The sustainability of the Winter Olympics is made verifiable on the basis of binding sustainability goals. Sustainability experts and representatives from business, science, sports and society have developed a binding NIV Charter with sustainability goals on behalf of Graubünden in 2022. As part of the NIV process on sustainability, innovation and legacy, an innovation process was also launched, which will help find answers to the challenges in the Alpine region with specific projects. From the perspective of the Graubünden government, the NIV process is a decisive success factor for the Graubünden Olympic candidacy.
“The challenge is great because many people today think that the Winter Games represent exactly the opposite of the idea of sustainability,” said District President Hansjörg Trachsel, summarizing the initial situation at the presentation of the NIV Charter in Landquart. “With the NIV Dialogue launched in summer, Grisons 2022 is taking a new path and the NIV Charter sets out clear rules of the game against which the entire project must be measured.” Over the next few weeks, the Graubünden government will be working intensively on the NIV Charter that is now available. For the cantonal government, according to Trachsel, working in the NIV process plays a key role in the entire Winter Olympics project.
“The NIV Charter will apply to everyone involved in the project,” confirms Urs Lacotte, former Director General of the IOC, who is leading ongoing work on the NIV process as a delegate of the association's board. He is aware of the difficulty of his task: “It is about nothing less than the public's trust in this novel innovation process, which focuses on the long-term effects of the Olympic Games.” The NIV Charter is currently being drafted by a group of sustainability experts under the direction of Professor Jürg Stettler (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences) and Daniel Wiener (Managing Director ecos). After consultation with the federal government, canton and partners and an acceptance in the popular vote in Grisons, it is then declared binding.
The Charter sets tough conditions, such as the consistent use of public transport, the implementation of energy efficiency or the CO2-neutral organization of the Games.
A total of over 120 experts from public authorities, politics, business, tourism, society, science, sports and culture have already been involved in the NIV process. The aim is to find answers to the challenges that arise together.
“The games are what we make of them.”
There are also other goals in the area of economic efficiency: The games must not result in higher indebtedness for municipalities and the canton. If these goals cannot be achieved, Graubünden will ultimately refrain from running for office. If the goals can be achieved thanks to an innovative solution, Grisons 2022 has the potential to fundamentally change the way the Winter Olympics are held.
“The games are what we make of them,” summarized Tarzisius Caviezel, President of the Grisons Association 2022. “The NIV process is an expression of the fact that Grisons is serious about the sustainability of the Games in 2022. The process helps to identify opportunities and risks with as many experts as possible from all areas of society, business and science.” Caviezel emphasized how important it is that the state government, the canton and also the sponsors stand behind this ambitious concept. “Everyone supports this unusual and ambitious approach.”
“The current concept of the Winter Games is in crisis in the public perception of Switzerland. Winter Games only make sense for us if a new generation of Winter Games is actually founded,” summarizes Urs Lacotte. “The Winter Olympics have the power to create something new. They can bring people together and allow projects to grow that would otherwise not be created.” The first results of the NIV process will be presented before the referendum on March 3.
infos
Association XXIV. Graubünden 2022 Winter Olympics
- Christian Gartmann, media spokesperson
- gartmann@gr2022.ch
- 079 355 78 78
- Urs Lacotte, Chairman of the NIV Committee
- urs.lacotte@bluewin.ch
- +41 79 360 35 81
www.gr2022.ch
www.facebook.com/gr2022
Box: Binding sustainability goals
The Graubünden NIV Charter 2022 sets a number of binding sustainability goals. A first version of it has been available since January 10. Following consultations by the Graubünden government and the Federal Council and approval by the Graubünden voters for the Olympic candidacy, it is declared binding for all parties involved in running for the Olympics and holding the 2022 Winter Olympics in Graubünden.
An overview of the sustainability goals
- Protected areas of national importance are not affected by the holding of the Olympic Games.
- The Winter Olympics are climate-neutral, with the focus on preventing and reducing CO2 emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions, which cannot be avoided, are offset by climate protection projects whose criteria are based on the internationally recognized “Gold Standard.”
- Whenever possible, compensation is provided through domestic projects.
- The labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) are met, as are the principles of fair trade.
- The involvement of affected and interested stakeholders in the preparation, implementation and follow-up of the games and the local population is ensured and documented.
- The Olympic Games do not create any additional debt for the venues of St. Moritz and Davos and the Canton of Grisons.
- The Swiss, Graubünden, St. Moritz and Davos-Klosters brands are demonstrably strengthened.
- After the Games, Graubünden and Switzerland are seen as pioneers of sustainable development and as a hospitable country.
- Thanks to the Olympic Games, Switzerland, as a winter sports nation, has a wider range of snow and ice sports than it does today.
- The management of the candidacy or implementation complies with the principles of transparency, credibility and responsibility at all levels.
- The impact of the games on the economy, environment and society is scientifically investigated and documented in an easy-to-understand way.
- The Federal Council and the Governing Council of the Canton of Grisons jointly set up an independent supervisory body made up of all important stakeholders, which continuously monitors and reviews the implementation of the NIV Charter.
Working Group NIV Charter Graubünden 2022
Jürg Stettler (Co-Director), Daniel Wiener (Co-Director), Regula Adank, Gabriella Binkert, Roger Cadosch, Josias F. Gasser, Werner Hediger, Beat Jans, Hansruedi Müller, André Schneider, Mila Trombitas, Daniel Wachter, Sämi Wyttenbach, Gian Gilli, Urs Lacotte
gartmann.biz supports Graubünden 2022 in media and marketing: Christian Gartmann is Head of Marketing & Communications at the Graubünden 2022 Association.