Making Sporting Events More Sustainable
November 19, 2021
This event is a follow up to the Spring ‘21 Sustainability Sport Summit, to keep the concept of sustainability and sport top of mind, and in preparation for the 2nd annual Sustainability in Sport Summit that will take place in Spring 2022. This panel-style symposium will be hosted virtually with a panel of sport and environmental industry leaders speaking on their perspective and knowledge for the advancement of sustainable sport events and organizational operations.
Guests will gain a new understanding of the life cycle of sporting events, waste, and the effects these operations have on the environment. The discussion will support a platform for sport and environmental organizations to learn from each other, circulate best practices, develop new tools, and take on leadership roles to combat large environmental footprints at sporting events.
The symposium will also touch on the environmental effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the environment and ways in which the community can work together to combat additional waste in events and programming.
Why Sustainability and Sport?
Sustainability and sport can sound like an unlikely pairing. The Sustainability x Sport: An Introduction to Sustainability in Sport series sought to provide a deeper understanding of how these two worlds come together to shed light on the human impacts of climate change at a local and global scale. Sustainability in sport has become more relevant as the impacts of climate change on the environment and our social systems become more prevalent.
Take a moment to ask yourself; am I concerned about the presence of snow when I want to go skiing at my local hill? Has there been a day during the summer that I’ve wanted to run outside, but the air quality is too poor? Are the sports available to kids in my area economically accessible? Questions of this nature can be seen as calls to action to further the work being done in the field of sustainability in sport.
In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, sport is described as:
“an important enabler of sustainable development. We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives” (2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development)
Learning how to apply a sustainability lens to the sports we love, can open doors to taking action at a global scale and build momentum for sport as a key component of a sustainable future in our communities.
Meet the Speakers
Meet the industry experts that shared their experience in the world of sustainability and sport.
Host
Michele O'Keefe
Longtime sport management leader and Welland native Michele O’Keefe was brought onto the Niagara College team as associate director of Athletics and Recreation in 2017. Michele returned to her hometown in Niagara after serving as president and CEO of Canada Basketball, where she worked to build stronger relationships with sport associations across Canada and was responsible for oversight of key government relations and sponsorship negotiations for Canada Basketball. She is also one of the world’s policy-makers in the sport, as a member of the FIBA Central Board and the First Vice President of FIBA Americas. Michele began her professional career with NSF in 1994 as program coordinator for the World Basketball Championships for Men in Toronto and Hamilton. She has held a variety of positions in the NSF, including Manager, Communications, and Director of Basketball Operations. Michele was the Executive Director of Ontario Basketball before returning to Canada Basketball in 2010.
Panel
Sarah‑Eve Pelletier
Sarah-Eve Pelletier is a former synchronized swimmer for Team Canada with over 12 years of experience as a strategic, business and legal professional in the global sport industry.
In her current position of Director, Sport Business & Sustainability at the Canadian Olympic Committee, she oversees a wide array of portfolios, including athlete marketing and Olympian legacy, Games business strategy and operations, as well as sustainability. Her sustainability mandate focuses in part on developing an ESG framework and the array of climate action programs for the COC. Her career as a professional includes such positions as Director, Business Affairs and Deputy General Counsel at the COC, as well as Media Rights Counsel and Olympic Channel Project Manager at International Olympic Committee.
Sarah-Eve holds a Master’s Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in Entertainment Law, Media Law and Policy, an International Law Degree from Laval University, a Sport Law certificate from Montpellier I University and an MSC in International Business from the University of London, UK, with a focus on sustainability and major sport events.
She also acts as administrator for International Triathlon Montreal and is a sport and outdoor enthusiast.
Chris Reid
Chris Reid is the Executive Director of the National Cycling Institute Milton (NCIM). He’s coached racers and managed teams at all levels and disciplines of the sport – from youth summer camps all the way to working with Olympic bound athletes. He found competitive cycling as a teenager and raced competitively for nearly two decades. The journey took him to races across North America, Australia, Asian and the Caribbean along the way. He has a strong connection with the Canada Games having represented Ontario at the 2001 Games in London Ontario, where he met his wife (who was racing for Alberta).
Prior to working for the NCIM Chris spend nearly a decade working as a policy analyst for the Federal Government, first for Natural Resources Canada and then for Environment and Climate Change Canada where he was a Senior Policy Analyst working on intergovernmental affairs and stakeholder relations.
Dave Vieira
Dave began his industry career with Canadian Waste and Laidlaw ultimately becoming Waste Management. After 16 years of success, he refocused his efforts where he managed the waste contract for Halton Region for 10yrs. Up for a new challenge, he joined GFL’s team as General Manager of two contracts in Southwest Ontario where he remains today. His commitment to his customers from resident and employee to municipality, is reflected in his positional evolution throughout his cumulative 30 years experience. Dave has results driven focus on all aspects of the solid waste industry including Health and Safety Compliance, Customer Service, Production Efficiency and Maintenance, and Labour Relations.
Dave is responsible for overall performance of his Southwest Ontario Divisions for GFL Environmental with a focus on solid waste.