The original concept of sustainable development, as created by the Brundtland Commission in 1987, defines it as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
At that time, this definition mainly referred to environmental issues that still threaten our ability to live on this planet. Since then, we have understood that sustainability is crucial at all levels, including social and cultural ones.
When it comes to technology in sports events, all aspects of sustainability are at play. Supplying technology for a major competition requires decisions that could minimize the impact logistics, energy, and tech equipment have on the environment.
Simultaneously, the choices we make regarding diversity, inclusion, and work conditions in our recruitment processes affect the social sustainability of what we do. Finally, the culture we build around our teams and our stakeholders may or not be based on sustainable leadership and relationships.
How the tech teams and leaders respond to these levels defines the nature of our sports competitions. Will they be built in sweat and blood and leave people and the planet injured at the end? Or will they be made in care and joy, leaving a positive legacy that feeds motivation and hope for the future?
Sustainability doesn’t need to be a burden or a moral cap that we use to judge others with our sense of righteousness. It can be a clarifying set of values and principles we use to have transparent conversations in our teams and during negotiations with stakeholders.
It should be the starting point of a decision-making process. In an ethical context, we don’t start a process considering solutions that involve criminal acts of stealing and physically hurting others. Similarly, we can start to remove unsustainable solutions from our decision-making conversations and put more light on sustainable ones.
In the case of fundamental human rights, we don’t even think about their pertinence because we have been discussing and policing this topic for decades and even centuries. It became an intrinsic part of our culture. Still, human rights violations that should be evident by now happen. In the case of sustainability, despite the advances since 1987, definitions and practices are still under heavy debate.
Therefore, step number one to incorporating sustainability into the strategies of tech and sports teams is to join the debate from wherever it seems more obvious. Legacy Sport, for instance, deals with technology but mainly from a management perspective.
We are a services-based company that usually doesn’t deploy the tech equipment directly, but consult, advise, and coach companies that do it. Therefore, we can indirectly impact environmental sustainability while also acting strongly to help our team and partners adopt sustainability mindsets as part of their cultural and social practices.
Sustainability is not our core business but is a core value. It is reflected in small actions and meaningful conversations we have as a team about energy saving, inclusion, diversity, collaboration, social justice, and more. It is not about showing off but working consistently to have solid fundaments as we grow.
What about your business? How are you participating in the sustainability discussions and actions that are building today a world that can be healthily lived in the future?
TEC – HEART – SPORT is our latest series of articles explaining the mission, vision, and culture that Legacy Sport shares with its community and the world. See below for a summary of each topic we will explore during the series.
Thrill
Expertise
Courage
Humanism
Empathy
Advocacy
Respect
Transparency
Sustainability
People
Olympism
Relationships
Transformation
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