The European Championships (EC) Munich 2022 are the largest multi-sport event in Munich since the 1972 Olympic Games. The event is sometimes treated as a "mini-Olympics" by many sports enthusiasts, associations and politicians. This impression is also fostered by the marketing under the slogan "Back to the Roofs". A comparison to the Olympic Games is very obvious. In the last decade, however, it has become clear time and again what a burden the Olympic Games represent for the people, environment and economy of the host country. In contrast, the organizers of the EC in Munich have sustainability written all over their banner and want to set an example for sustainable major sporting events. So is a comparison with the gigantism and impact of the Olympic Games at all justified?
The social, economic and ecological consequences of major sporting events, such as the recent Winter Olympics in Beijing or the upcoming Winter World Cup in Qatar, have been in the international press for some time. Not without reason, environmental groups, human rights organizations and even business associations are sharply criticizing the organizers. Massive human rights violations in Qatar, the construction of gigantic ski facilities in former nature reserves in China at a cost of billions, or the lack of transparency and the passing on of losses to the organizers of Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are just a few examples of the after-effects of sporting events of this scale. Contrast this with the European Championships, which had a sustainability concept firmly integrated into the planning even before the commitment to Munich 2019. The idea is easily accessible to any observer: reuse the old buildings of the 1972 Olympic Games as venues for the European Championships. The Bavarian Minister of the Interior and Sports, Joachim Herrmann, was already very enthusiastic about this: "It's a message to the whole world: you can also hold an international competition like this in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way." But events of this kind have long since included more than just the venues.
EC Munich's sustainability concept encompasses three levels: ecological, social and economic. Officials say that the aim is to "generate long-term added value for the host city, the region and the nation, and to serve as a source of inspiration for future major sporting events."
From an ecological point of view, this is to be achieved by reusing the old sports facilities and passing on the temporary facilities and newly acquired sports equipment. Nevertheless, some renovations had to be made in advance, for example the new tartan track in the Olympic Stadium. In addition, the CO2 emissions for transporting people and materials were to be kept as low as possible through short distances and the proximity of public transport. Each spectator will also have the opportunity to compensate for his or her ecological footprint by making a donation to a reforestation and nature conservation program in Nicaragua. In this way, the organizers also want to compensate for the travel to and from the event for the athletes and support staff. As an outsider, however, it is not possible to check how much has been donated. Furthermore, there is a "waste concept" for the reduction of waste through packaging, advertising materials or decoration and support of sorted waste separation. According to the label, the volunteers' T-shirts are made of recycled PET bottles and are therefore supposed to be sustainable. An event with millions of visitors will nevertheless inevitably produce tons of waste. Also questionable are all the other advertising banners and decorations, which will definitely not be reused in this form after the event.
On a social level, the "Count and Last" initiative was started a year before EC Munich began. Every month, a socially sustainable project was carried out, in which interested parties could also get involved. From wheelchair ramps made of Lego bricks to table tennis games for children in Uganda to clean-up projects in Munich, twelve creative ideas were implemented. Here, too, exact numbers of participants are not available, but at least there was a follow-up report on each project. Furthermore, the aim is to achieve complete accessibility at all venues and to enable every visitor to participate on an equal footing. And popular sport should also benefit from the Championships. Sport and health should be in the foreground and clubs and associations, especially in the nine sports of the European Championships, should be in the spotlight.
In economic terms, the main aim is to strengthen the region. The city of Munich is to be presented as a tourist destination and the regional art, culture, hotel and gastronomy scene is to be given the opportunity to present itself, especially within the framework of the festival.
A direct comparison to the gigantic scale, logistical effort and impact of the Olympic Games is thus rather far-fetched. This already starts with the number of participants: With 4,900 athletes and one million expected spectators, the European Championships reach only a fraction of the crowds that showed up at past Olympic Games. The detailed sustainability concept also sets the EC Munich apart from many previous major sporting events. Thus, the European Championships in Munich rather emerge with a positive balance. Despite this, there is still potential to be seen and an Olympic bid by Germany should continue to be well considered precisely because of the experiences of the European Championships - perhaps also first with a transparent message to the population.
Text: Julian Brandt
Photos: Julian Brandt & Jan Cederic Mann