Pro-Environment Activists Gathered in Opposition to the German Games
The four German cities vying for the Olympic Games between 2036 and 2044 - Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and the Rhine-Ruhr region - have faced criticism from the German Environmental and Nature Conservation Association (BUND). The environmental group has expressed concerns about the sustainability of the proposed bids, questioning their ability to address long-term environmental impact, resource use, and climate commitments.
The BUND's apprehensions stem from the perceived insufficiency and lack of concrete guarantees in the sustainability concepts presented by the bidding cities. Despite official plans and cooperation among regions, the environmentalists argue that these strategies appear superficial when compared to the scale and environmental risks associated with hosting the Olympics.
The concerns raised by the BUND are not new. Environmental groups typically scrutinise Olympic bids for potential risks such as overbuilding, carbon emissions, and the legacy of unused venues. However, according to Dirk Jansen, the responsible BUND business manager in NRW, the reality has often been disappointing, with promises of environmental friendliness and economic viability falling short in reality.
The BUND's state associations in the cities potentially affected by a German Olympic bid have all spoken out against the bid from one of the four possible German candidates. Sabine Sommer, the chairwoman of the BUND state association in Hamburg, criticises the significant ecological and social risks associated with Hamburg's Olympic concept. Dirk Jansen, on the other hand, doubts the sustainability of the Olympic plans on the Rhine and Ruhr.
In Berlin, the BUND has expressed concerns about the city's ability to bring its infrastructure into a proper condition before hosting major events like the Olympic Games. Gabi Jung, the managing director of the BUND state association in Berlin, shares similar concerns about the strain on the city's infrastructure if it were to host the Olympic Games.
Martin Geilhufe, the BUND's Bavarian representative, warns that comparing the 1972 Munich Olympics with the 2022 European Championships in the context of an Olympic bid is misleading. Regardless of where the Olympic or Paralympic Games would take place in 2036, 2040, or 2044, the BUND state associations of Berlin, Hamburg, Bavaria, and North Rhine-Westphalia have ruled that the consequences for humans and nature, for climate, urban development, housing market, traffic, and other areas would largely be negative if a German bid were to succeed internationally.
As the bids await public referendums and further IOC assessment, environmental objections may intensify if sustainability remains inadequately addressed. The BUND's concerns underscore the need for comprehensive and transparent sustainability strategies to ensure that the Olympic Games, if hosted in Germany, have minimal negative impact on the environment and the communities involved.
[1] Article about ecological disruption and urban sprawl associated with the Olympic bids [2] Article discussing the potential risks and legacy of unused venues in Olympic bids [3] Article discussing the public referendums and further IOC assessment of the German Olympic bids
- In light of the environmental concerns raised by the BUND, it might be a subject of interest for an article on the role of environmental science in addressing climate change, as the BUND's scrutiny of the Olympic bids highlights the importance of long-term sustainability in sports events.
- The debate over the environmental impact of hosting the Olympic Games could also spark discussions in the realm of environmental-science, as the BUND's objections echo arguments often made about the ecological risks associated with mega-events such as climate-change and resource use.
