Global Forum for Sports and Environment
AEC Greening European Cycling Events
The activities of “Cycling for All” have developed considerably over the past ten years, and Cyclosport has become a truly international sporting discipline. Nearly 400 events are organized each year in Europe, involving nearly 300,000 participants, and these activities directly generate a total budget of approximately 6-million euros. These well-structured events, some involving over 10,000 participants, are held in abundant, fragile or protected natural areas. Today we see a general awakening to the need to respect our surrounding environment, and cycling sports must set an example for the world’s cyclists and for future generations. The initial goal of the meeting in Marseille was to present the organization, Global Sports Alliance (GSA), a Japanese NPO behind the development of the environmental symbol for sport--the ECOFLAG. GSA works with partners such as UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), UNESCO and the IOC to increase environmental awareness and action through sport. The organizers of four major cycling events in the European calendar--l’Ardéchoise, La Quebrantahuesos, l’Ariégeoise, and les Bosses du 13—as well as representatives of a fifth event in Italy, exchanged views and shared information on the feasibility and organizational responsibilities involved in developing coordinated projects in relation to the environment, under the directive of the AEC. This initiative will have a significant and concrete effect on the events concerned, and will make a major contribution in associating European cycling with active and responsible environmental management at large scale sporting events. 1. To fly the Ecoflag at cycling events for the purpose of promoting environmental awareness among spectators and cyclists, under the slogan “Think Environment!” This cooperation will be formalized with the signing of a draft agreement between all the partners involved in this initiative, following the directives laid out in this statement. MEETING PARTICIPANTS： Contact NPO Global Sports Alliance (GSA) LINK : |
On the initiative of the AEC (Association Européenne de Cyclosport), a landmark coordinating meeting was held in Marseille on 4-5 April 2006 between the AEC, the representatives of five major European cycling events and the environmental NPO, Global Sports Alliance (GSA), with the objective of developing a joint action that would make cycling sports actively involved in safeguarding the natural environment.