A concrete result of the event dedicated to sustainable development in sport was signing the United Nations Sustainable Commitment Sports for Climate Action" by the President of the NOC Slovenia Franjo Bobinac.

By joining the Sports for Climate Action Framework, organizations commit to supporting its overarching mission to help drive the sports sector to net-zero emissions by mid-century, in line with a 1.5°C pathway. Organisations also commit to the Framework’s various principles and values related to collaboration, education and advocacy for climate action. 

Bobinac, based on his belief that people really do believe in athletes the most, said another commitment of NOC Slovenia: the Olympic Committee of Slovenia will appoint one or more ambassadors for sustainability in sport by the end of this year. "This is how we can change Slovenia and change the world", he said. He recalled a visit to the office of IOC President Thomas Bach, where he has the following message on his wall: “Change or be changed”.

Dan Lert, Deputy Mayor of Paris, responsible for the Ecological Transition, Climate Plan, Water and Energy, gave the opening speech. The panelist were Ms Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia 2015-2020 and member of the IOC; Julie Duffus, Senior Advisor for Sustainability at the IOC; and Tom Fux, Vice President of Toyota Motor Europe. The opening lecture was given by Dr Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair of the United Nations International Panel on Resources (UNEP) and former Commissioner of the European Commission for Science and Research (2004-2009) and for the Environment (2009-2014). The discussion was moderated by Dr Alja Brglez, Chair of the Sustainability Commission of the OKS-UKSZ.

At the beginning of the event, the host, the President of the OKS-ŠŠZ, Mr Bobinac, welcomed the participants and said that he was very pleased that the Slovenian House could provide a platform for this important topic, which is not only crucial for us, but also for our descendants.

Dr Brglez began by saying that sustainability is not only a 'trendy' topic, but is also becoming increasingly important and taken into account, including in sport. Acting sustainably also requires significant personal adaptation, and such decisions are the most difficult to make - which is why sport as an activity that is close to people, and in particular sportsmen/sportswomen who have an almost magical power to inspire, is so important.

Dan Lert, Deputy Mayor of Paris, said he was honoured to be part of today's important debate on sustainability in sport. On behalf of Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, he welcomed the guests to the roundtable and stressed that Paris wanted to show that the Games were not only an exceptional sporting spectacle, but also wanted to set new milestones in respect for the environment and sustainable solutions that are linked to our future. The Vice-Mayor also outlined some of the measures Paris is taking to live in the years to come, which he believes will counter climate change. He also spoke about how the Olympic Games have helped to push for an even stronger clean-up of the River Seine.

To introduce the panel, Dr Potočnik presented some current data on sustainability, the circular bio-economy and social inequality, which is crucially linked to environmental problems. Finally, he spoke about how we can better harness the power of sport to tackle climate change and to better adapt to it.

Asked by Dr Brglez how the IOC chooses the hosts of the Olympic Games, former Croatian President and IOC member Grabar-Kitarović, who is also Chair of the commission that decides on the hosts of the next Olympiads, described the principles that guide them - the three key pillars are: environmental responsibility, social responsibility and economic responsibility. She said that environmental change is in fact a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) and that environmental responsibility is key in the selection of hosts. Paris sets a precedent in this respect, and she added that from now on all hosts must sign a contract committing the chosen host to sustainable practices. If this is the 33rd Games of the modern era, concluded host Dr Brglez, it is also possible to say that this may be the 1st Games of the sustainable era.

Mr Fux, Vice President of Toyota Motor Europe, said that the Olympic Games are also an inspiration for them because they can put into practice the solutions they have designed. He added that as a partner of the Olympic Games, Toyota always has mobility for all at the forefront of their minds and that they are giving the Paralympic Games the same attention as the Olympic Games.

In the debate, Julie Duffus, Senior Adviser of Sustainability at the International Olympic Committee, IOC, highlighted the problems that athletes face throughout the year and in different parts of the planet, not only during the Olympic Games, and how this relates to the sustainability solutions we need to implement for all. She stressed that the Olympic Movement is like a big global family where we have to look out for each other and it should not happen that a National Olympic Committee can no longer function for environmental reasons.

The Slovenian Olympic Committee - Association of Sports Federations is one of those National Olympic Committees that already has a sustainability strategy, an action plan and, from 2023, a Commission for Sustainable Development in Sport. With the new leadership and President Franjo Bobinac, the Slovenia NOC wants to show that it understands the times we live in, is aware of the importance and power of sport and wants to preserve the planet for our descendants. Sustainable development is therefore at the heart of the content at the Slovenian House in Paris during the Olympic Games.

More photos at: GALLERY.