5 QUESTIONS FOR JÖRG FÖRSTER
ABOUT THE PERSON
Jörg Förster combines scientific, educational and entrepreneurial experience with many years of commitment to sport. After training as an interior designer and restorer and studying to become a vocational school teacher, he has worked as a teacher and university lecturer, speaker and managing director in schools, sports organisations and university institutions, published several specialist articles and been responsible for numerous national and international competitions, congresses and conferences. As a member of various scientific advisory boards, he contributes his expertise in an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented manner. He has devoted a large part of his time to volleyball – as a coach and in various organisational roles, including as former vice-president of the Hamburg Volleyball Association (HVBV), co-founder of VC Olympia Hamburg and the support association for the Olympic Training Centre HH/SH. He is also one of the founders of ‘sportainable’, the think tank for greater sustainability in sport.
The outstanding milestone of his involvement in the General German University Sports Association (adh) was the successful hosting of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, which took place this summer in five cities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin [1].
EVENTS AND SUSTAINABILITY
The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games took place from 16 to 27 July 2025 in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. The venues were Bochum, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Hagen, supplemented by individual competitions in Berlin. Around 9,200 athletes from more than 150 nations competed in 18 sports. The event attracted 1.2 million visitors and is named by the LSB in North Rhine-Westphalia as the largest international multi-sport event for student athletes in 2025 [2].
The concept of the event follows the guiding principle of a sustainable, decentralised major sporting event. Further general and specific discussions on sustainability in sporting events can be found in the interview.
THE INTERVIEW
What initial steps would you recommend to event organisers who are just getting started with sustainability?
Awareness raising and goal setting: I recommend that event organisers start by clearly defining their sustainability goals in terms of legacy – what should be different afterwards? The team and all stakeholders need to be aware of why it is important to consider sustainability issues and what contribution the event can make. The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals provide a framework for guidance.
Taking stock and analysing: The status of event planning and infrastructure should be considered in terms of the environment, social issues and economic efficiency. It is important to analyse where there is potential for control and which resources are already being used sustainably.
Stakeholder management: A stakeholder analysis helps to clarify the approach to sustainability taken by the actors to be involved and the contribution they can make. Local authorities, local stakeholders, public authorities, sponsors and partners should be involved at an early stage.
Integration of sustainability criteria into planning: Ecological aspects such as energy use, waste management, sustainable travel and resource consumption should be part of the planning process from the outset. Guidelines such as the DOSB's ‘Green Champions’ guide, www.nachhaltige-sportveranstaltungen.de or the ISO 20121 management system offer guidance.
Information and education: Your own team, participants and spectators should be made aware of the issue as part of the event communication. Sustainable behaviour should be encouraged, e.g. through recycling stations, public transport ticket combinations or competitions for the most sustainable journey.
Start with pilot projects: The initial approach should be small, feasible measures and pilot projects to encourage participation and creativity. Such successes motivate and facilitate further steps. Sustainability should be considered a cross-cutting issue from the outset and backed up with human resources.
Which measures proved particularly effective in making the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games more sustainable – and why?
The FISU World University Games were the largest international sporting event in Germany since 1972 and were intended to serve as a platform for the exchange of sport, culture and science.
The ‘Zoom in & Zoom out’ concept created a foundation based on responsibility for human rights and planetary boundaries. ‘Zoom in’ stands for local perspectives, ‘Zoom out’ for global perspectives.
The inclusive approach was particularly effective. Colleagues with and without disabilities worked together in the organising company. The first-time use of an event inclusion manager – the result of the DOSB's ‘EVI project’ – was a complete success and significantly improved the inclusion of employees and spectators with disabilities.
The integration of a para-discipline (3x3 wheelchair) showed that para-athletes and non-disabled athletes can compete together in the same venue. Team StuDi presented itself inclusively with flag bearers Sören Seebold and Anya Kisskalt.
The Inclusion Summit adopted a groundbreaking ‘Initiative Paper’. EU Commissioner Glenn Micalleff was enthusiastic and suggested a study on the promotion of para-athletes among students in Europe.
What obstacles did you encounter in implementing sustainability, and how did you overcome them?
Budget and resource constraints: Sustainable measures often involve higher initial investments. Public procurement law should be tightened up to prioritise sustainability criteria. We rely on sustainable cost-benefit analyses, subsidies and partnerships.
Awareness and willingness within the team: Not everyone was familiar with the topic. Targeted training courses, workshops and information events raised awareness and created a shared commitment.
Complexity in coordination: Working with many partners required clear communication structures, reporting and transparent responsibilities. Strategy and funding councils, regular meetings with FISU and local authorities helped with coordination.
Technical and infrastructural challenges: Sustainable infrastructure measures required expertise. Solutions were developed through collaboration with experts and by drawing on experience and personnel from previous major events.
Measurement and verifiability: Initially, it was difficult to define key figures. A research group from the University of Mainz accompanied the event. The report is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2026.
These hurdles were overcome through communication, exchange, further training, pragmatic goals and transparent cooperation
What vision or idea do you want to implement in the future to make events even more sustainable?
Sporting events should become communication platforms for sustainability issues. Concepts must include sustainability as a cross-cutting theme – from planning to follow-up.
Future guiding principles:
Holistic sustainability considerations with subsequent reporting as standard.
Use of innovative technologies and digitalisation, e.g. smart greening tools and virtual participation options.
Building vibrant sustainability communities with educational programmes, alumni networks and competitions.
Setting an example through environmental certifications such as ISO 20121.
Regular learning and sharing of best practices via the www.nachhaltige-sportveranstaltungen.de platform.
The aim is for events to be regarded as sustainable beacons in sport and for ecological, social and economic aspects to be given equal consideration.
How does the web portal support you in your work on more sustainable sporting events overall, and what particular added value does it offer you in this regard?
The web portal did not yet exist when planning for the FISU World University Games began. It will be included in the adh's organiser's guide in future.
I believe in the added value of the portal for organisers who want to integrate sustainability as a cross-cutting task. It will reach its full potential if it is continuously maintained, learnings are recorded in a structured manner and stakeholders are networked. This could result in a genuine ‘SGV wiki’ that bundles and qualifies knowledge and promotes exchange so that we do not have to reinvent the wheel every time.