ADRIONOSPORTS Improving Sustainability of Sports Facilities and Events through Circular Economy

The United Nations launched the Global Climate Action: Sports for Climate Action Framework and the Football for the Goals Initiative, which highlights the complexity of sport's impact on climate and the difficulty of measuring its impact as well as its importance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The EU Work Plan for Sport 2021-2024 recognises the role of sport in the environment and the fight against climate change, described in the “Priority Area: Socio-economic and Environmental Dimensions of Sport” and the key themes “Green Sport”, “Sports Facilities” and “Major Sporting Events”.

The overall objective of the ADRIONOSPORTS project is to improve the sustainability of sports events and facilities by promoting circular economy concepts and tools and by building relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes of the staff of sports clubs/associations, event organisers, stakeholders involved in the construction/renovation of sports facilities and main product/service providers.

Goal directly linked to UEFA's “Football for Sustainability Strategy 2030” and its four environmental policies: Circular Economy, Climate and Advocacy, Event Sustainability, Infrastructure Sustainability.

In the sports sector, events face great challenges in terms of climate change. Large amounts of waste are produced during events, while energy consumption to power sports facilities and water consumption for toilets and to irrigate fields put pressure on the environment. In addition to these problems, we should also consider the consumption, waste and pollution produced during the construction of new buildings, car parks, flats and other sports-related facilities.

The project therefore has the following specific objectives:

1) To promote the adoption of circular economy principles in the sports sector

2) To create the necessary tools to enable circular economy initiatives by sports facility owners.

ADRIONOSPORTS proposes a holistic approach, in line with the 4 key environmental policies of the UEFA Circular Economy Guidelines, which aim to collectively address the challenges related to these topics, and create a benchmark for sustainable sports facilities and events. It is based on the concept of the circular economy to reduce the footprint of sports events and facilities, following the 4 principles of the circular economy (4Rs): Reduce - Reuse - Recycle - Recover.

The following work packages (WPs) are foreseen:

1. development of a joint strategy and action plan for the adoption of Circular Economy principles in sports facilities and events

2. development of pilot actions for the adoption of Circular Economy principles in sports facilities and events

3. development of a joint Toolbox for the development of green sports facilities and events in the ADRION area

4. development of a ‘Circular Economy Academy’ aimed at capacity building at sectoral and institutional level and of stakeholders with regard to the sustainability of sports activities and facilities.

- Municipality of Cervia (IT)

- TREK Development SA (EL)

- Tourism Bohinj (SI)

- City of Makarska (HR)

- Football Association of Montenegro (ME)

- Public institution "Center for Sports and Recreation"(BA)

- Regional economic development agency for Sumadija and Pomoravlje (RS)

- Albanian Football Association (AL)