World Triathlon continues to work hard to minimise its impact on the planet and, as part of its commitment to doing so, has launched a new document designed to help its Local Organising Committee partners adopt more environmentally friendly approaches to hosting events.

The comprehensive Sustainability Guidelines for Event Organisers set out a range of best practices and approaches to everything from public transport provision to waste management, all based around the ‘three-tree’ certification system that will be a requirement of all events in the future.

“When our environmental impact is taken seriously and considerately, it doesn’t necessarily need to be more expensive or more time-consuming. It does, however, need to become a habit. Minimising our negative impact on the planet is all of our responsibility and I am proud to say that World Triathlon could not be taking it more seriously. These guidelines represent an important step in the ways in which we deliver events so we can work with all our stakeholders towards clear sustainability goals,” said World Triathlon President and IOC Member Marisol Casado.

From creating paperless events or avoiding single-use plastics to achieving carbon neutrality, each LOC will have its own goals. Whatever the starting point, the overriding target is a significant reduction in the climate footprint of the events, which is the most comprehensive approach to measuring the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. A broad concept by its very nature, that also means that there is an equally broad number of ways in which those emissions can be mitigated, presented in the new World Triathlon Sustainability Certification for events. 

Within this recognised three-tree rating system there are ‘Must have’, ‘Recommended’ and ‘Nice to have’ actions for LOCs to achieve. A three-person panel determined by the World Triathlon Executive Board and Sustainability Commission will assess the dossiers submitted by LOCs and award gold, silver or bronze certification in accordance with the parameters laid out in the guidelines.

As well as an easy-read four-part plan to creating a sustainability plan for LOCs, there are in-depth methods and concepts that cover the staffing, site and infrastructure, accommodation, procurement, mobility, energy use and supply, catering and waste and water management of the event.

With these guidelines in place from the outset, World Triathlon wants to make the implementation of more sustainable events as straightforward as possible, so that all stakeholders can work together from the outset towards the same goal. By doing so, not only will the awareness be greater, the effect stronger and costs potentially reduced but, of course, the climate footprint and environmental impact of triathlon racing can be significantly reduced.

The Sustainability Guidelines for Event Organisers can be found here

All LOCs looking to join the programme can email sustainability@triathlon.org