Sochi 2014 Environmental Strategy
· integrates environment protection sustainability principles into all phases of planned preparation for, and delivery of the Winter Games of 2014;
· creates an integrated basement in order to unite collaborative efforts of stakeholders and identifies a common vision of the final results Sochi 2014 Games are to demonstrate to the whole world; defines general strategic goals for Sochi 2014 regarding sustainable development in harmony with nature;
· outlines Sochi 2014 policies for implementing environment and sustainability principles in each functionality of preparation for, and delivery of the Games;
· specifies mission, role and responsibilities of Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee regarding enforced sustainability principles in unique natural conditions in order to ensure Sochi 2014 development in harmony with nature;
· describes main means and ways instrumental for Sochi 2014 to achieve strategic goals regarding sustainable development in harmony with nature;
· proposes fundamentals of planned approach towards formation of the Games 2014 «green» legacy.
This Strategy is a live and evolving instrument for planning, and it improves under changing conditions in pursuit of optimal solutions.
Sochi 2014 Environmental Strategy is a general stakeholder engagement platform to commence dialogues with stakeholders on environment and sustainability issues and also is a communication tool to profile environmental commitments and projects.
Sochi 2014 Environmental strategy is the outline of the whole scope of Sochi 2014 commitments, responsibilities, main activities and prognosis results in the field of environment. Due to its general character Sochi 2014 Environmental strategy is a cornerstone of further strategic planning.
Organizers of the Games are looking forward to take up the best, front-edge and accountable methods for the Olympic project’s worthy implementation throughout the whole period of preparations for, and delivery of the Olympics. In doing so they take an open position for inviting all stakeholders and partiesconcernedand ready to make contribution to sustainable development of Sochi in harmony with nature.
Sochi 2014 Environmental Strategy is based on existing plans and programmes. It considers interests of all stakeholders and is instrumented through concrete decisions taken in the framework of comprehensive Olympic facilities’ and infrastructure development projects.
The Strategy is furthering this concept in each of the three main phases of the Games project (preparation, staging, post-Games period). For each of the mentioned stages we formulate clear vision of Sochi 2014 commitments, of the efforts towards fulfillment of those commitments and of the contemplated results that would form the Games’ legacy.
Sochi 2014 Environmental strategy does not contain detailed plans for each of the dimensions. Instead it leaves space for in-depth detailedplanning. Respective plans, as far as they are drawn up, shall constitute an indispensable addenda to Sochi 2014 Environmental strategic approach.
Legacy of 2014 Games
Delivering and staging the Winter Games in Sochi unique natural environment has set ambitious objectives and goals for the organizers: to preserve the invaluable nature of Sochi — one of the Russian pristine regions including protected natural complexes of the Sochi National Park and bordering upon Caucasian Biosphere Reserve (property of UNESCO world-scale natural heritage «Western Caucasus»);
· to improve Sochi urban environment by significant development of regional infrastructure;
· to join efforts and resources of all stakeholders for the best delivery of the Games and for positive legacy of the Games for future generations.
The following are to become the key components of Sochi 2014 material legacy that as much as possible express the values of sustainable development and personify exemplary sparing attitudes towards the environment:
· Ultra-modern and environmentally safe sport facilities forming the first national winter sport centre to be used for both professional athletes’ training and for mass sporting culture development in the whole Russia;
· Regional infrastructure upgrade, offering environmentally efficient solutions that are badly needed for the development of Sochi region in the following dimensions:
o national winter sports center infrastructure;
o year-round touristic center and the world class resort infrastructure;
o transport and logistics;
o electricity generation and supplies, including heat supplies;
o water supplies, water draining and sewage, waste water treatment;
o waste management including separate waste collection and processing of waste into recoverable raw materials.
o Sochi urban environment quality improvement;
o forming the base for strengthening environmental frame of the Region, for environmental monitoring and natural phenomena forecasting, environmental awareness and environmental consciousness;
o expanding territory of the specially protected natural areas (SPNA) in Sochi region;
Unique positive potential of the Games shall be helpful in forming rich non-material legacy of Sochi 2014 Games through: laying foundation for implementation of new Russian philosophy of investing into industrialized countries for the benefit of future generations;
· values of sustainable development anchored in Russian national idea;
· environmental culture enhancement and environmental awareness development;
· substantial improvement of national practices in establishing and implementing environmental standards;
· comprehensive environmental governance and management tools created and implemented;
· sustainability management system complying to IS0140001 standard introduced;
· pooling top-of-the-line ideas and efforts of all stakeholders, including representatives from general public and from non-governmental organizations in achieving the best results possible in integrating sustainable development principles into all aspects of preparation and delivery of the Games as well as of Olympic facilities transformation for subsequent usage thereof;
· social integration of persons with a disability via a set of special programs.