KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
A study conducted as part of the project
Based on Whittemore and Knafl’s (2005) process for integrative reviews and the PRISMA guidelines, the following search terms were used to identify relevant literature in two databases (SPORTDISCUS and Web of Science): “sport* AND event* AND sustainab*/CSR*/social* respons*/legac*”. The literature search was further defined by peer-reviewed academic journals in English and published in 2023 or before, resulting in 4,628 cases after the removal of duplicates. The research team screened the identified records based on clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and ended up with 848 studies to review in depth.
The first published study dates back to 1999 and since then the number of publications has risen continuously. Since 2019, the number of publications on the sustainability of sporting events has increased significantly, as Figure 1 impressively shows. More than half of all studies were published in the period 2019-2023, with an average of 129 studies per year.
The majority of studies (72%) used empirical research methods, while conceptual studies and systematic literature reviews accounted for a small proportion. Among the empirical studies, there were a large number of publications that used quantitative research methods (47%) and roughly the same number of studies that used qualitative methods (45%) to contribute to the knowledge gained in this field of research. Mixed methods research was rather rarely applied (8%).
The sports events analysed on the topic of sustainability were predominantly held in Europe (36%) and Asia (28%) (see Figure 3). It is striking that the UK plays a dominant role in this respect, which is mainly due to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. What is striking in this context is that it was predominantly summer sports (67%), multi-sport events (50.7%) and spectator sports events (79%) that were analysed (see Figure 4). Major sporting events such as the Olympic Games and football World Cups dominate the research. Smaller sporting events, winter sports, mass sporting events (e.g., marathons) and women's and individual sports are significantly underrepresented in research on the sustainability of sporting events.
The two sustainability dimensions Economic (42%) and Social (41%) dominated the studies. Ecological sustainability, which is primarily associated with sustainability in the public perception, was the focus of only 8% of the studies, while 9% of the scientific publications analysed several dimensions (see Figure 5). The categorisation of the studies with regard to the 17 sustainability development goals (SDG) shows that SDG 3 - Good health and well-being and SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth (143 studies each; see Figure 6) were the most frequently researched, followed by SDG 12 - Sustainable consumption and production (125), SDG 11 - Sustainable cities and communities (118) and SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure (48).
