7th World Conference on Sport and the Environment - International ...

Report
Making a Difference
As we are discussing environmental concerns in
this forum, I want to end with a sobering fact. The
<strong>World</strong> Health Organization has reported that four
million children under the age of 5 die every year
because of environmental hazards, such as air and
water pollution.
As Ethical Corporation Magazine’ succinctly put
it: “that is an average of one death every eight
seconds”.
So we have to ask ourselves, in all humility,
individually and as organizations, where and how
we can make a difference?
I am part of the adidas Group’s Social &
Environmental Affairs team, which numbers
a little over 50 people. To offset the carbon
footprint of our air travel in 2006 we committed
in investing in a sanitation project in Nepal, one
that utilizes methane gas for energy generation.
It’s a practical project, one that is helping a single
rural community. This for me captures the very
essence of sustainability – the importance of
linking developmental gains, with environmental
improvement.
For me sports and the environment, at whatever
scale, begins and ends with what we can give
back to our local communities.
Thank you for listening and I look forward to taking
your questions.
<strong>7th</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment
International Cooperation and Development Dept.
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