12 Mar BASIS Conference 2018 Hosted by BBC Sport at Media City
Calls for sustainable and active modes of transport to sports venues at the 2018 BASIS Conference on sustainability in sport.
Held at BBC Sport in Media City, Salford on 1st and 2nd March, the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) conference brought together a broad range of stakeholders interested in how we can make professional sport more sustainable.
Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Chris Boardman, who is now Greater Manchester’s first ever commissioner for walking and cycling, stated that more needed to be done by governing bodies of sport and hosts of mega events to promote cycling and walking to venues by fans and those working or volunteering at events.
Chris Boardman was speaking as part of a panel discussion with Olympic yachtsman Sir Ben Ainslie, Chairman of Forest Green Rovers FC, Dale Vince, and World Champion Paralympian, Alexandra Rickham, that saw all participants encouraging governing bodies to enhance mobility options at sports events through investment in infrastructure such as cycle locking facilities and cycle lanes.
The discussion echoed work undertaken by Healthy Stadia for UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 and a recent Guardian blog highlighting good practices in countries such as Denmark and The Netherlands, and the need to develop an active travel culture amongst fans and stadium workforces.
Above: Many clubs in Europe, including FC Twente, encourage their fans to cycle to the their stadium on a matchday.
The BASIS Conference also covered the following agenda items over the course of two days:
- Sustainable venue management: the exciting launch of a new accreditation system for sports stadiums and facilities
- An international perspective: connecting Britain with the global sport sustainability movement
- The role of sport in sustainable practice: water management, energy use, waste/recycling
- Integrating sustainability considerations at all levels of sport: from athletes to administrator
- The importance of sport in the wider sustainability movement – partnering with business and environment sectors
For more information about the British Association for Sustainable Sport, visit: www.basis.org.uk
