MANUAL SPORT ENVIRONMENT

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CHAPTER II:
ENVIRONM ENTAL RECOM M ENDATIONS
Hav ing rev iew ed, in the previous c hapter, the environmental iss ues w hich need to be
addressed by the Oly mpic Mov ement in regard to sports activities, this chapter
identifies a list of rec ommendations and bas ic s uggestions w hich the s ports
community may wish to implement, adapting them to its local circumstances and
env ironment. Throughout the w hole proc ess of preparation and implementation of an
env ironmental programme or policy, it is important to remember that eac h partic ular
situation w ill r equire its ow n set of measur es, w hich w ill be deter mined by geographical
factors, the nature and extent of the problem, the access to additional res ources and
the s pecific ity of the local population and organiz ations. How ever, let us reme mber
also that, even w hen resources are limited, many environmentally sound measures
may be taken w hich w ill make a real differ ence tow ards attaining s ustainable
development.
2.1 GENERAL RESP ONSIBILITY: INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATION ON THE
ENVIRONMENT
Most countries have enacted spec ific legis lation on this iss ue, w hich must be c omplied
w ith. Although governments have the basic responsibility to implement these sets of
env ironmental rules and comply w ith them, the sports movement should als o be
conc erned by suc h issues. The planning of a sports event or the building of a s ports
facility als o need to respect rules and regulations in the field of environmental
protection.
Loc al, regional or national legislation in this area are the res ult of a long process of
cons ultation and discussion at governmental level. The conc ept of environmental
protection w as developed in 1972 w hen 113 governments conv ened in Stockholm for
the United Nations Conferenc e on the Human Environment. For the first time,
representatives of w orld governments gathered to cons ider the implications of a
deepening env ironmental crisis. At the end of the Stoc kholm Conference, a consensus
w as reached on a document that establis hed the bas is for a new era of international
cooperation. The Dec laration and Action Plan proposed the first global agenda for the
environment, with 109 recommendations for national and international actions and
more than 150 separate propos als . They provided the foundation for the development
of international environmental law during the 1970s and 1980s and also led to the
establishment of the United Nations Env ironment Programme w hich has bec ome the
global instrument for c arrying out the c ons ensus meas ures outlined in the agreements .
After Stockholm, more than 100 governments set up environmental ministries and
agencies entrusted w ith the implementation of environmental regulations. The
Stoc kholm Conferenc e also led to the establishment of the W orld Commission on
Environment and Development, know n as the Brundtland Commission after its
chairperson, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norw ay. The Commission's
report, Our Common Future, called a global conference on env ironment and
dev elopment know n as the United Nations Conference on Env ironment and
Dev elopment, or Earth Summit, w hich w as organiz ed in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.