in activities connected to CGF. The policy sets out safeguarding responsibilities for CGF Officials and others who engage with the CGF. It also ensures CGF Officials and others know how to respond appropriately when concerns are raised about children or adults at risk.
- Athlete Advocacy Guiding Principles, Commonwealth Games Federation, (February 2022). This work has been developed by and for athletes, but it applies to all Participants who may wish to make positive expressions of their values in accordance with these Guiding Principles.
- The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) recognises that athletes are: inspirational leaders, agents of change, advocates for integrity, ambassadors for respect, impartiality and non-discrimination.
- The CGF is supportive of freedom of expression and trusts, respects and understands that athletes may want to make positive expressions of their values in line with the CGF values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny.
- Any such positive expressions of values are subject to the CGF Charter of Good Conduct.
- Code of Ethics, Paris 2024, (October 2021). The Paris 2024 Code of Ethics is the reference document that will, through to 2024, guide the actions of all the partners, volunteers and actors involved in the organisation of the Games. It is a text that expresses a commitment and which seeks to embody the principles of integrity, neutrality and fair play, in which we firmly believe. It is the essential foundation of the relationship of trust that we hope to forge with the public and all stakeholders in successfully creating a new Games model with them.
- Sustainability policy, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). We are committed to the following governing principles of sustainable development: Inclusivity – To ensure that all interested parties are able to participate without fear of discrimination; Integrity – To conduct GC2018 in an ethical manner, consistent with international standards of behaviour; Stewardship – To take responsibility for the economic, environmental and social outcomes to be shared by all; Transparency – To communicate willingly and openly about the decisions and activities that affect the social, environmental and economic outcomes of our actions; Leadership – To demonstrate leadership by delivering GC2018 to international standards, constantly improving our ways of working and meeting all legal and other requirements. Related documents include:
- Sustainability [website], Gold Coast 2018, (accessed 22 October 2021). As a transformational event, GC2018 presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate leadership in sustainability by delivering to international standards of best practice, leaving positive economic, environmental, social and community legacies that last beyond the Closing Ceremony.
- Approach to Human Rights, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (August 2018). A key purpose of this document is to demonstrate GOLDOC’s commitment and approach to human rights in the planning and delivery of GC2018.
- The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Reconciliation Action Plan, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (November 2017). Our vision is to deliver a great Games that will recognise, respect and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. GC2018 will leave a lasting and meaningful legacy through: employment and training; procurement; showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures; building a culturally capable workforce and providing authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural experiences for GC2018 and beyond.
- Towards a Sustainable GC2018, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). This sustainability framework “Towards a sustainable GC2018” was first published in 2014. Since that time, the organisation has undergone significant growth and evolution. Therefore, to ensure that GOLDOC’s approach to sustainability continues to evolve and in accordance with GOLDOC’s commitment to continual improvement, this document has been reviewed with minor updates incorporated.
- Approach to human rights, Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games, (December 2013). The five key strands of this Strategy are: – Inclusive design & service delivery – Inclusive and accessible communications – A diverse and aware Games workforce – Supplier diversity – Targeted engagement.
- Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework, United Nations, (2011). The Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Principles in its resolution 17/4 of 16 June 2011. These Guiding Principles are grounded in recognition of: (a) States’ existing obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights and fundamental freedoms; (b) The role of business enterprises as specialized organs of society performing specialized functions, required to comply with all applicable laws and to respect human rights; (c) The need for rights and obligations to be matched to appropriate and effective remedies when breached. These Guiding Principles apply to all States and to all business enterprises, both transnational and others, regardless of their size, sector, location, ownership and structure.
- Australia has agreed to implement the UNGPs. The UNGPs are increasingly implemented into law, policy and practice around the world. In Australia a key example is the annual modern slavery reporting requirement for large entities introduced under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).
- Sport for good: free online short courses, Torrens University Australia, (accessed 1 February 2023). Our free online short courses are designed to teach you about the power of sport as a platform for change. It will empower you with the knowledge and tools on how you can use sport to change the world. Designed to be relevant to a range of interests, from sports management to community services, these eight to ten-hour courses explore the history of sports activism, the changing landscape and the global challenges of modern sport through interviews with athletes who are leading the charge for change.
- The Mega-Sporting Event Lifecycle: Embedding Human Rights from Vision to Legacy, Mega-Sporting Events Platform for Human Rights, (April 2018). Mega-sporting events (MSE) are the pinnacle of global sport, but cannot stand apart from their very significant social impacts – both positive and negative. Sporting events can enhance freedoms and celebrate human dignity, but can also amplify discrimination and abuse. It is critical to ensure that the world of sport is in full alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) and other international human rights and related instruments, principles, and standards. This guide presents the lifecycle of a mega-sporting event, with specific elements of good practice at each stage that those involved in hosting the event should integrate into their planning, delivery and legacy in order to ensure a rights-compliant event.
- Commonwealth Sport Pride Network, Commonwealth Games Federation, (accessed 16 December 2022). A voluntary network and coordination group, bringing together athletes, coaches, CGAs, Games organisers, stakeholders, partners and allies, which aims to: Create a safe space for LGBTQ+ people and allies to meet, support and coordinate as a community; Increase visibility and awareness of LGBTQ+ inclusion and participation and positively promote role models and best practice; Support allies, CGAs, Games organisers and other stakeholders through information-sharing, training and education; Provide a collective platform to influence and drive positive change for LGBTQ+ acceptance and equality across Commonwealth Sport and the wider Commonwealth.
- The Centre for Sport and Human Rights, (accessed 2 November 2021). Our mission is to advance a world of sport that fully respects and promotes human rights by generating awareness, building capacity and delivering impact. We pursue our mission by upholding and promoting the Sporting Chance Principles, engaging those affected and strengthening accountability through collective action in: Enabling Prevention of human rights violations linked to sport; Ensuring Remedy that is effective, accessible and available for those who experience human rights abuses; and Harnessing Opportunities to promote human rights in sport that contribute to positive impacts and benefits for all.
- Sporting Chance Principles, (2018). The Sporting Chance Principles were developed by the Advisory Council to affirm a shared commitment to realising human rights in and through sport. All Advisory Council members endorse the Sporting Chance Principles and work individually and collectively to implement them in cooperation with other partners.
- Games time: Planning and acting to respect human rights in mega-sporting events, (April 2020). Games Time is designed to support organisations and authorities involved in the final preparation and delivery of major sporting events in their efforts to ensure respect for international human rights standards. In the overall lifecycle of a major sporting event, the final six months (‘games time’) are critical not only to delivery of the event, but also to ensuring human rights are protected. This Guide helps organisers do this important work.
- Institute for Human Rights and Business, (accessed 2 November 2021). IHRB’s work exploring the human rights implications in sport began in 2012. From 2015, IHRB developed and served as secretariat for the Mega-Sporting Events Platform for Human Rights (MSE Platform), a coalition of international and intergovernmental organisations, governments, sports governing bodies, athletes, unions, sponsors, broadcasters, and civil society groups, collaborating to develop an evidence base, and supporting all actors in implementing their human rights responsibilities. This evolved over years, and led to the launch in 2018 of the independent Centre for Sport and Human Rights.
- Sport and Rights Alliance, (accessed 2 November 2021). Engaging directly with the IOC, FIFA, and other global sport bodies, we have played pivotal roles in landmark decisions by these organisations to adopt new policies, include human rights bidding criteria for mega-events, and host city contract clauses that embed their responsibilities to respect human rights, child rights, freedom of expression laws, labour standards, and anti-corruption measures.
Event examples
Olympic and Paralympic Games
Over the last 30 years the Olympic and Paralympic Games have demonstrated an increased commitment to sustainability and demonstrated the ways in which the concept of sustainability has broadened from primarily environmental, to include economic and human rights considerations as well.
Environmental sustainability
Widely regarded as the first environmentally conscious ‘Green Games’ 22, the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games provided numerous legacies. Organisers set five ‘green goals’ for the Games: (1) safeguard and develop the region’s environmental qualities; (2) contribute to economic development and sustainable growth; (3) adapt the architecture of buildings to minimise environmental impact; (4) use the natural landscape; and (5) protect the quality of the environment during the Games. 23
The 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games was the first to establish a carbon policy and set targets on waste management, selection of construction materials (including the use of recycled materials), and address biodiversity concerns. There was also a long-term plan to transform East London environmentally into a destination where people would choose to live, work and visit. The London Olympic precinct was intended to be a key environmental contribution to London, delivering a visibly ‘green’ Games in contrast to previous host cities. 24
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee developed a ‘Sustainability Plan’ based upon building cooperative platforms with a diverse group of stakeholders. In line with the Games vision, the Committee strove to build a consensus approach on sustainability, through discussions on environmental, social, and economic considerations. Thematic topics within the Plan included: (1) low carbon management; (2) resource management; (3) natural environment and biodiversity; (4) consideration of human rights, labour, and fair-trade practices; and (5) engagement (i.e., involvement, cooperation, and communication). 25
The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the first Games that is contractually required to operate as a ‘climate positive’ event, in other words, offsetting more carbon emissions than it produces, including the international air travel requirements of participants attending the event, building sporting venues, and additional transport and waste products during the event itself. 26
Human rights
In September 2022 the International Olympic Committee, launched the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights. The Framework highlights that all constituents of the Olympic Movement need to respect internationally recognised human rights and moves to mainstream a human rights approach into current work and programmes, in close cooperation with the teams in charge of complementary topics such as gender equality, safeguarding, sustainability and key functions and departments within the IOC.
As an example of this process, from 2024 the Olympic and Paralympic Games host contracts also include human rights clauses. 21
Resources and reading
- Queensland’s high-tech plan to make the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games smarter and greener, Davina Jackson, The Conversation, (21 November 2022). With Brisbane to host the 2032 Olympic Games, Queensland is accelerating “smart” and “green” infrastructure projects right across the coast from Coolangatta to Coolum. So what practical steps is the state government taking to bring Brisbane closer to being a smart city while managing rapid growth? And what differences can city residents realistically expect to see for themselves?
- In a year of sporting mega-events, the Brisbane Olympics can learn a lot from the ones that fail their host cities, Anthony Halog, The Conversation, (15 August 2022). In a year of major sporting events – the Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup, cricket’s T20 World Cup, the Winter Olympics – conversations on greening such events are more essential than ever. While the Brisbane Olympics are a decade away, lessons from events like these need to be applied from the start to maximise the benefits of the city’s transformation for the 2032 Games. Good planning can produce a positive environmental legacy for years to come.
- Brisbane's 2032 'climate-positive' Olympics commitment sets high bar on delivering sustainable legacy. Ashleigh Stevenson, Brittney Kleyn, ABC News, (8 November 2021). Brisbane's 2032 Olympics will be the first Games contractually obliged to operate as "climate positive", which is part of a bid to avoid the legacies of huge debts and abandoned stadiums faced by some previous host cities. A "climate positive" Olympic Games has to offset more carbon emissions than it produces. Specific details of how Brisbane 2032 will achieve a climate positive Games are yet to be laid out. In the process of trying to achieve a 2032 climate positive Games, Brisbane itself will transform, experts say.
- Tokyo 2020 legacy highlights social and environmental benefits created by the Games, International Olympic Committee, (7 August 2021). Increased sports participation, stronger engagement and initiatives to create a more sustainable city have been highlighted as part of a series of legacy case studies published by the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG).
- All you need to know about Tokyo 2020 sustainability, International Olympic Committee, (22 July 2021). From the hydrogen-powered cauldron to medals made from recycled mobile phones, from gender balance to the first official Pride House, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are blazing a trail for the future. Here’s everything you need to know about how Tokyo 2020 is helping build a better, more sustainable world through sport.
- Sydney 2000 Legacy: Environmental efforts, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). From the solar-powered hot water system in the Olympic Village to the development of the 450-hectare Millennium Parklands, the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 left a substantial environmental legacy for the city for the foreseeable future and beyond. The efforts of the Sydney 2000 Organising Committee to protect the environment have since been recognised internationally, being awarded the United Nations Global Roll of Honour in 2001. The environmental guidelines for the Sydney Games were adopted by the IOC as a benchmark for host cities in the first decade of the 21st century.
- Sydney 2000: Games of environmental responsibility and inclusion, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). There were several key objectives for the Olympic Games Sydney 2000. The platform provided by hosting the Games was to be used to redevelop run-down areas of Sydney. Environmentally responsible, world-class facilities in and around Sydney Olympic Park were to be created. And Australia’s Aboriginal heritage was to be highlighted and promoted.
- Lillehammer 1994 set the stage for sustainable Games legacies. International Olympic Committee, (2014). More than 20 sustainability projects were implemented before, during and after the Games, examples include: relocating the speed skating arena in Hamar to protect a sanctuary for rare birds; designing and constructing the ice hockey venue to conserve energy; using reclaimed stone from the construction of the ski jump site in other venues; and using local construction materials. More than twenty years after the Games, venues are still available for public use and have hosted many international events.
- IPC Accessibility Guide, International Paralympic Committee, (October 2020). Inside the publication are a combination of supporting information, guidelines, recommendations, construction building codes and previous Games examples to help OCOGs and their partners deliver an inclusive sporting event. Furthermore, the document has been created with a wider audience in mind to assist similar organisers and hosts across the globe in creating a more accessible and inclusive environment. The Guide features details on a wide range of areas including accommodation, transportation, venue layout, access to information and services, along with best practices for disability and awareness training.
- Procurement of major international sport-events-related infrastructure and services: Good practices and guidelines for the Olympic movement, International Olympic Committee, (June 2020). Initial analyses conducted by the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) evidenced the links between corruption and procurement inefficiencies, both responsible for putting ethical and financial pressure on sporting events. Therefore, to complement the work already done, the following paper was developed under the leadership of two founding partners of the IPACS (the International Olympic Committee, IOC, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD). It outlines dimensions supporting the efficient procurement of major international sport-events-related infrastructure and services.
- The Contribution of Sport to the Sustainable Development Goals: Insights from Commonwealth Games Associations, Haydn Morgan, Anthony Bush, Darragh McGee, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 9(2), (August 2021). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are hailed as a common language to unite a global commitment towards a change of trajectory regarding social, economic, and environmental development issues. Although not overtly cited within the SDGs or their related targets, sport has been widely accepted and promoted as an enabler of social change and a mechanism through which to strategically map and measure commitments to sustainability. However, despite the numerous case study examples of specific sport-based programs that have demonstrated the potential of sport to contribute to the SDGs, there is limited knowledge about the currency and value that the SDGs hold for key sport stakeholders in development, and a shortage of concrete evidence to assess the uptake and integration at the level of national policy. In an attempt to address this shortage, this paper presents insights from the analysis of secondary data collected by the Commonwealth Games Federation from 62 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in relation to their perspectives on the contribution of sport to the SDGs. The paper provides examples of specific areas of strength, or those in need of further development, to present a baseline for the current state of play in understanding the contribution from individual CGAs to the SDGs.
- Existential threats to the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games? a review of emerging environmental health risks, Michael Annear, Tetsuhiro Kidokoro, Yasuo Shimizu, Reviews on Environmental Health, Volume 36(2), (January 2021). This review highlights two intersecting environmental phenomena that have significantly impacted the Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games: infectious disease outbreaks and anthropogenic climate change. Following systematic searches of five databases and the gray literature, 15 studies were identified that addressed infectious disease and climate-related health risks associated with the Summer Games and similar sports mega-events. Over two decades, infectious disease surveillance at the Summer Games has identified low-level threats from vaccine-preventable illnesses and respiratory conditions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and expansion of vector-borne diseases represent emerging and existential challenges for cities that host mass gathering sports competitions due to the absence of effective vaccines. Ongoing threats from heat injury among athletes and spectators have also been identified at international sports events from Asia to North America due to a confluence of rising Summer temperatures, urban heat island effects and venue crowding. Projections for the Tokyo Games and beyond suggest that heat injury risks are reaching a dangerous tipping point, which will necessitate relocation or mitigation with long-format and endurance events. Without systematic change to its format or staging location, the Summer Games have the potential to drive deleterious health outcomes for athletes, spectators and host communities.
- The right to adequate housing: evictions of the homeless and the elderly caused by the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Naofumi Suzuki, Tetsuo Ogawa, Nanako Inaba, Leisure Studies, Volume 37(1), pp.59-96, (2018). The reconstruction of the National Stadium for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo has induced displacement of two groups of vulnerable people, raising concerns of the violation of human rights, particularly the right to adequate housing. The expansion of the stadium led to the expulsion of dozens of homeless people who lived in and around the park surrounding the stadium, and a sudden decision to demolish a nearby public housing estate built for the 1964 Summer Games forced over 200 tenants, most of whom were elderly, to be relocated. While the homeless people engaged in several rounds of negotiation with the government authorities, the majority of the housing tenants reluctantly agreed to move except for a few who kept demanding respectful treatment from the metropolitan government. Presenting the preliminary results of a mixed-method three-year qualitative study, this research note demonstrates that while the authority might have offered alternative housing considered ‘adequate’ in terms of physical living conditions, the process of evictions did not afford autonomy for the affected to choose where to live. The respective status of the affected – homeless and elderly – may demand the reconsideration of the concept of ‘adequate housing’ in relation to human dignity.
- The adoption and evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Games, Walker Ross, Becca Leopkey, Managing Sport and Leisure, Volume 22(1), pp.1-18, (2017). This paper explores the evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Movement and how they have become institutionalized within the field by using qualitative methodology consisting of content analysis of International Olympic Committee and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games documents as well as other archival sources.
- The making of the IOC environmental policy as the third dimension of the Olympic movement, Hart Cantelon, Michael Letters, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Volume 35(3), (June 2016). The Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan, in 1998 marked the first Games at which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had a clearly articulated environmental protection policy that was to be followed by the organizing committee. This article attempts to explain the conditions under which this policy came to be, arguing that it was the widespread environmental damage at the 1992 Albertville and the Savoie Region Games, and the subsequent environmentally conscious Green Games of Lillehammer, Norway (1994), that were the historical benchmarks for the development of this policy. The importance of human/environment interaction in the creation of global sport policy is developed and demonstrates the primacy of local initiatives (Albertville, Lillehammer) upon transnational global concerns (IOC environmental policy).
- The Olympic Games Impact (OGI) study for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games: strategies for evaluating sport mega-events’ contribution to sustainability. Vanwynsberghe, Robert, International Journal of Sport Policy, Volume 7(1), pp.1-18, (2015). This paper introduces three techniques for evaluating the sustainability of sport mega-events. The three techniques are bundling/leveraging, before–after control, and sustainability scorecards. This article would be of interest to future prospective Olympic host cities, researchers of mega-events and their impacts and practitioners who evaluate urban sustainability.
- Green Olympics, green legacies? An exploration of the environmental legacies of the Olympic Games. Shalini Samuel, Wendy Stubbs, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Volume 48(4), pp.485-504, (2013). This paper explores the legacies from the greening of the OG through an analysis of Beijing 2008, Singapore 2010, and London 2012, drawing on interviews with key stakeholders. While each OG is different, the key determinants for green legacies include: the breadth and depth of environmental commitments during the bid process; embedding sustainability in the vision, mission and branding of organizing committees; embedding sustainability in various aspects of OG organization, which is an important practical application of a sustainability vision; and the transfer of knowledge from one OG to the next, allowing newer host cities to enhance green legacies.
- Human rights and the Beijing Olympics: imagined global community and the transnational public sphere, Susan Brownell, British Journal of Sociology, Volume 63(2), pp.306-327, (June 2012). The Olympic Games are increasingly used by non-governmental organizations to demand transnational forms of accountability from public authorities. This article assesses the effectiveness of transnational public opinion surrounding the Beijing 2008 Olympics, when the pressure of Western public opinion was exerted upon the government of the world's most populous non-Western nation to improve its human rights record. Utilizing the concepts of ‘imagined global community’ and ‘transnational public sphere’, it finds that the Olympic Games had helped to call into existence a transnational public that ran up against the obstacle posed by the incomplete formation of supra-national forms of governance. The International Olympic Committee, a non-governmental organization, was a weak substitute. Because of the strong desire of Chinese people to take part in transnational deliberations, the article concludes with optimism about the potential of transnational public spheres that include Chinese people to develop toward more effective forms of transnational governance. But the IOC must strengthen the voice of its non-Western members, and Western interlocutors, including the media, must accept their share of the responsibility for creating the conditions for egalitarian dialogue.
- The Olympics as a platform for protest: a case study of the London 2012 ‘ethical’ Games and the Play Fair campaign for workers’ rights, Jill Timms, Leisure Studies, Volume 31(3), pp.355-372, (2012). The Olympic Games, with its distinctive ethos and reach, offers a valuable opportunity for those able to mobilise it as a platform for their own purposes. This paper focuses on how global social justice groups are pursuing this goal. It is argued that the types of protest utilising the Olympic platform change over time and reflect distinct historical phases of the Games. Contemporary anti-Olympic and Olympic watchdog campaigns are characterised by contestation over the prioritising of corporate interests, so contribute to wider critiques of globalising capitalism. The Play Fair campaign for the rights of workers making official Olympic merchandise and supplies exemplifies this, as it mobilises the Olympic platform to question and influence working practices within transnational supply chains. A case study of the campaign is presented, drawing on documentary analysis, interviews and participant observations undertaken since the launch of PlayFair 2012 in February 2010. It was found that by targeting London 2012 corporate discourses of ‘ethics’ and ‘sustainability’ in its campaign to ensure a ‘sweat free’ Olympics, Play Fair connects the production of major sporting events to wider issues of global inequality, poverty and structural problems in transnational labour markets.
- Leveraging the 2010 Olympic Games ‘Sustainability’ in a City of Vancouver Initiative, VanWynsberghe R, Maurer E, Derom I, University of British Columbia, (2010). Theoretically, sustainability is likely to be a factor in future leveraging efforts because it is an increasingly strategic move in sporting mega-event bidding. ‘Sustainability’ in this context means attempting to reconcile constituents’ needs in three broad areas—economic, environmental, and social. Sustainability is also a coherent rationale that directs the public’s post-event momentum toward individual actions that enhance the community's collective well-being and prosperity. Public perceptions of ‘good’ environment practice may be one of the longest lasting legacies of hosting a major sporting event. One year before the 2010 Winter Games, the City of Vancouver announced its ambition to become the world’s ‘greenest city’ by embracing a series of citizen based actions toward environmental concerns – such as recycling initiatives, encouraging active transport (commuting by bicycle and walking), and improving curbside landscaping in residential neighbourhoods. There were also government led initiatives — such as setting a world leading green building code, creating a corporate leaders program to champion environmental issues, and requiring electric-car charging units be built into new multi-unit residential buildings. All initiatives were ‘leveraged’ by Winter Olympic hosting promotions.
- Olympic environmental concerns as a legacy of the Winter Games, Chappelet J, The International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 25(14), pp.1884-1902, (2008). This paper explores how the ideas of environmental protection and sustainable development have been slowly incorporated into the Olympic narrative. The author shows how a set of environmental principles were developed through the experiences of local committees during the 1970s, and how the International Olympic Committee adopted them for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games and incorporated them into the Olympic ideal.
- IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights, International Olympic Committee, (September 2022). In order to fulfil the goal of Olympism, all constituents of the Olympic Movement need to respect internationally recognised human rights within their respective remit. The IOC Human Rights Strategic Framework will reinforce key programmes and initiatives by mainstreaming a human rights approach into current work and programmes, in close cooperation with the teams in charge of complementary topics such as gender equality, safeguarding, sustainability and key functions and departments within the IOC.
- Advisory Committee on Human Rights, (accessed 16 December 2022). The Advisory Committee’s mission is to provide strategic guidance to the IOC and advise on the implementation of the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights.
- Building the Legacy - Beyond 2020, Bureau of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Preparation, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, (July 2021). Legacy: It is the social, economic and cultural benefits of holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games that the host city and host country can inherit and enjoy for many years. We’ve come up with nine themes to better define our preparations and ongoing initiatives towards an enduring the Tokyo 2020 Games legacy: Safety and security; Urban development; Sports and health; Participation and cooperation; Culture and tourism; Education and diversity; Environment and sustainability; Prosperity and technology; Disaster recovery.
- Legacy Reporting Framework. The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has released 24 summary case studies about initiatives that focus on the Tokyo 2020 Games legacy aiming to understand the benefits of the Games to the host city.
- Action and Legacy Plan, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, (July 2016). To promote actions that will result in positive and long lasting legacies, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee is working closely with various stakeholders to promote a range of comprehensive actions from the initials stages of planning in the five following pillars: Sport and Health; Urban Planning and Sustainability; Culture and Education; Economy and Technology; Recovery, Nationwide Benefits, and Global Communication.
- Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Sustainability Plan, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, (2016). The Tokyo 2020 Games set five main sustainability themes, which Tokyo 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Government of Japan and other delivery partners work on in preparations for and operations of the Games. In addition, Tokyo 2020 formulated the Tokyo 2020 Sustainable Sourcing Code as a tool to ensure sustainability throughout the supply chains of products and services Tokyo 2020 procures as well as licensed products.
- Climate Change - We will promote energy savings and use of renewable energy as much as possible "Towards Zero Carbon".
- Resource Management - Through 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle), we aim to "Zero Wasting".
- Natural Environment and Biodiversity - We will contribute to the realization of "City within Nature/Nature within the City".
- Human Rights, Labour and Fair Business Practices - We will operate the Games in accordance with the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- Involvement, Cooperation and Communications (Engagement) - Through the participation and collaboration of entire society, we will create the Games which open to everyone.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games Federation vision is to build peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous communities globally by inspiring Commonwealth Athletes to drive the impact and ambition of all Commonwealth Citizens through Sport. 27 Throughout 2022 they launched several key statements, policies and guidelines including:
- Human Rights Policy Statement, Commonwealth Games Federation, (June 2022).
- Safeguarding Policy, Commonwealth Games Federation, (June 2022).
- Athlete Advocacy Guiding Principles, Commonwealth Games Federation, (February 2022).
The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games was the first major sporting event globally to publish a human rights position statement, followed by its post-Games report. [20] The Glasgow Games also delivered environmental initiatives including: 28
- A carbon management program to offset vehicle emissions during the Games (including a tree planting program).
- Compliance with international food procurement sustainability guidelines.
- The goal of being the ‘public transport games’ was achieved by including the cost of public transport to sporting venues into event ticket price.
- The first Commonwealth Games to commission a ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment’, using a holistic approach to capture data on infrastructure development.
- Conversion of the Hampden Park facility into the Games athletics stadium, instead of building a new facility.
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games committed to delivering a sustainable event, managed to international standards supported by a vision for a strong and diversified economy, a pristine natural environment, and an active, inclusive Gold Coast community. Some key impact and legacy outcomes included: 29
- Sustainable sourcing implemented Games-wide; 8,660 goods and services contracts - 98% of contracts awarded to Australian businesses.
- 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses built to Liveable Housing Design Gold or Silver Standard, for legacy rental accommodation.
- Environment: 6 star and 6 leaf rated Commonwealth Games Village; zero helium balloons or lightweight plastic bags; 7 hectares of public parkland at the Commonwealth Games Village; first operational carbon baseline and management plan; 136,420 trees planted.
- World-first commitment to delivery legacy outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; first-time gender equality in medal events for men and women; Participation in Australia's first bench-marking program designed to measure inclusion of LGBTI people in sport; accessible venues for people with accessibility requirements; largest para-sport program in Commonwealth Games history - 38 medal events and 300 para-athletes; human rights policy, demonstrating commitment to the UN Guiding Principles.
Resources and reading
- GC2018 Legacy: Beyond the Games report 2024, Ernst and Young (EY), (2024). In June 2023, the Department of Tourism and Sport (DTS) engaged the services of EY to prepare the final Post Games Legacy Report (this Report) to assess the benefits against key objectives listed in the associated Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. This evaluation framework was collaboratively developed by the Queensland State Government and City of Gold Coast and other partners. This Report also provides an analysis of lessons learnt and potential considerations for Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics Games legacy planning.
- Post-Games Sustainability Report, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). Delivering a GC2018 to international sustainable event management standards supported our Games Delivery Partner’s shared vision for a strong and diversified economy, a pristine natural environment and an active, inclusive Gold Coast community. Some key impact and legacy outcomes relating to sustainability and the environment included:
- Sustainable sourcing implemented Games-wide; 8,660 goods and services contracts - 98% of contracts awarded to Australian businesses.
- 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses built to Liveable Housing Design Gold or Silver Standard, for legacy rental accommodation.
- Environment: 6 star and 6 leaf rated Commonwealth Games Village; zero helium balloons or lightweight plastic bags; 7 hectares of public parkland at the Commonwealth Games Village; first operational carbon baseline and management plan; 136,420 trees planted.
- Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games Post-Games Report, Commonwealth Games Federation, (2014). This report identifies a number of environmental initiatives or savings delivered by the Games.
- A carbon management program to offset vehicle emissions during the Games (including a tree planting program).
- The first smoke-free games.
- Compliance with international food procurement sustainability guidelines.
- The goal of being the ‘public transport games’ was achieved by including the cost of public transport to sporting venues into event ticket price.
- Solar energy collection panels were built into the Games village.
- The first Commonwealth Games to commission a ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment’, using a holistic approach to capture data on infrastructure development.
- All waste management practices were compliant with Euro IV standards to improve recycling and reduce landfill waste.
- Conversion of the Hampden Park facility into the Games athletics stadium, instead of building a new facility.
- Recycling furniture and office equipment (much of it from the 2012 London Olympic Games) and building materials for the Games headquarters facility.
- Triple bottom line assessment of the XVIII Commonwealth Games, Insight Economics, Report to the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination, (2006). Three main environmental programs were delivered through the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne. Under the Water Wise program, 18,000 trees were planted and four hectares of wetland were constructed; in addition to rainwater collection systems being incorporated into several Games venues. The Carbon Neutral program delivered the athlete’s village with a six-star energy rating; approximately one million trees were planted to offset greenhouse gas emissions; bicycle facilities were available at all Games venues; and fuel efficient vehicles were used for Games transport. Low Waste programs involved a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness to minimise waste and encourage recycling; 60% of the waste from the athlete’s village was recycled. This report concluded that although it was difficult to assess whether lasting behavioural change will result from Commonwealth Games linked programs, the overall objectives of the three programs were achieved.
- The Contribution of Sport to the Sustainable Development Goals: Insights from Commonwealth Games Associations, Haydn Morgan, Anthony Bush, Darragh McGee, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 9(2), (August 2021). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are hailed as a common language to unite a global commitment towards a change of trajectory regarding social, economic, and environmental development issues. Although not overtly cited within the SDGs or their related targets, sport has been widely accepted and promoted as an enabler of social change and a mechanism through which to strategically map and measure commitments to sustainability. However, despite the numerous case study examples of specific sport-based programs that have demonstrated the potential of sport to contribute to the SDGs, there is limited knowledge about the currency and value that the SDGs hold for key sport stakeholders in development, and a shortage of concrete evidence to assess the uptake and integration at the level of national policy. In an attempt to address this shortage, this paper presents insights from the analysis of secondary data collected by the Commonwealth Games Federation from 62 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in relation to their perspectives on the contribution of sport to the SDGs. The paper provides examples of specific areas of strength, or those in need of further development, to present a baseline for the current state of play in understanding the contribution from individual CGAs to the SDGs.
- Human Rights Policy Statement, Commonwealth Games Federation, (June 2022). Through this Human Rights Policy Statement, we aim to mobilise and leverage the potential of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement to protect, respect, remedy and promote the human rights of athletes, citizens and communities across the Commonwealth who are involved with or impacted by our events, actions, programmes and activities. All Commonwealth citizens are all equally entitled to human rights without discrimination, whatever their ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, culture, religion or belief, political opinion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability or any other improper ground. These rights are universal, and all connected, interdependent and indivisible from each other.
- Safeguarding Policy, Commonwealth Games Federation, (June 2022). The CGF recognises the importance of Safeguarding and is committed to working towards the creation of a safe sport environment at all levels. After a wide stakeholder consultation, the CGF is pleased to share its first safeguarding policy. The CGF Safeguarding Policy aims to set a framework to protect all individuals connected with CGF, in particular children and adults at risk, including adult athletes, from any type of harm and/or abuse when they come into contact with CGF or are engaged in activities connected to CGF. The policy sets out safeguarding responsibilities for CGF Officials and others who engage with the CGF. It also ensures CGF Officials and others know how to respond appropriately when concerns are raised about children or adults at risk.
- Athlete Advocacy Guiding Principles, Commonwealth Games Federation, (February 2022). This work has been developed by and for athletes, but it applies to all Participants who may wish to make positive expressions of their values in accordance with these Guiding Principles.
- The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) recognises that athletes are: inspirational leaders, agents of change, advocates for integrity, ambassadors for respect, impartiality and non-discrimination.
- The CGF is supportive of freedom of expression and trusts, respects and understands that athletes may want to make positive expressions of their values in line with the CGF values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny.
- Any such positive expressions of values are subject to the CGF Charter of Good Conduct.
- Sustainability policy, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). We are committed to the following governing principles of sustainable development: Inclusivity – To ensure that all interested parties are able to participate without fear of discrimination; Integrity – To conduct GC2018 in an ethical manner, consistent with international standards of behaviour; Stewardship – To take responsibility for the economic, environmental and social outcomes to be shared by all; Transparency – To communicate willingly and openly about the decisions and activities that affect the social, environmental and economic outcomes of our actions; Leadership – To demonstrate leadership by delivering GC2018 to international standards, constantly improving our ways of working and meeting all legal and other requirements. Related documents include:
- Sustainability [website], Gold Coast 2018, (accessed 22 October 2021). As a transformational event, GC2018 presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate leadership in sustainability by delivering to international standards of best practice, leaving positive economic, environmental, social and community legacies that last beyond the Closing Ceremony.
- Approach to Human Rights, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (August 2018). A key purpose of this document is to demonstrate GOLDOC’s commitment and approach to human rights in the planning and delivery of GC2018.
- The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Reconciliation Action Plan, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (November 2017). Our vision is to deliver a great Games that will recognise, respect and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. GC2018 will leave a lasting and meaningful legacy through: employment and training; procurement; showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures; building a culturally capable workforce and providing authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural experiences for GC2018 and beyond.
- Towards a Sustainable GC2018, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). This sustainability framework “Towards a sustainable GC2018” was first published in 2014. Since that time, the organisation has undergone significant growth and evolution. Therefore, to ensure that GOLDOC’s approach to sustainability continues to evolve and in accordance with GOLDOC’s commitment to continual improvement, this document has been reviewed with minor updates incorporated.
Access to resources
Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar.
References +
- Our common future (the Brundtland Commission report), World Commission on Environment and Development, United Nations, (1987).
- Sustainability is the balance between the environment, equity, and economy, UCLA Sustainability, (accessed 30 January 2023).
- Value of Community Sport Infrastructure, KPMG for the Australian Sports Commission, (2018).
- Game on Delivering sustained infrastructure outcomes through major sports and cultural events, PricewaterhouseCoopers, (2022).
- Sustainability principles: Infrastructure Australia’s approach to sustainability, Australian Government, Infrastructure Australia, (April 2021).
- IOC aiming to avoid "white elephants" with call for no new Olympic venues, Geoff Berkeley, Inside the Games, (2 June 2022).
- Building for the community is a win for the Gold Coast Games, Karine Dupré, The Conversation, (6 April 2018).
- Planning for a Sustainable Future The legacy of sporting venues following major events, KPMG, (2015).
- Game on: mega-event infrastructure opportunities, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, (2011).
- What is Universal Design, universaldesign.ie, (accessed 20 January 2023).
- Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019-2022, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, (2019).
- Study on the environmental and socio-economic impact of the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™, Utopies for Local Organising Committee and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), (February 2020: Translation: March 2021).
- Predicting climate impacts to the Olympic Games and FIFA Men’s World Cups from 2022 to 2032, Walker Ross, Madeleine Orr, Sport in Society, Volume 25(4), pp.867-888, (2022).
- The Future of Australian Sport: The second report: Megatrends shaping the sport sector over coming decades, Australian Sports Commission and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), (December2022).
- Existential threats to the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games? a review of emerging environmental health risks, Michael Annear, Tetsuhiro Kidokoro, Yasuo Shimizu, Reviews on Environmental Health, Volume 36(2), (January 2021).
- Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework, United Nations, (2011).
- The right to adequate housing: evictions of the homeless and the elderly caused by the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Naofumi Suzuki, Tetsuo Ogawa, Nanako Inaba, Leisure Studies, Volume 37(1), pp.59-96, (2018).
- Approach to Human Rights and Post-Games report, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (August 2018).
- Approach to human rights, Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games, (December 2013).
- Approach to human rights: post games update, Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games, (2014).
- Tapping the potential of human rights provisions in mega-sporting events’ bidding and hosting agreements, Daniela Heerdt, International Sports Law Journal, Volume 17, pp.170-185, (2018).
- The making of the IOC environmental policy as the third dimension of the Olympic movement, Hart Cantelon, Michael Letters, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Volume 35(3), (June 2016).
- Lillehammer 1994 set the stage for sustainable Games legacies, International Olympic Committee, (2014).
- Making a Difference, Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, Post-Games Report, (March 2013).
- Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Sustainability Plan, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, (2016).
- Brisbane's 2032 'climate-positive' Olympics commitment sets high bar on delivering sustainable legacy. Ashleigh Stevenson and Brittney Kleyn, ABC News, (8 November 2021).
- About, Commonwealth Games Federation, (accessed 1 February 2023).
- Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games Post-Games Report, Commonwealth Games Federation, (2014).
- Post-Games Sustainability Report, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018).
- Legacy and sustainable policy, Paris 2024, (June 2022).
- Sustainability, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (accessed 3 February 2023).
Last updated: 06 February 2023
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