Strasbourg, 1 June 2015
EPAS (2015) 16rev2
Informal Ministerial Networking Event
How to promote the social sustainability of major sports
events
organised by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe
in co-operation with the Ministry of Sports of Azerbaijan
13 June 2015
11.00am-1.30pm
Fairmont Hotel
“Flame Towers”
Baku, Azerbaijan
DISCUSSION PAPER
1. Introduction
Europe is the continent that has hosted not only the largest number of international sporting
events, but also half of all the Olympic Games. Furthermore, it organises the largest number of
continent-wide competitions in all sporting disciplines and categories. Due to this fact, there is
considerable know-how to exploit and to share among Europeans and with other parts of the
world on how to organise major sports events in a sustainable way. Europe could set an example
and standards on the organisation and management of sustainable major sporting events, further
promoting the economic, social and sporting development in Europe.
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2. Sustainability and legacy: governmental challenges around major sports events
“Sustainable development” consists of balancing local and global efforts to meet basic human
needs without destroying or degrading the natural environment. The organisation of major sports
events such as the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championships or the Olympic Games
is usually very resource-intensive putting into question their impact, in particular in the long term.
The issue of sustainability is key for the public authorities, which are being requested to support
investments and give guarantees. They need therefore to make sure that the project – from the
bidding stage - is founded on a long-term vision, which will produce benefits beyond the
timeframe of the sport event. There is even more relevance to plan, implement and monitor the
sustainability of major sports events since these events have become an expensive undertaking
and residents of potential host communities fear negative consequences, resulting in withdrawals
from initial bids as possible hosts (such as Oslo, Stockholm, Munich and St. Moritz in
Switzerland).
Since the 90s, sustainable development has been described in terms of three dimensions; these
are seen as "economic, environmental and social" or "ecology, economy and equity"; recently the
social dimension has been expanded by some authors to include a political and a cultural
dimension.
‘Legacy’ is what is passed on or inherited from one person to another and by extension from one
organisation to another or one generation to another. There is no single theory of legacy, but it is
measured in a longer time scale than the impacts. Whereas the management of sustainability
mostly focuses on direct impact, the legacy goes beyond providing facilities and managing the
event, and embraces the whole transformation of infrastructure, human capital and environment
of an area, leaving a lasting benefit independent of the use made by the sports event itself. The
impact of an event is normally a transitory stimulus, with economic, social and environmental
dimensions, which may be considerable but is too short term to be considered legacy. On the
contrary, legacy concerns the additional activity generated after the event, such as a growth in
tourism in subsequent years.
Many of the issues connected with legacy and sustainability go far beyond the scope of
responsibilities of the organisers of the sports event. Considering the huge public interest in the
outcomes of major events, public authorities should go beyond a supportive role to competition
organisers, which are dealing with sustainability from a risk-management perspective, as a sideline to their overall organisational mission, and take some ownership on the sustainability
strategy, which should be seen as an opportunity to fulfil political vision. Therefore, as the
exchange of views in Sochi pointed out, public authorities need to play a strategic role in the
planning, implementation and evaluation of the sustainability.
3. Methodological support to the management of sustainability of major sports events
In order to capitalise on the possible benefits and to guarantee a positive cost-benefit ratio, it is
important that the potential economic, social and environmental legacies form an integral part of
the overall planning. The legacies ideally correspond to the development objectives of the
country and of the host city.
Reflexion on the sustainability should be part of the project from the bidding stage. In the
framework of the bidding and organisational procedures developed by sports organisations such
as the IOC or UEFA, applicant cities have to show in their bid the careful and precise planning of
the event, with all of the relevant organisations, authorities and stakeholders working together.
The bidding process to host (major sports events or) the Olympic Games also addresses
important issues regarding compliance with certain good governance and human rights criteria.
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In order to mainstream the management of sustainability into all sides of complex multi-faceted
projects, potential organisers can benefit from guidelines and good practices provided by the
sports organisation under whose aegis the event is organised. Just to mention the IOC, the
principles of sustainability and legacy are enacted in the Olympic Charter, and the Olympic
Agenda 2020 which was adopted on 9 December 2014. The booklet “Olympic Legacy” and the
factsheet on “Legacies of the Games” published by the IOC in 2013 provide useful information
and examples. These publications offer methodological and practical tools to the sport
community, based on the principles of sustainable development. Organising committees are
supported with Guides on Olympic Legacy and on Environmental Management. At the top end,
organisers of Olympic Games are requested to deliver an “Olympic Games Impact” study, whose
scope covers the three spheres of sustainable development i.e.economic, socio-cultural and
environmental, over a period of 12 years.
In addition to the methodological tools provided by sports organisations, organisers of major
sports events can take advantage of standards, methodological tools and processes which were
adopted by international organisations or NGOs.
For instance, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is the world’s largest
developer of voluntary international standards. International standards provide state-of-the-art
specifications for products, services and good practice, helping to make industry more efficient
and effective. ISO 26000 is designed to assist organisations in contributing to sustainable
development. It provides guidance on how sports organisations and event organisers can
operate in a socially responsible way. This means acting in an ethical and transparent way that
contributes to the health and welfare of society.
The European Union has developed a European statistical method for measuring the economic
impact of sport as a basis for national sport satellite accounts. A sport satellite account (SSA)
filters the national accounts for sport-relevant activities to extract all sport-related value added
while maintaining the national accounts structure. SSAs permit all sport-related economic
activities to show up explicitly, rather than keeping them concealed in deeply disaggregated (lowlevel) classifications of the national accounts. This method will allow measuring the impact of
major sports events on the GDP and on employment in a more reliable way than speculative
studies aiming to ex ante measure the economic impact of major sports events.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provides another example. GRI is an international not-forprofit organization, with a network-based structure. GRI enjoys strategic partnerships with the
United Nations Environment Programme, the UN Global Compact, the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Organization for Standardization,
and others. GRI's mission is to make sustainability reporting standard practice for all companies
and organizations. GRI has developed a reporting system that provides metrics and methods for
measuring and reporting sustainability-related economic, environmental and social impacts and
performance. The GRI framework also includes guidelines for the reporting on major public
events, which were already used by major sports event organisers. A sustainability report is a
report published by a company or organization about the economic, environmental and social
impacts caused by its everyday activities.
The use of robust conceptual frameworks and methodologies facilitates know-how transfer,
understanding of the similarities and specific features of projects which may pursue different
aims. Internationally consolidated methodologies should be endeavoured over ad hoc
frameworks. The use of standards and reporting frameworks can build stakeholders’ and a
population’s trust in the project, and lead to many other benefits.
4. Social sustainability
Until now, research, planning and evaluation on the sustainability of major sports events has
mostly focused on the economic and environmental impacts. Although the economic,
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environmental and social legacies are intertwined, EPAS proposed to put the focus on the social
sustainability of events, because less attention has been devoted to social sustainability so far.
Social beneficial externalities cover a broad range of areas. The literature identifies the following
elements which can positively impact the social sustainability of major sports events: reinforcing
collective identities, improving self-esteem, uniting people or increasing civic pride. Strengthening
this kind of social cohesion feeling, creates social capital. Socially sustainable major sports
events can also raise awareness of human rights issues, in providing opportunities for exercising
rights (e.g. freedom of expression, freedom of association), in raising awareness of the role of
minorities or discriminated groups (e.g. disabled people getting public recognition for their sports
achievements), or even improving policies regarding human rights (e.g. role of women, workers’
rights etc.). Social sustainability also covers opportunities for professional or volunteer
experience and the development of new competences, e.g. language, customer relations,
organisational skills. It can also contribute to the development of a volunteering culture and to the
social recognition of volunteering and community engagement, mobility, intercultural dialogue
etc. Regarding sports, major sports event can play a significant role in inspiring children and
adults, increasing participation in sport and therefore promoting active lifestyle and well-being.
Last but not least, the availability of infrastructure and facilities to the people after the event can
have an impact on the well-being of the communities (e.g. sports facilities open to the public) or
to disadvantaged groups (e.g. convert Olympic village to affordable housing solutions,
reinvestment in our long-neglected community centres.).
However, the management of social sustainability also includes measures aimed at preventing,
mitigating or compensating the potential negative impacts of major sports events, such as
displacement of people evictions, expropriation or increase of real estate prices leading to the
loss of affordable housing. The construction of or the running of the facilities or side-businesses
attracted by the event may involve issues with harsh working conditions and compliance with
social rights or even human dignity with possible cases of human trafficking (e.g. development of
prostitution attracted by the massive attendance, illegal workers). Expression of racism,
discrimination and violence (e.g. hooliganism) are also part of the potential negative social
impact. Regarding the economy, massive investment in major events can lead to crowding out
social programmes (diverting funding away from other projects such as social services) and the
need to maintain unused facilities may drain public budgets after the events. Moreover,
corruption within the framework of the call for tenders, constructions and running of the event
may cause economic and ethical damage to the public.
The legacy has been conventionally divided in two: “hard’” and “soft”, or “tangible” and
intangible”. The most obvious type of hard legacy is the sport facilities. In addition, providing the
ways by which crowds of visitors can be transported means upgrading airports, railway and road
networks; it also means ensuring sufficient accommodation options, restaurants, retail and
leisure facilities. Hence the holding of a major sports event offers the potential to reshape a
whole area of a city and the wider region surrounding it. This kind of material legacy is not
confined to sport itself and is increasingly part of a much broader project of urban development or
regeneration. Until recently, it was these tangible aspects of legacy that attracted most attention.
‘Soft’ legacy was relatively neglected. ‘Soft’ legacies include the ‘human capital’ legacies of skill
and expertise, ranging from the basic forms of training provided for volunteers to the highly
specialised management skills. Training staff for tourism is very important in creating a friendly
event. The creation of thousands of trained volunteers has also become critical to the success of
these events. The legacy question, however, asks what use is to be made of this exceptional
resource. However, the empowerment of these volunteers beyond the event itself requires a
post-event structure. Another part of soft legacy is the skill levels of top athletes themselves. The
host nation usually benefits from an enhanced performance from its athletes during and after the
event, because they can act as role models for the young to promote grass-roots participation.
Here again, this outcome is not automatic and equally successful after all major events. Such
legacy can be prepared and facilitated.
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Becoming an applicant city to stage a major sports event can represent new opportunities and a
unique moment of unity in order to foster the social development of a city or region. Sporting
events may act as a catalyst, channelling the energies of citizens, businesses and public
authorities alike for a good purpose.
5. Relevance to the Council of Europe activities
The compliance with the Council of Europe’s core values is essential to enable successful major
sports events: a broad democratic support to the hosting of the event is key to ensuring
ownership by the population and an enthusiastic welcome. The commitment of the public
authorities in the legacy strategy is needed to ensure that the event delivers lasting benefits. The
way in which minorities or other disadvantaged groups are respected and involved in the
organisation or how freedom of speech is guaranteed during the event will affect the international
perception of how the country can comply with international human rights standards. Last but not
least, the way in which transparency in government procurement and the awarding of
concessions is guaranteed and how spatial planning is implemented, in particular expropriations,
are closely linked to the state’s compliance with the principle of the rule of law.
Indeed, several Council of Europe standards and policies - e.g. on social rights, on sport, on
corruption, on minorities, on intercultural dialogue, etc. – are very relevant in the framework of the
preparation and implementation of, and follow-up to, major sports events. The implementation of
these standards is often supported by monitoring mechanisms, action plans or
recommendations.
Therefore, within the framework of the organisation of major sports events, it makes sense to
keep in mind those commitments which already exist, while defining the aims in terms of
sustainable social development and soft legacy. The identification of overlaps between the
expected impacts and the lasting outcomes of the event and the political strategy on the
implementation of the Council of Europe values can create a win-win synergy between the legacy
strategy and the implementation of the relevant Council of Europe standards.
6. Conclusion
Organisers of major sports events around the world, and their stakeholders, are becoming
increasingly aware of the need for, and benefits of, socially responsible behaviour.
Considering the relevance of the attention given by public authorities to the sustainability and the
legacy of sports events, the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport could
focus its future work on the following themes.
 Support the role of governments in the strategic planning and evaluation of the legacy of major
sports events.
 Promote the exchange of experience and good practices on governmental strategies
regarding sustainability and legacy of major sports events.
 Present the existing relevant tools to manage sustainability and legacy, and support their use.
 Identify and show the relevance of Council of Europe instruments, in particular in the field of
social sustainability and soft legacy.
 Develop support tools and services to enhance co-operation with member states, which plan
to host major sports events, in particular when the aims of sustainability and legacy match the
aims of the implementation of CoE instruments.
 Seek co-operation and co-ordination with other organisations which could offer similar support
on economic and environmental issues.
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7. Bibliography
Global Reporting Initiative, GRI G4 Guidelines and ISO 26000:2010, How to use the GRI G4
Guidelines and ISO 26000 in conjunction, Geneva, January 2014.
Thornton, Grant, Meta-Evaluation of the Impacts and Legacy of the London 2012 Olympic
Games and Paralympic Games, Report 5: Post-Games Evaluation, London, 2013.
Rydin, Yvonne; Symor, Russel; Lorimer, Stephen, Sustainability in the Sports Sector, UCL
Environment Institute, Briefing, London, September 2011.
Smith, Andrew, Theorising the Relationship between Major Sport Events and Social
Sustainability, Journal of Sport & Tourism, Vol. 14, Iss. 2-3, p. 109-120, 2009.
Taks, Marijke, Social sustainability of non-mega sport events in a global world, European Journal
for Sport and Society, 10 (2), p. 121-141, 2013.
Online-resources
International Olympic Committee, Olympic Legacy, March 2013,
http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Olympism_in_action/Legacy/2013_Booklet_Legacy.pdf
(retrieved on 20/05/2015)
International Olympic Committee, Factsheet: Legacies of the Games, December 2013,
http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Legacy.pdf (retrieved on
20/05/2015)
NGLS interviews the UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, UN NonGovernmental Liaison Service (NGLS), http://www.unngls.org/spip.php?page=article_s&id_article=3166 (retrieved on 04/03/2015)
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Appendix 1 – Core subjects and issues of social responsibility addressed in ISO 26000
Core subjects and issues Addressed
Core subject: Organizational governance
Core subject: Human rights
Issue 1: Due diligence
Issue 2: Human rights risk situations
Issue 3: Avoidance of complicity
Issue 4: Resolving grievances
Issue 5: Discrimination and vulnerable groups
Issue 6: Civil and political rights
Issue 7: Economic, social and cultural rights
Issue 8: Fundamental principles and rights at work
Core subject: Labour practices
Issue 1: Employment and employment relationships
Issue 2: Conditions of work and social protection
Issue 3: Social dialogue
Issue 4: Health and safety at work
Issue 5: Human development and training in the workplace
Core subject: The environment
Issue 1: Prevention of pollution
Issue 2: Sustainable resource use
Issue 3: Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Issue 4: Protection of the environment, biodiversity and restoration of natural habitats
Core subject: Fair operating practices
Issue 1: Anti-corruption
Issue 2: Responsible political involvement
Issue 3: Fair competition
Issue 4: Promoting social responsibility in the value chain
Issue 5: Respect for property rights
Core subject: Consumer issues
Issue 1: Fair marketing, factual and unbiased information and fair contractual practices
Issue 2: Protecting consumers' health and safety
Issue 3: Sustainable consumption
Issue 4: Consumer service, support, and complaint and dispute resolution
Issue 5: Consumer data protection and privacy
Issue 6: Access to essential services
Issue 7: Education and awareness
Core subject: Community involvement and development
Issue 1: Community involvement
Issue 2: Education and culture
Issue 3: Employment creation and skills development
Issue 4: Technology development and access
Issue 5: Wealth and income creation
Issue 6: Health
Issue 7: Social investment