Sustainability
Between Wednesday 11 and Sunday 15 September 2024, all European cycling eyes will be on Limburg, as the easternmost province of Flanders welcomes the UEC Road European Championships. Starting in Heusden-Zolder and finishing in the centre of Hasselt, the fourteen races that constitute the European Championships will showcase Limburg and Flanders, the cradle of cycling, for five days. The UEC Road European Championships provide the perfect opportunity, together with the next generations, to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. Standing still is moving backwards, which is why it is crucial to look critically at the future and its challenges.
One of these challenges is sustainability. Being mindful of the environment not only plays a crucial role in today's society, it is also one of the core tasks of the 2024 UEC Road European Championships. By embracing sustainability during the European championships, the UEC, together with the Flemish government, the province of Limburg, Sport Vlaanderen, the host cities Hasselt and Heusden-Zolder, the LOC (the local organising committee), OVAM, Belgian Cycling, Cycling Vlaanderen and all partners involved, will embrace this challenge. In this way, the 2024 UEC Road European Championships can promote positive change and set an inspiring example for the sports community and its fans.
Sustainability plan
In the run-up to the UEC Road European Championships, the local organising committee, the Flemish government, OVAM, the province of Limburg, Sport Vlaanderen Belgian Cycling, Cycling Vlaanderen and the host cities have developed a sustainability plan with 10 themes and around 100 action points, based on the United Nations' sustainable development goals.
Sustainability charter
The LOC is organising the 2024 European Cycling Championships using a sustainability charter as a guiding principle. A sustainability plan can only be effective if all stakeholders - suppliers, exhibitors, host cities, route municipalities, partners and so on - contribute and try to minimise their impact. To this end, the LOC has drawn up a sustainability charter with some basic conditions in order to minimise the impact of the European Cycling Championships.
Limit and calculate CO2
The LOC is partnering with EventFlanders and A Greener Future to measure the impact of their efforts for the 2024 European Cycling Championships. This measuring will include a comprehensive screening of the event's sustainability plan, whereby advice will be provided regarding actions that can still be taken to make the event more sustainable. The measuring and sustainability support will consist of the following elements:
- Screening the sustainability plan and providing advice
- A qualitative and quantitative sustainability appraisal
- Targeted advice per dimension
- An evaluation framework and scoring system
- Calculation of the CO2 emissions
- Supporting of the LOC
- Compensating for the remaining CO2 emissions
Sustainability report after the European Cycling Championships
Finally, the sustainability efforts will be continued during the post-event phase. After the 2024 UEC Road European Championships, A Greener Future will produce a sustainability report that maps out the impact of the sustainability plan, with each action point being evaluated individually. The report, together with the calculation of the CO2 emissions, will create a sustainability framework for future sporting events.
Together, we can make a difference and strive for a greener future for cycling and the planet as a whole!
Natural gems of Limburg in Central Limburg and Haspengouw
