In this editorial we will examine the economic and environmental sustainability of the Eurovision Song Contest, how that has impacted the rise of the underdog host cities and what it all means for the future of the contest.
What do we mean by sustainability?
When we think of sustainability we immediately think of the climate. However, sustainability has many implications. It is about considering the social and economic scale as well. This is especially important when it comes to the balancing act of hosting major events that take over the location it is hosted in. Sustainability ensures that resources are used in an efficient and ethical way to provide long-term viability. This means hosting events in a way that supports a healthy environment and meets the social and economic needs of the region.
Birth of a new age in sustainable spectator events
Over the years the tagline ‘climate crisis’ has made headlines in global media. This has paved the way for the Paris Agreement set in motion in 2015. A legally binding international treaty on climate change. Leading these nations involved to set ambitious Net Zero targets. This is now encouraging cities to factor in the environmental impacts into their bidding process for hosting sport and entertainment events. Now it is almost impossible to find an event not labelling itself as a ‘Green Event’, ‘Net Zero’ or ‘Sustainable’. It runs deeper than just separating plastics from cardboard, it is about changing the entire ethos of how to organise a major event, with the least impact on the environment and combining small gains in every area of production and tourism to make a big difference.
The idea of creating sustainable spectator events started in the Winter Olympics of Lillehammer in 1994. Eventually leading to London’s ‘Zero Waste Olympics’ in 2012 and the first Olympics to measure its own carbon footprint. Fast forward just over a decade later and last years’ Paris Games were officially declared the ‘greenest games ever’. As with most things, where the sporting world starts, the Eurovision Song Contest soon follows.
