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A sustainable Kiel Week

Creating more environmentally friendly sailing events together

for a greener future

In numbers

of plastic enters the ocean per year

Less large fish in the sea

Increase in global ocean surface temperatures since 1880

Mission and Goals

Approximately 70 percent of the world's surface are covered by water. Our element!

Yet nowadays hundreds of thousands of plastic are swimming in every squared kilometer of the oceans. Every year, around nine million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans. Nearly 20 percent of the waste comes from ships, the rest arrives in our bodies of water via rivers and drainages and through wind-blown dispersal.

Sea birds die a painful death as a result of pieces of plastic in their stomachs, turtles ingests plastic bags, recognizing them as jellyfish, and fish mistake small pieces of plastic for plankton. Microplastic particles easily enter the bodies of marine animals and can consequently be taken up into humans through ingestion. What effects this can have remains to be determined.

We need to make a change!

The world population is continuously increasing and resources are being used up faster than they can be replenished. Without increased awareness of our society and concrete approaches to combat this omnipresent problem, it will be impossible to halt these developments. We are in desperate need of a change in consumer behaviour and establishment and re-awakening of an environmental awareness of mankind.

Even if Germany plays a leading role with respect to sustainability, large events often go hand in hand with environmental pollution and ecological damage - resulting from careless waste disposal, extensive energy and water use, and high emissions of air pollutants through travel of visitors and participants.

Together with our partners, sponsors, participants, and visitors, we want to create more environmentally-friendly Kiel Week sailing regattas. As organisers, we see it as our responsibility to place a focus on sustainability, to actively tackle the problem of the pollution of our oceans, and to set an example for others.

The registration for Sailors for the Sea's „Clean Regattas“ Program demonstrates the first of many steps towards developing a green Kiel Week and doing our part to restore ocean health. Clean Regattas is the world’s only sustainability certification for water-based events, structured around 25 core Best Practices that aim to diminish the environmental impact of the event. In 2018, Kiel Week received the Gold Level certification as one of the first eevnts in the world. Since 2019, we have already been able to increase our performance in this area to such an extent that we are the proud bearer of the Platinum Level Certification. This is the highest award. Even though we are proud of our achievements, there is still a long way to go.

Long-term, we aim to be in accordance with ISO 20121 and ultimately achieve certification of conformity. ISO 20121 ist ein voluntary international standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for sustainable event management. Inspired by the Olympic Games in London 2012, which were an impressive success with respect to sustainable management, ISO 20121 offers guidelines and suggestions for event organisation and management of social, ecological and economical impacts thereof.


First Steps since 2018

Source: IOC, World Sailing

Infrastructure and Natural Sites

  • Sustainable resource management: the event area is the harbor of 1972's Olympic Games and has numerous uses outside of the event times; temporary event modules are reused every year
  • Good connection to public transportation
  • Waste management with clearly designated waste bins for proper waste disposal and Information signs from Remondis on separation of waste (landfill, recycling, organics). Creation of awareness on proper separation through fun activities and interaction
  • Only 100% recyclable ViO deposit bottles (Coca Cola) for sale in the event area
  • No-straw policy in the entire event area, including the Goslings Dark 'n Stormy® Lounge
  • Reduction of plastic bag use: lunch bags for the race committee and volunteers are no longer distributed in plastic bags - reusable lunch boxes will be used instead
  • Support of responsible dinnerware by implementing reusable, recyclable or compostable dinnerware, cups or tableware in the event area
  • Implementation of a Seabins in the harbor area
  • Green energy for the entire event area in Kiel-Schilksee
Source: IOC, World Sailing

Sourcing and Resource Management

  • Exclusively paperless online registration via Manage2SailPublication of the NoR and sailing instructions exclusively in digital form
  • Paper reduction: Results are Online at Manage2Sail and accessible via QR-Code as well as available in the boot Düsseldorf Check-In Area Tablet
  • No printed announcements/results are published - everything is done digitally
  • Only FSC/PCRP paper used in the race office
  • Reusable sailors bags made of linen instead of plastic handed out at check-in for sailors
Quelle: IOC, World Sailing

Mobility

  • E-Mobility: Our mobility partner takes over the Trailer Service and VIP Shuttle with hybrid cars
  • Reduction of CO2 emissions on the event site
  • Accommodation of race officials in walking distance to the event area
  • Accommodation of a majority of sailors at the camping site or alternative accommodation in proximity to the harbour
  • Fuel-efficient driving on water and on land
  • Support of reforestation projects for the neutralisation of CO2
Quelle: IOC, World Sailing

Climate

  • Reduction of carbon emissions
  • Cargo bike and Audi e-Tron taking on most transportation tasks in the event area
  • Daily meals for Sailors and volunteers with regional products and diverse vegetarian and vegan options
  • Reduction of phosphate- and nitrate-containing deck soaps
  • No use of CFCs
  • Volunteers evening: A big thank-you dinner with all helping hands
Quelle: IOC, World Sailing

Workforce - Community

  •  Creation of a sustainability "green" team
  • Joint climate action with our partners: for example "Schilksee shows colours" with the Kieler Nachrichten
  • Increasing awareness through information transfer (onsite as well as through social media and press)
  • Transfer of the sustainability mindset to participants and visitors


2020 and beyond

Infrastructure and Natural Sites

  • Reduction of total waste produced across the entire event area
  • Elimination of plastic bags 
  • ViO water refilling stations for further reduction of single-use plastic water bottles
  • Provision of reusable water bottles for all participants  

Sourcing and Resource Management 

  • Digital notice boards for results, protests, start lists and other regatta information
  • Toxic-free: elimination of harmful cleaning products
  • Development of a more sustainable alternative for bow stickers

Mobility

  • Connection to a bike rental system

Climate

  • Reduction of water use and protection of water quality
  • Development of strategies for the reduction of CO2 emissions

Workforce - Community

  • Integration of local schools and kindergartens to teach sustainable resource use in the context of Kiel Week
  • Sustainability forum with well-known environmentalists and ecology groups as keynote-speakers

KiWo-Plakat 2022-rund

Sources

  • www.oceancare.org
  • "Green Champions für Sport und Umwelt“; 2006; Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund
  • “Sustainable events with ISO 20121”; 2012; International Organization for Standardization 
  •  "IOC Sustainability Strategy"; 2017; International Olympic Committee
  • "Sustainability Agenda 2030"; 2017; World Sailing
  • Sailors for the Sea; www.sailorsforthesea.org/programs/clean-regattas