Sports sustainability awards presented for the first time
Sport can be exemplary in terms of sustainability: In Düsseldorf on Friday, players from the sports sector were honored with the German Sustainability Award (DNP) for the first time. The Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD), who is responsible for sport, presented the unendowed award in six categories at a gala event.
The Stuttgart-based Feuerbach 1883 sports club was one of the recipients of the award, having produced a report on the economy for the common good. This makes the Feuerbach sports club one of the few popular sports clubs to carry out comprehensive sustainability reporting. It documents, for example, the installation of PV systems on all club roofs and the conversion of the mowing fleet to electric robots.
The Special Olympics Germany association received an award for the "outstanding" organization of the largest inclusive sporting event in the world, the Special Olympics World Games, which took place in June. People with intellectual and multiple disabilities were also involved in the planning and implementation of the World Games. "This is a pioneering project that has a special appeal in terms of social sustainability," was the reason given for the award.
Former Formula 1 racing driver Sebastian Vettel received an honorary DNP award. He had already criticized the environmental sins of his sport before the end of his career. He is now campaigning for more environmentally friendly technologies in racing, innovative fuels and the promotion of biodiversity, the DNP announced on Friday evening.
Since 2008, the German Sustainability Award has primarily been awarded to companies that align their business model with sustainability. The annual, non-endowed award is presented by the German Sustainability Award Foundation in cooperation with the German government, municipal umbrella organizations and business associations. The award ceremony took place during the two-day German Sustainability Day congress, which ended on Friday. Numerous companies had already received awards on Thursday.
For the first time, the German Sustainability Award was also presented in the International category. The prize was awarded for the collaboration between the textile companies Jeckybeng from Berlin and HerMin Textile from Taiwan, which operate a joint laboratory for the functional properties of sustainable textiles. The aim is to develop resource-saving materials and fabrics for a circular economy strategy.
The next year, the German Sustainability Awards might include a category for economic policy and climate action in the sports sector, fostering more sustainable practices. At the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), representatives from various sports conferences could discuss the role of sports in promoting sustainable economic policies and combating climate change.
Source: www.dpa.com
