A delegation from Munich 2018 is attending the 9th World Conference on Sport and the Environment in Doha to promote its bid.
The delegation includes Munich 2018 chair Katarina Witt, CEO Bernhard Schwank, Secretary General of the German Sports Confederation Michael Vesper, and Boris Schwartz, head of Environment and Sustainability.
Schwank told journalists that the Doha conference offers an ideal opportunity for Munich 2018 to share its vision for staging the first ever carbon-neutral Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
He said, “our concept is based on the sustainable use of existing world-class venues and infrastructure. Ninety-nine percent of the area for sports venues is already used for sport or will be temporarily converted, meaning minimal construction impact. The renaturisation of the land used temporarily has been legally guaranteed by the Free State of Bavaria, and all existing venues will be renovated to make them at least 30 per cent more energy efficient. Just one per cent of the total sports facility will be converted into new permanent sports venues – that equates to less than the size of a football pitch”.
Schwank said the delegation’s primary focus will be raising awareness of Munich 2018’s “Flagship 18” initiative – a series of 18 pioneering projects addressing the protection of natural resources, climate protection, sustainable sports and regional development, and education and sustainable development.
Munich is bidding with PyeongChang and Annecy for the right to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
