EVENT PROFILE assists key players in the event, cultural and audiovisual production sectors to reduce their environmental footprint while building social and economic impact. CQEER also organizes the annual Les Vivats event, which recognizes sustainability initiatives in all fields. “In 2022, the Council helped the Toronto edition [of the National Bank Open] to implement certain eco- responsible measures for the first time in order to align the initiatives of the two tournaments. In 2023, the Council’s job was more to supervise data collection for the Toronto tournament,” says Karelle Trottier, CQEER’s project manager for sustainable events and environmental health. CQEER prepared reports with recommendations for both events. A CQEER lifecycle analysis of 10 Quebec events shows that transportation, food and waste management are the top contributors to environmental footprint. “If an event wants to reduce its environmental impact, it must find solutions to reduce the transportation of athletes, spectators, volunteers and employees. This can mean offering free or discounted public transport tickets, providing shuttles or renting hybrid or electric vehicles,” Trottier says. “To reduce the impact of food, we simply need to reduce the supply of red meat, increase the supply of vegetarian meals and prioritize local, organic and fair- trade food,” Trottier says. “Finally, waste management is also an issue. Reduction at source and good waste management must be prioritized.” FINDING SOLUTIONS One of the biggest challenges for Tennis Canada, says Tétreault, is working to integrate its suppliers, sponsors and other partners into the plan with everything from zero-waste promotional products to reusable signage, “something we’re trying to tackle in the coming years.” Trottier says she “definitely” sees more interest in sustainability from event organizers, especially in sport. “Sometimes the interest is really personal to someone inside the organization. On the other hand, many funders are imposing eco-responsible conditions on their funding applications and this is forcing organizations to make greater efforts,” she says, adding that an environmental sports network, the Réseau éco-sportif, has been formed to bring together organizers to find solutions to common challenges. “The goal is obviously to keep doing better,” says Tétreault. “Beyond our mission to ensure the growth of tennis in Canada, it’s also our responsibility to be an active player in ensuring a sustainable future in the sport.” TORONTO PARTICIPANTS ALONE REFILLED 8,039 WATER BOTTLES SCAN THE QR CODE to read the sustainability reports for both the Montreal and Toronto National Bank Open events. 25 SPRING 2024 | ADRENALIN ADRENALINMAG.CA
