One of the major hurdles to implementing international environmental sustainability objectives is securing local connectivity to, and action for, a global cause. Local communities can struggle in job training, information services support, appropriate policy and legal framework creation, and resource allocation necessary for achieving these goals. Unsurprisingly, this is more likely to occur in developing countries where initiatives are often stumped by spending capabilities and financial allocations.
What may be the largest barrier to connecting communities to international environmental sustainability objectives is cultural integration. Already environmental sustainability is influencing our cultural lifestyle choices, from the food we eat to the way we travel. However, to what extent is it impacting how we are entertained?
Recent international live events show that the relationship between entertainment and sustainability is twofold depending on a country's income and access to information. Entertainment can have a localized influence on environmental sustainability based on where events occur. It also has the potential to communicate sustainability messages to larger audiences beyond customary political and infrastructural frameworks.
International Initiatives:
In 1990, 200 local governments from 43 countries recognized the potential of weaving environmental sustainability goals into cultural fabrics. At the United Nations, they established the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) which focuses on creating initiatives that can provide “effective and cost-effective [ways for achieving] local, national, and global sustainability objectives.” Since creating a cultural norm of environmental sustainability still requires political and infrastructural support as well as knowledge sharing the ICLEI has introduced a guide to assist organizers and hosts in “greening their events,” known as the Green Meeting Guide 2009.
A Shift in Entertainment, Past Accomplishments:
In 2000, the Olympics, held in Australia, became a trendsetter for live events with an environmental focus and sparked worldwide pollution emission change for some participating industries. This event featured the "world’s largest solar village," a "reduction of PVC in building materials,” and “an almost car-less Games” (Greenpeace, Australia Pacific 2009). Also featured at the 2000 Olympics was Coca-Cola’s omission of HFCs in refrigeration. It became a worldwide change for Coca-Cola in 2004 and Unilever and McDonald’s followed suit.
In 2007, Live Earth hosted an internationally broadcasted event, Live Earth: Concerts for Climate in Crisis, calling for solutions to climate change. Held on 7 continents, it leveraged media (particularly internet media) to highlight such activities as recycling and composting. Live Earth reported recycling or composting "79 tons of waste out of the total 97 tons of waste that were generated world-wide at the seven venues.”
However, such events alone can result in and are often criticized for massive electricity use for lighting, carbon dioxide emission from travel, and waste pollution. Even smaller scale events, like the World Summit on Sustainable Development, have reported astonishing environmental impacts (see Figure 1).
A Shift in Entertainment, Future Aspirations:
Perhaps one of the larger and latest international entertainment initiatives promoting and integrating environmental sustainability into mainstream culture is 2010 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup South Africa. From energy, waste, and transportation solutions to skills development and investment allocation – stakeholders are expanding "their awareness of medium and long-term benefits” associated with the event (Greening2010 2008).
Eskom, a South African electricity company, has unveiled its plans to use renewable energy in an attempt to green football events in participating cities. Energy efficient lighting for residential and commercial use is being prioritized in Cape Town. The municipality of Ethekwini stated it would manage carbon foot-printing. In Port Elizabeth, 650 million dollars (US) will be spent for environmental upgrades in public transportation, health, and safety.
Inspiring Cultural Change:
Initiatives supporting an internationally showcased event like FIFA World Cup, if covered effectively by the media and depending on a country's access to information, have the capability of better cultivating environmentally directed ingenuity and culture throughout the world. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, nearly 260 million people watched matches, in a total of 43,600 broadcasts across 214 countries and territories generating CHF 2,986 million (FIFA 2007).
Challenges and Opportunities:
Events like this prove to be costly and environmental impacts are often questioned. For example, the FIFA Financial Report 2006 announced CHF 311 million in Development financial assistance costs and CHF 622 million in operating expenses, which included greening initiatives. 2010 FIFA World Cup is facing questions of infrastructure reusability (addressed in Figure 2), land use changes, habitat loss, and human health related to event construction.
Source: Youtube, Shine2010Community
Unless culture becomes such that live events like sporting games are no longer supported, measures must continue to be taken to make these activities less detrimental to our natural surroundings. The ability that this entertainment has to promote mainstream eco-consciousness and innovation on a local level could far exceed skeptical expectations in bonding local communities with global ecological concerns. Yet, making this affordable without further environmental degradation remains a challenge.
Further Information:
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives
EarthTrends Datasets:
Access to Information: Digital Access Index
Photo Credits:
Image 1: The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Photo Credit: Liu Dawei/Xinhua
