After the European Cadet Cup in Zagreb, which was attended by more than 600 competitors from 32 countries, the Croatian Judo Federation organized a conference, “Judo – More Than Sport”, the main themes of which were the sustainable development of sport and the study measuring the carbon footprint of the Zagreb Grand Prix 2021.

After the welcome speeches by the President of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mateša, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mario Šiljeg and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tomislav Družak, were interesting presentations and panel discussions showing the importance of continuing discussions on this topic and how these conversations could impact the organization of sporting events in the future.

“Judo is really more than a sport, it includes a philosophy of life. The basis of the ideas of the founder of judo, Jigoro Kano, speaks of how human worth is manifested through his contribution to society. Therefore, sustainable development goals, such as health and well-being, education, inclusion, equality and sustainable economic growth, largely coincide with the mission of our sport and the objectives of the Federation. Croatian judo. However, Croatia alone will not achieve much. We therefore invite all sports federations and organizations to join us in the Partnership for Sustainability so that we can achieve the sporting and social goals of our country,” said the President of the Croatian Judo Federation and Vice President of the Olympic Committee Croatian, Dr. Sanda Čorak, during the first presentation.

Dr Corak added: “In 2021, sports organisations, such as the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations, have started with webinars for international federations, federations which will soon have to start reporting on the activities and effects of events. sports they organize on the environment. Sustainable development is not just a few words on paper, it is essential that the whole sports ecosystem understands its importance and significance in the daily practice and organization of sport.

Through the presentation, the Deputy General Secretary of the Croatian Judo Federation, Ana Krauthacker, presented the specific activities undertaken during the Zagreb Grand Prix 2021 and how they affected both the organization of the event and the members. of the community outside of competition and sport.

“Basic ecological things such as sorting waste, recycling packaging, using recycled paper, we added a humanitarian character to all this and donated food. We also used the funds collected through recycling to buy sports equipment and helped children’s homes in Zagreb and Velika Gorica (Greater Zagreb region). By collecting plastic caps, we also joined the action of the Association of Patients with Leukemia and Lymphoma.

The final presentation was given by Dr. Morana Česnik Katulić from Ekonerg (Institute for Energy and Environmental Protection), an institution that consulted the whole project, carried out a study of environmental aspects and calculated the carbon footprint of the Zagreb Grand Prix 2021.

“The practice of separate waste collection has been shown to be extremely beneficial to the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. This study, carried out for the first time in Croatia, calculated the carbon footprint of a sports competition and will provide an excellent basis for reducing emissions in the future. Air travel by competition participants has been shown to be a significant source of emissions. Although travel to and from the venue of the sporting event is unavoidable, it would be wise to substitute this mode of transport for others when possible, ideally train travel. In total, the carbon footprint of the Zagreb Grand Prix amounts to the equivalent of 315 tonnes of CO2.

The discussion at the end of the conference, involving representatives of other sports organizations and representatives of institutions and companies, showed that this subject is extremely interesting for the whole sports ecosystem and that it is necessary to continue with similar events.

Source: Bruno Blumenschein of the Croatian Judo Federation

Conference photos provided by Tino Maric of the Croatian Judo Federation