Sporting events are outstanding events for participants and visitors, but also a challenge with regard to the idea of sustainability. In line with the national strategy for major sporting events, the common goal of organisers, sports associations and government levels is to plan and hold sporting events in such a way that they fulfil an intergenerational responsibility for sustainable development. In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development⁽¹⁾, sporting events can play an important role in sustainable transformation (i.e. the change from the current state to a desired target state) due to their social reach. This applies to sporting events of all sizes, i.e. both outstanding international events such as the Olympic Games, World and European Championships as well as national, regional and local sporting events in competitive and amateur sports. 

The principle of sustainability requires a rethink in all areas: Concepts and courses of action must be sustainable in the long term and human rights risks must be minimised. The project sees itself as a pioneer for sustainable sporting events of tomorrow and accepts that sustainability is not completely achievable, but remains indispensable as a guiding principle. The results of the project will be made available on a web portal. 

⁽¹⁾ The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global action programme that was adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2015. It consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are to be achieved by 2030 (see also Figure 7). The 2030 Agenda strives for a holistic and integrated approach in order to promote sustainable development that takes equal account of social, economic and environmental aspects.