Prospective Olympic Bid: DOSB Launches Next Phase of Social Dialog

Frankfurt, 9 August 2023 – On 10 August, the DOSB will kick off a series of talks as part of the “YOUR IDEAS. YOUR GAMES.” dialog initiative – its first digital participation format. Ten talks with experts in the fields of sports, business, sustainability, society, as well as the past and the future are scheduled to take place at 7:00 PM every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of September. Each talk will be livestreamed on the www.deine-spiele.de website and will be available on demand thereafter.

Viewers are free to ask the experts questions both prior to and during the live stream, either via social media or directly via the stream.

Stephan Brause, Head of the DOSB’s Olympic Bid Office, sums things up: “The expert talks will address all of the social issues that people are concerned about with respect to the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany. More importantly, experts who have an external, objective view of major sporting events and their impact will also be present. Our goal is to discuss as many issues as possible in an open, critical, and constructive manner that speaks in support of and possibly against a renewed German bid.”

Opening talk: “YOUR PLANET. YOUR CLIMATE. YOUR GAMES.”

The event kicks off at 7:00 PM this Thursday with the “YOUR PLANET. YOUR CLIMATE. YOUR GAMES.” expert talk on environmental sustainability.

Major sporting events themselves are affected by the impacts of climate change and environmental shifts. However, they have an immense impact on the public – especially the Olympic and Paralympic Games – and are, therefore, responsible for setting a good example.

How can the world’s biggest sporting event be designed in a way that is as climate-friendly as possible? Where do sports really stand in terms of their contribution to sustainability? Can sports serve as drivers of change, or are they, in fact, lagging behind?

Our first panel of guests will discuss those questions as well as many others. Five experts from various fields will be brought together to share their points of view and assessments:

• Philip Erbers, Member of the Executive Board of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V., will present a sports organizer’s perspective on the challenges and potential of transforming sporting events such as the CHIO Aachen into green events in a future-oriented manner: “We should all be aware of the fact that we are obliged to act in a more sustainable way in order to safeguard future generations.”
• Thea-Helene Gieroska, Spokeswoman for the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft (BAG) Sportpolitik of BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN, takes a look at hosting the Olympics in Germany from a sports policy viewpoint. She says: “The Olympic Games must meet all of the environmental sustainability criteria, and we have the necessary expertise in Germany.”
• University Professor Dr. Ralf Roth, from the German Sports University Cologne, will explain, from a scientific standpoint, that a German Olympic bid will only stand a chance if the “Olympic and Paralympic Games are consistently linked to the social transformation areas of climate protection and resource conservation”.
• Marion Schöne, Managing Director of Olympiapark München GmbH, will provide practical insight into the efforts and measures being taken to host major sporting events in an environmentally compatible manner: “If all stakeholders work together and never lose sight of the fact that every step towards our goal counts, we can make climate-neutral sports events a reality.”
• Stefan Wagner, 1st Chairman of Sports for Future, will draw attention to the contributions sports make to society. For him, it’s all about “making the best possible contribution to social transformation.”

All of the talks will be moderated by sports journalist Anke Feller. The former track and field athlete engaged in competitive sports for 15 years, becoming, among other things, World Champion in 1997 and European Champion in 1998 with the German 4x400m relay team. Anke Feller will be tasked with bringing all of the different expert viewpoints and opinions together and will lead a lively discussion on the future of sports and their relation to sustainability.