ENGSO initiates online exchange on the current energy crisis
The online exchange on the current energy crisis took place on 28 October 2022. ENGSO members, under the moderation of the ENGSO EU Advisory Committee member Julie Rawlo, discussed and answered the question on how sport can contribute to saving energy while upholding its services.
The exchange, which was kicked off by interventions from the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth, Mrs Luisa Costa, and the Swedish Sports Confederation, Mr Jonnie Nordensky, gave space to discuss the struggle of organised sport with regard to the energy crisis.
Two main issues surfaced in the discussions that the ENGSO EU Advisory Committee chaired:
First of all, high costs for energy and savings measures represent a threat to the restart of activities after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Secondly, the cleavage between long-term measures toward increased sustainability of facilities and operations with the urgency of the current crisis makes navigating the crisis tricky.
But in light of this common problem, the exchange also contributed to spreading good practices from many different countries and organisations.
The main ideas to mitigate the crisis circulated around the questions of how to reduce the electricity needs temporarily, how to use energy more efficiently and how to help within your own network. Besides measures that don’t require investments (i.e. reducing the temperature, turning off lights in unused spaces, raising awareness, and encouraging people/members to shower more quickly), measures with investments (improved sealing of windows/doors, more energy-efficient lighting) and proposals for government compensation, many great initiatives were shared like the Mistra Sport and Outdoors and recommendations for the energy reduction published by the German Olympic Sports Confederation.
In ENGSO’s role as a platform for developing and exchanging ideas, we will keep following the process and provide spaces to exchange and learn from each other.