Every year, hundreds of millions of people around
the world cheer on their football team in packed sta-
diums, see their favourite artist live surrounded by
other excited fans, or spend several days at a music
festival dancing and enjoying a wide range of enter-
tainment. Whether its sports or music, events like
these offer people the chance to socialise, get away
from the daily grind and have fun.
There is a major economic draw for holding large
events, however, the impact they have on our planet
should not be overlooked. In the UK, around 75 mi-
llion people attend sporting events each year and 30
million go to gigs and festivals. In Spain, 22 million
attend music events annually.
The environmental effects of these large-scale
events are multiple, with waste being one of the
most evident. UK music festivals alone generate
around 23,500 tonnes of waste every year – 68%
of which ends up in landfill. Emissions from trans-
portation to and from an event is another major
factor and is often not considered by those atten-
ding. The events onsite carbon footprint can also
be hefty, with considerable amounts of fuel used
to power everything from onsite facilities, staging
and lighting as well as transportation and set up of
infrastructure.
Noise, chemical pollution, sewerage, traffic con-
gestion, spikes in poor air quality and environmental
degradation (where events are held outdoors) also
contribute to their negative environmental impact.
Thankfully, mounting awareness and a responsi-
bility for sustainability, both by individuals and busi-
nesses, are now playing a major part in how those
attending can limit their carbon footprint and how
organisers plan and hold large events.
Last year, Gibraltar hosted the XVIII Island Ga-
mes. 22 islands and a total of 2500 athletes and
officials travelled from around the globe to take
part, with organisers pledging to make these games
the greenest yet.
OTWO met with Games Director, Kim Chang, one
of the many people responsible for making sure the
games went off without a hitch and that their en-
vironmental commitments were upheld and imple-
mented.
With a background as a sports manager, his first
major event was the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Kim
32
recalls how it was probably the first Olympic Ga-
mes that started looking at greener alternatives and
initiating sustainability agendas, since then every
Olympic Games has tried to improve and consider its
legacy.
Fastforward to Tokyo 2020, and sustainability is
playing a huge part in the planning and infrastructu-
re of the games. Unlike two decades ago, any coun-
try applying to host the games must include green
agendas and policies in their bid documents to be
seriously considered.
The primary focus and ethos of last year’s Island
Games also centred around sustainability. The ga-
mes slogan was “Clean Seas, Our Future” and the
chosen mascot was a dolphin named Hope – repre-
senting the abundant cetacean wildlife found right
here in the Straits. The games sustainability pledge
covered everything from transport, procurement, ca-
tering and waste reduction, with an aim of finding
greener alternatives for the athletes and officials
throughout the event.
Each team is usually given a welcome bag upon
arrival, containing a water bottle and other useful
items. With 2500 of these bags due to be handed
out, they opted to swap the traditional nylon draws-
tring bag to a cotton one and to include bottles made
of aluminium rather than plastic.
Rather than handing out ‘bang bang’ sticks (infla-
table plastic sticks used to create a clapping noise
when hit together) to the crowd, they gave out recy-
clable cardboard concertina fans that make a similar
noise.
One of the local sponsors – AquaGib, invested in
12 portable water refill stations which were placed
in and around the sporting venues. They were later
used at the Gibraltar Music Festival and two of them
can now be found in town for public use.
Across the rest of the event all programmes were
printed on recycled paper, the clay cartridges used
for Clay Target shooting were 100% biodegrada-
ble, fully recyclable ‘Just Water’ tetra paks with
plant-based lids were used during long distance
events, catering and food service items had to be
non-plastic and where possible local suppliers were
used.
Transport was also tackled in an attempt to re-
duce emissions. Ordinarily each team is given a car
OTWO 08 / MARCH 2020
OTWO 08 / MARCH 2020
33