Integrating environmental sustainability in the governance of international sports federations: insights from a multiple case study.

Achieving environmental sustainability requires sports organizations to profoundly transform their governance structures, decision-making processes, and planning strategies to ensure a genuine and lasting commitment to environmental improvement (Mallen & Chad, 2011). International sports federations hold a pivotal role in this endeavor by establishing strategic directions and standards of conduct for organizations operating at national and local levels. By examining case studies of biathlon, athletics, and floorball, the study investigates current trends in the integration of environmental sustainability within the governance of international sports federations. It also explores the opportunities and challenges that arise at the intersection of pursuing financial and environmental sustainability (Pedras et al., 2020; Raw et al., 2022). Furthermore, the study explores potential pathways for the institutionalization of environmental governance in the sports sector, shedding light on emerging best practices and sector-specific approaches to address the challenges of environmental sustainability (Daddi et al., 2022). By contributing to the academic discourse on sports sustainability, this study provides valuable insights and practical implications for enhancing environmental governance in sports organizations.

Authors: Niccolo Maria Todaro, Tiberio Daddi, Alessio Novi and Matthew Campelli

References

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Pedras, L., Taylor, T., & Frawley, S. (2020). Responses to multi-level institutional complexity in a national sport federation. Sport Management Review, 23(3), 482-497.

Raw, K., Sherry, E., & Schulenkorf, N. (2022). Managing sport for development: An investigation of tensions and paradox. Sport Management Review, 25(1), 134-161.