About
The Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics (SEGAS) is the organizer of the Athens Classic Marathon event . Since 2006, with the support of the ngo-npo INSTITUTE TEAM FOR THE WORLD and the sustainability advisers GLOBAL CHALLENGES (www.athensclassicmarathon-green.gr), SEGAS has implemented a consistent program for the reduction of the carbon footprint of this unique sport event, aiming at its climate friendliness and neutralization. This is the forth year in a row that this innovative for the sports standards program is implemented.
SEGAS is the national track and field federation in Greece and a member of The International Association of Athletics Federations (AAF). INSTITUTE TEAM FOR THE WORLD is a registered ngo npo with a considerable activity within Greece in the sport and environment as well as in climate change awareness raising amongst schools. GLOBAL CHALLENGES is a sustainability advisory company with a pioneer activity in climate protection, carbon footprint calculation and emissions offsetting in association with CLIMATEPARTNER. The overall program targets the local and international participants as well as the general public and the athletic community in Greece.
Strategy
ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON, a climate friendly Marathon.
Since 2006 , the Organizing Committee of the Athens Classic Marathon has acknowledged the link between sport and environment and has chosen to actively enhance the environmental legacy of this unique cultural and sporting event.
Climate protection is a key feature in this context and the Organizing Committee of the event ( SEGAS) with the support of the ngo-npo INSTITUTE TEAM FOR THE WORLD and the sustainability advisors GLOBAL CHALLENGES have put in place a consistent plan to reduce the carbon footprint of the race and enhance public awareness over climate neutrality. The program consists of actions regarding international and local transportation, waste management and minimization as well as awareness programs.
The fields in which our strategy focuses- since we cannot avoid the main emissions source of the event which is international transportation- are :
- to provide an easy and tangible offsetting tool for the international runners and to provide free transportation for the duration of the event to all participants and volunteers
- to enhance public awareness over climate change
- to minimize the size of the PET bottles given to the runners thus producing less emissions during the production phase and minimize the amount of bottled water discarded.
THE EMISSIONS OFFSETTING SCHEME
INTERNATIONAL ASPECT
MORE THAN 1000 TONS OF CO2 ( 2006- 2009 ) HAVE BEEN VOLUNTARILY OFFSET BY THE INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS AND THE LOCAL RUNNERS OF THE ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON.
Traveling to Athens to participate in the Athens Classic Marathon is a tremendous achievement. The transportation to this special event has an impact on the environment which cannot be avoided but can be measured and offset through contribution to projects that produce positive “credits” in relation to climate change.
As part of this initiative, all of the international Athens Classical Marathon competitors are given the opportunity to “neutralize” the impact of their transportation to and from Athens, on a voluntary basis, making the Athens Classic Marathon the most “climate friendly” marathon event worldwide.
Athletes traveling to Athens by plane, car or bus are invited to offset the emissions produced by their transportation to Athens by purchasing an “Athens Classic Marathon Climate Neutral Certificate”.
“The Coca - Cola Company”, provider of the Athens Classic Marathon official sport drink POWERADE, for the forth year in a row, matched the individual runner’s contribution on a 50 per cent - 50 per cent basis. We consider this as a best practice case since in this way the sponsor is showcasing its commitment towards climate protection and on the other hand it gives the individual the opportunity to demonstrate his or her own dedication to the sport and the environment.
The “Athens Classic Marathon Climate Neutral Certificate” supports the development of projects which have been certified by international mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. These projects promote clean and renewable energy initiatives in developing countries, primarily in Africa.
LOCAL ASPECT
The local runners can link to the dedicated web site (www.athensclassicmarathon-green.gr), get the appropriate climate change related information and offset for free 1kgr of CO2 equivalent, which is paid by the sponsor. All runners are entitled to free transportation by public transportation means thus minimizing the carbon footprint of this unique sport and cultural event. This year only-2009- the apprx 14,000 runners enjoyed free of charge all the spectrum of public transportation means available in the city of Athens i.e. metro, tram, suburban train, buses.
SEAL THE DEAL CAMPAIGN AND ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON
On the occasion of the Copenhagen Summit, a consistent reminder of the SEAL THE DEAL CAMPAIGN has been undertaken, targeting the international participants through a mass communication campaign related to their climate neutral participation, to the local runners and the volunteers of the GREEN TEAM of the Marathon. During the two days registration period prior to the race, the runners and their companions received information about the campaign and sealed/signed the petition form that featured also the INSTITUTE TEAM FOR THE WORLD logo.
THE RECYCLING AND WASTE MINIMIZATION PROGRAM
During the last four years (2006-2009), the volunteers of the ngo-npo INSTITUTE TEAM FOR THE WORLD “ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON GREEN TEAM” with the support of the Coca-Cola System in Greece have undertaken the recycling program of the Athens Classic Marathon.
More than 250.000 plastic bottles used by the runners have been collected and forwarded to the adequate recycling units.
Since 2008 , SEGAS, the organizer of the event, provides all runners with bio degradable bags and all international runners with cloth bags for their personal necessities. In this way the overall environmental footprint of the event is affected positively.
MULTIPLIER EFFECT
The ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON climate friendly overall scheme sets an example for other small and medium size events regarding the protection of the environment and the climate of the planet.
INSTITUTE TEAM FOR THE WORLD with the support of the Coca-Cola system in Greece have undertaken the recycling program of the Athens Classic Marathon. More than 180.000 plastic bottles used by the runners have been collected and forwarded to the adequate recycling units. Since 2008 , SEGAS provides all runners with bio degradable bags and all international runner with cloth bags for their personal necessities. In this way the overall environmental footprint of the event is affected positively.
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