Last week the Ladies European Tour (LET) participated in the Sport Sustainability Summit which was held at the Spanish Olympic Committee in Madrid, Spain.
There were over 170 participants at the Summit including IOC members, representatives from sport federations, sport events, leagues, competitions, clubs, athletes, sponsors and public administrators.
On Wednesday 18 October, Eva-Lotta Strömlid, Commercial Manager at the LET, took part in a panel on Sustainability and Sport Events alongside Ignacio Mochales Cuesta, Director General of LEWaterpolo – RFEN, Jose María Arrabal, Secretary General for Sports of the Junta de Andalucía, and Patricia Cavada Montañés, Mayor of San Fernando, Andalucía which was moderated by Carlos Cantó, CEO SPSG Consulting.
The panel discussed how organising sport events is a complex process that goes far beyond the competition itself with the impact of these events being polyhedric and can provide boosts to the local community and diversity, as well as increasing community participation and engagement and generating employment.
From an environmental perspective, sport events have an impact through use of transportation, energy, the venues chosen, and the infrastructure put in place. While they also impact the image of the area they are held in and that directly impacts the tourism that takes place.
Speaking after the Summit, Strömlid said: “Our golf tournaments are unique in the way that they are very closely connected to nature and protecting the biodiversity. Our athletes and spectators are exposed to nature for hours and when you see it and are part of it, that’s when you learn to appreciate it.
“Sport has also an important role in the well-being of people in society, but as a travelling Tour we are also faced by challenges affecting the carbon footprint. These are mainly the travel that comes with the Tour, as well as water and energy use at the events. We have a responsibility to encourage, participate and celebrate activities made by our tournament owners, venues and partners.
“Being on site at the Summit gave the LET a chance to share best practice and leadership through our tournaments and we were able to communicate this to the attendees and also learn from other sports. With every challenge there are also opportunities to be innovative. For example, this week in Riyadh, the tournament is planting a tree for every ticket sold and birdie made. That is a great example how you can include the community and leave a lasting legacy.”
Throughout the panel talk at the Summit, Strömlid spoke about examples of great sustainable work being done at LET tournaments this season which included venues using a 100% recycled water system, promoters finding alternative ways for spectators to travel to the events, alternative energy sources being used as well as Naxhelet Golf Club in Belgium being pesticide free.
She also highlighted that Dow created a golf bag for the European and U.S. Teams at the 2023 Solheim Cup using an innovative technology to create a sustainable material, and the fact that the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open Presented by Trust Golf achieved the milestone of becoming the first GEO Certified Tournament on the LET recognising the tournament as a leader in being a more sustainable golf event.
The LET is committed to recognising and promoting great sustainable work being done by the LET community as part of the Tour’s initiative LET Celebrating the Green presented by Dow in partnership with GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf.
