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

Report
4.1.2. Speech by the Chairman of the IOC Sport and Environment Commission,
Mr Pál Schmitt
As Chairman of the IOC Sport and Environment Commission, I am very happy to welcome you here to
Beijing, where, in less than a year, the Olympic Games will take place for the first time in China’s history.
I would like to address my sincere thanks to the government of the People’s Republic of China, the
Chinese Olympic Committee, the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and
our longstanding partner, UNEP, for their coordination and support in the preparation of this conference
that brings together so many different experts and organisations.
I would like also to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my fellow Commission members for
their outstanding work and commitment for the cause of sport and the environment.
For more than 10 years, the IOC has taken a leading position to raise awareness of environmental issues
and environmental sustainability and to change behaviours among the Olympic family members and
supporters attending the Games.
We made important steps towards our aim, a greener world – greener Games, from the adoption
of Agenda 21 by the Olympic Movement to the launch of the IOC Guide to Sport, Environment and
Sustainable Development and from the organisation of regional seminars to biennial world conferences
such as this one today.
It was not by chance that the IOC’s responsibility towards and commitment to the importance of
sustainable development in sport has been highly recognized by the awarding of the prestigious
“Champion of the Earth 2007 Award” by UNEP.
It is doubtful whether National Olympic Committees, International Federations, Olympic Games
Organising Committees, athletes, coaches, sponsors or the media – they all recognise that sport can
affect the environment but they all recognise that reciprocally sport needs a healthy environment.
Environmental sustainability requires a common effort and the commitment of all parties!
This is why the IOC wishes to introduce a new award, the IOC Sport and Environment Award, that will be
presented at the next <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> for the first time – to acknowledge outstanding initiatives for the
development of sport and environment by individuals or organisations.
The rules for the awarding procedure will be developed during the Commission meeting after our
<strong>Conference</strong>. We will keep you duly informed and are looking forward to receiving your candidatures. It is
about action.
A world conference like this is more than ever the cornerstone of our advocacy work: a unique
opportunity to share experiences from our key stakeholders and to foster greater cooperation in the
development of environmental policies in sport for a better, cleaner and safer world for future generations.
What can be a better place to hold it than the host city of the 2008 Games. This is surely a positive signal
for Olympism that the Games Organising Committee should wish to host our conference, as well as a
demonstration of its commitment to produce environmentally sustainable Games in 2008.
With sport as a vehicle for environmental education and by using the Games as a catalyst for longterm
sustainable solutions, the Organising Committee and local government can raise awareness
for this important subject among one-fifth of the world’s population. That, in itself, will be a major
accomplishment.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
During the next two days, we will exchange views, review achievements, set up new partnerships and
most importantly set the base for future actions.
We can analyse our progress since the 6th <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment held in
Nairobi, Kenya in 2005 where explicit links between sport, peace and the environment were made for the
first time.
<strong>7th</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment
International Cooperation and Development Dept.
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