The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last Monday teamed up with UN Environment for its Clean Seas Campaign and called on sport and the Olympic movement to join the effort.
The IOC Media Relations Officer Mark Adams, said yesterday in Abuja that Clean Seas Campaign, launched in January 2017, was aimed at increasing global awareness of the marine litter issue.
It is also to implement measures that will address gaps in waste management.
Seven major sports bodies, representatives from European and Oceania National Olympic Committees, and three sponsors joined the effort to support the IOC in addressing the global problem.
The Chair of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission Prince Albert of Monaco, said: “The IOC is embracing sustainability in its day-to-day operations.
“As well as taking a proactive leadership role to inspire Olympic stakeholders and the wider sports community to implement best sustainability practices.
“Making a pledge to the UN Environment’s Clean Seas Campaign is another important example of how the IOC is implementing its Sustainability Strategy.’’
The Executive Director of UN Environment and a member of the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission Erik Solheim, said: “This is the biggest commitment ever made from sport to address plastic pollution.
“The International Olympic Committee’s Clean Seas pledge will transform the awareness and use of plastic waste in sport.
“We are delighted to see the actions taken by so many sporting organisations as well as sponsors,’’ he said.
Tidesports source reports that the IOC has already begun reducing waste at the IOC headquarters, as well as at The Olympic Museum, and is working to increase responsible material use at IOC events in collaboration with its suppliers by 2020.
Moving forward, the IOC said it would provide educational toolkits and workshops to the sports community, in addition to further driving innovative solutions together with its partners.
With assistance from Olympic Solidarity funding, coastal clean-ups, campaigns and education programmes have already begun in Oceania, a region of 17 nations that sees first-hand the impacts of marine debris in the oceans.
The IOC’s stakeholders have already committed to taking an active position towards minimising their impact on the environment.
The IOC’s Clean Seas movement will also ensure that World Sailing will pledge to implement an ambitious waste reduction strategy for all its events by 2019, and launch an education programme to reach an estimated 70 million sailors.