Session 2 : Sustainability - a call for action

Session 2: Sustainability – a call for action
Monday, 29 April, 13:30 – 15:00

The second session of the day was dedicated to sustainability, with a panel of experts in the field sharing experiences and initiatives, as well as the trends they had observed over the years, both within the Olympic movement and on a more global scale.

Several key themes stood out in the two-hour session moderated by Somesh Dutt, FEI Manager Events Classification & Sustainability, which made it clear just how big of a subject sustainability has become in recent years and that its definition goes well beyond the environmental aspect. As highlighted by Fabrizio D’Angelo, Sustainability Manager of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), sustainability also covers gender and inclusion, diversity, human rights and the legacy that we leave behind for future generations. 

Implementing initiatives within the sport’s world that work towards this broader definition of sustainability need to not only focus on matters from an elite competition level, but to think the process through right down to the national level, starting at the grassroots. This fundamental principle was highlighted by Barbara Silva, Head of Sustainability at the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), one of the leading international sports federations in the field of sustainability.  

Having an environmental cause, a story to tell and partnerships that align with an organisation’s values were developed as further crucial key ingredients to success, according to Aileen McManamon, Founder & Managing Partner of 5T Sports Group. She provided a series of impressive statistics in her presentation, reflecting that any initiative put in place will achieve a higher success rate if it contains a sustainable cause of any sort.

Johan Fyrberg, Secretary General of the Swedish Equestrian Federation, highlighted that a great way to communicate the sustainability message is to involve youth ambassadors. He reminded everyone of the important role young people play and that giving them power to speak up is crucial moving forward.

Having gained valuable insight from all the panellists on what sustainability means nowadays, along with precious recommendations on how to drive it forward in a positive manner, Somesh Dutt rounded up the session by diving into the FEI’s latest sustainability initiative, the creation of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions calculator in collaboration with Quantis. This tailormade tool will cater to the needs of the NFs, all equestrian events (not only national), as well as riding facilities, allowing them to measure their carbon footprint and put in place effective measure to reduce their carbon emissions.

Panellists
♦ Fabrizio D'Angelo - Sustainability Manager, International Olympic Committee (IOC)
♦ Barbara Silva - Head of Sustainability, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
♦ Aileen McManamon - Founder & Managing Partner, 5T Sports Group
♦ Johan Fyrberg - Secretary General, Swedish National Federation

♦ Moderator: Somesh Dutt - Manager Events Classication & Sustainability