Sustainability

The ICF has teamed up with the City of Augsburg, the event organising committee, local athletes and the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS) to prepare a sustainability action sheet.

The project covers food and water, waste management, transport and social awareness.

Among the initiatives are a bike station at the venue, re-fill water bottles for all the athletes, school visits, and the preferred use of local products and producers.

“I think sustainability is the key for the development of our sport." ICF vice-president, Thomas Konietzko, said.

"We are a sport in a natural environment. This is a common issue for all disciplines, not only for competitive disciplines but also for recreational paddlers. It’s a common objective where we can work with our whole community, and this should be only the first step.

"Now we have to work together with our stakeholders and our community to continue and to prove in our daily lives how our sport fits perfectly in the environment."

Read the final report of the pilot project here.

The International Canoe Federation will follow up the successful launch of its sustainability program last year with major projects during the 2019 season as it continues to raise awareness of environmental issues.

The ICF will partner the organisers of the 2019 Canoe Slalom and Wildwater World Championships in La Seu, Spain, to build on the project which was launched in Augsburg, Germany, last year. 

A workshop involving the ICF, La Seu host organising committee, key stakeholders and project supporters AISTS (International Academy of Sport Science and Technology), identified several key strategies which will be put into place for the September world championships.  

“We are absolutely thrilled to once again have enthusiastic and resourceful partners to help us raise awareness on this very important global issue,” ICF Sustainability Manager, Catherine Wieser, said.

“Environmental sustainability is an important issue for our athletes, our volunteers and our broader canoeing community. As an experienced international federation and a proud member of the Olympic family, we are excited to take a leading role in projects like this.”

La Seu organising committee chair, Ramon Ganyet, said his team is looking forward to playing its part in creating a more sustainable canoe event.

“La Seu is such a beautiful location, and the local community is very environmentally aware,” he said.

“We love hosting major events like this, and to be able to also use this as a platform to promote ways to be more sustainable is a great opportunity for us.

“We have already had a fantastic workshop, and the level of enthusiasm from everyone involved was fantastic. This is going to be a great partnership.”

This year’s project in La Seu will build on the foundations laid in Augsburg last year, using initiatives revolving around the three pillars of environment, economy and social. These include promoting re-usable drink bottles, avoiding disposable items (plastic and paper) and food waste, providing local artcraft, and organising schools involvement.

The organiser is teaming up with a local waste management company, MEU, which will provide an award for the most successful recycling team. The Catalan Waste Agency will sponsor the sustainability program approved jointly in the meeting, with the aim of recycling 80 per cent of waste generated, and completely eliminating waste plastics.

“We want to improve our understanding of how host organising committees are involved in sustainable action, and how we can support them in the best manner,” Ms Wieser said.

“We will collect plenty of data during the events, including interviews with athletes and organisers, and will oversee an info session on sustainability as part of the event observer program.”

The 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom and Wildwater World Championships will be held in La Seu from September 25-29.

Read the final report of the pilot project here.

The International Canoe Federation and the organising committee for the 2019 ICF Junior and U23 canoe sprint world championships in Pitesti, Romania, have unveiled details of a sustainability project they will run during the event.

The pilot project will cover areas like recycling, sustainable products, transport and local economy and will help set new guidelines for future event hosts.

“Last year we conducted a sustainability project at a canoe slalom world cup in Augsburg, Germany, and we also joined the IOC and UN Environment’s Clean Seas project,” ICF sustainability co-ordinator, Catherine Wieser, said.

“Now we are focusing on our canoe sprint community. The ICF is committed to making our events all over the world environmentally sustainable, and we are excited to have the team at the 2019 ICF junior and U23 canoe sprint world championships working with us.”

“Already we have been impressed by their enthusiasm and the initiatives they are hoping to implement. This will set the bar high for future events.”

Underlining the commitment of the host organising committee, Budeasa Village Mayor Nicolae Mihail Rachieru and local athletes attended a preliminary meeting with the ICF. The meeting agreed on several desired outcomes for the July event.

Recycling and waste management will be a high priority as will the use of cutlery and plates instead of plastic. The goal is also to use solar and water-generated electricity at the venue, and to minimise the need for transportation.

For the first time, the ICF will conduct an information session focusing on sustainability during the event.

“Our goal is to use Pitesti to set guidelines for future ICF events,” Ms Wieser said.

“We are already blessed to be in a sport where our athletes, officials and supporters are very environmentally aware, and this is our chance to capitalise on that commitment.” 

The 2019 ICF junior and U23 canoe sprint world championships were held in Pitesti, Romania, from August 1 until August 4.

Read the final report of the pilot project here.