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Sustainability round-up: July 6
This week’s sustainability round-up includes questions raised over a ‘climate positive’ Brisbane 2032 Olympics; France 2023’s work with refugees; the International Biathlon Union’s reward for sustainability; and the International Rugby Experience’s ISO certification for sustainable event management.
Artist and campaigner Bob Geldof has criticised Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and accused her of hypocrisy after it was claimed the Brisbane 2032 Olympics will be the first-ever “climate positive Games”. In an interview with Palaszczuk, Geldof said that Queensland was a “mining state” and highlighted how this conflicted the staging of an environmentally friendly Olympic Games. Six new venues are set to be built for the Brisbane Olympics with the Brisbane Cricket Ground, also known as the Gabba, set to undergo a complete rebuild.
Last month, to mark World Refugee Day, France 2023, Ovale Citoyen and Proman, official sponsor of the Rugby World Cup 2023, revealed the results of a job scheme, which was implemented to help refugees integrate into French society and find employment. After its launch during the Rugby Africa Cup 2022, seven job-dating sessions were organised in the Rugby Villages as part of the France 2023 Rugby Tour. Seven more were held this year in host cities of the Rugby World Cup 2023. Each participant was offered an individual interview to find either a paid training, fixed-term contract or a permanent contract. In total, 559 recognised refugees from 15 countries benefited from the programme.
The winners of the IBU (International Biathlon Union) Organising Committee (OC) Award for Excellence in Sustainability 2023 were announced. The OCs from Oberhof, Germany for the World Cup, and Martell, Italy, for the IBU Cup/Junior Cup received the accolades in their respective categories. The OCs received winners’ cheques of €10,000 and €5,000, respectively, during an IBU OC meeting in Prague, Czech Republic.
Following its opening in early May, the International Rugby Experience in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, has been awarded ISO 20121 certification. This certification is an international standard for sustainable event management, created by the International Organisation for Standardisation and certified by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).
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