World Athletics publishes Sustainability Report, Glasgow event achieves platinum standard

The standard was trialled by a number of World Championships and one-day events over the last year, ready for implementation earlier this year. The ABW Standard consists of 55 action areas that address event delivery, aligning with the six pillars of the World Athletics Sustainability Strategy: Leadership in sustainability; sustainable production and consumption; climate change and carbon; local environment and air quality; global equality; and diversity, accessibility and wellbeing.

Organisers of over 300 one-day athletics competition series events and label road races were introduced to the ABW Standard since its unveiling in December 2021, and a number of events piloted the system and specific elements across 2022 and 2023 before its wider implementation in January.

While reporting against the ABW Standard was not mandatory for the Glasgow edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships, Glasgow still scored 108 of the 120 available points in the tiered ABW Standard to achieve platinum. Potential hosts whose bids were opened during the latter half of 2023 will now be contractually obligated to commit to a high level of delivery, with the 2027 World Championships in Beijing being the first event that will be required to deliver to a gold level achievement.

Some of the efforts by Glasgow’s local organising committee included more than 800 staff and volunteers receiving mental health training; partnering with a food bank in the Scottish city; reducing the event’s carbon emissions through partnerships and catering opportunities; and adding a dedicated social impact project manager.

Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics and Co-chair of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 Steering Group, said: “After staging an unforgettable World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, it is fantastic news to hear the Championships has achieved platinum level against the Athletics for a Better World Standard with regards to sustainability. It is a credit to all the team working on the championships that they have achieved the highest standard possible and shown they are world-leading in this area.

“Not only was it a superb event on the track and in the field in Glasgow, but this outstanding event has shown how it can be delivered sustainably and be used as a model for future championships. Congratulations to all involved in achieving this incredible feat.”

World Athletics’ latest Sustainability Report further highlighted some of the progress made by global events. Last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary saw the local organising committee embark on an urban regeneration project; reduce plastic consumption with 342,000 single-use plastic bottles avoided and host two live panels around sustainability.

Additionally, the Oslo Bislett Games, a historic stop on the Diamond League, has cut its carbon emissions by nearly 40% and travel expenses by a third since implementing sustainable practices.

In 2022, the World Athletics Championships in the US state of Oregon saw 13,200kg of waste diverted from landfill; zero plastic bottles distributed, instead handing out 8,000 reusable containers; 2,358kg of food donated; and 3,263 metric tonnes of CO2e avoided due to use of renewable diesel.

While World Athletics noted in its report that it was a signatory of the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework, working towards reducing its carbon footprint against a 2019 baseline, the body did not include a figure for this nor for any of its six pillars of sustainability.

However, World Athletics said that a carbon emissions calculation tool has been developed for member federations, and is currently working on a sustainable travel policy that will be fully implemented by the end of this year. Additionally, the international federation noted that more than 90% of its carbon emissions were generated by travel. World Athletics balanced unavoidable emissions by investing in three Gold Standard carbon offsetting projects.

Global Sustainable Sport approached World Athletics to enquire if it was due to release its own carbon footprint figures, and the progress made towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, and its own broader sustainable targets, but did not hear back prior to publication.

Image: Nicolas Hoizey on Unsplash