The Winter Olympics should only be held in Switzerland if it is possible to establish a new generation of Games that are committed to the idea of sustainability and social added value. This vision of the Graubünden Association 2022 is now being realized in a guided process. Under the title “Sustainability — Innovation — Legacy” (NIV), a high-level, independent committee led by former IOC Director General Urs Lacotte was formed on Wednesday. Broad-based working groups are now working on various topics — the first results will be available in December.
The Winter Olympics should be fun and enable fair competition among athletes. In addition, modern Olympic Games are also expected to provide real added value for social development. They should have a lasting effect and not simply come to an end after the last award ceremony. The candidacy Graubünden 2022 wants to take a new approach here and set up a high-level committee on Wednesday to address this requirement. Various, broad-based working groups will deliver concrete results by December.
“In the beginning, there was the question of whether games in Switzerland could even have a lasting effect,” explains Urs Lacotte. The former Director General of the IOC heads the NIV Committee (Sustainability — Innovation — Legacy) as delegate of the Board of the Grisons Association 2022. Around 60 personalities from science, business, authorities and NGOs have been convinced by the idea and are working in various working groups to get Switzerland's candidacy on the path of sustainability and to create a legacy of the Olympic Games with innovative solutions that goes far beyond the Games.
The initial phase involves basics, such as the development of a joint charter, which obliges all players in the gaming environment to sustainability. Several groups are already working on issues relating to the sustainable implementation of the Olympic Games in 2022, and innovative projects will then be identified in the future-oriented topics of “Life in the Mountains” and “Youth, Sport and Olympic Values.” Overall, a portfolio of projects is to be created that gives the candidacy the appeal to create added value far beyond sport.
Urs Lacotte is convinced that significant first steps can be taken by December and that these will bring the necessary spirit to the candidacy for a turning point: “We want to use the power of the Games and find answers to socio-political questions that we must ask ourselves today. For example, we want to know how people will live in the mountains in 30 years, how we are tackling the challenges of climate change for winter sports and tourism, or how we can get young people to exercise while respecting nature, both in popular sports and in top-class sport.”
gartmann.biz supports Graubünden 2022 in media and marketing: Christian Gartmann is Head of Marketing & Communications at the Graubünden 2022 Association.