On 24 November, the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 was honored as one of this year’s winners of the 16th German Sustainability Awards. Berlin 2023 was nominated in the category of large sporting events which “aims to promote the further development of the idea of sustainability in sports, the sports public and the sports industry.”
The Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis (DNP) selected Berlin 2023 from a pool of finalists that each were exemplary drivers of sustainability in their respective fields. A key aspect of winning the honor was the approach each event or company took in achieving sustainability and what legacy of sustainability would be left because of it. The DNP said, “… sustainability should be thought of holistically and not just reduced to environmental issues. Social sustainability also plays a special role here. Only if all dimensions are considered and implemented can the transformation of this wide-reaching sector succeed.”
The other two winners alongside Berlin 2023 in the category of “(Large) Events, match days and sports festivals” were Deutscher Skiverband for the Luge and Biathlon World Championships and the European Championships Munich 2022 for nine Olympic sports championships. All three events helped to drive sustainable efforts in the realm of sport and set new standards for the sustainability targets Germany continues to achieve.
