A wide range of environmental measures will be adopted at the European Aquatics Championships Paris 2026 which start July 31 and run until August 16.
European Aquatics and the French Swimming Federation are committed to setting a benchmark for aquatics events by delivering a set of sustainable practices drawn from the Sustainability and Legacy Program within EA’s Aquatics Social Responsibility (ASR) initiative.
These measures aim to:
*Minimise the environmental impact of the 2026 European Aquatics events
*Foster social and economic legacy for the benefit of the host local and wider community
*Inspire the local and wider community to adopt healthy and active styles through the Aquatics Social Responsibility Strategy
*Promote the sustainable development goals as a catalyst for sustainable development through sports
This Sustainability & Legacy Plan is aligned with the sustainability goals of the City of Paris, France and the French Swimming Federation.
It will be implemented with a focus on the five following key priorities: Green Task Force; Sustainable Fun Zone; Eliminate Plastic; Waste Management and Sustainable Mobility.
Regarding the first of these priorities, all volunteers involved within the event will have a basic training on our environmental and social commitments.
Within each team of volunteers several will be part of our WeCareTeam. These specific volunteers will have a bigger responsibilities to follow our commitments. They will receive extra training and will be in charge of overviewing safeguarding process, disabled people assistance and environmental actions.
A fun zone will be set up at which the general public will have access to food and beverage corners and animations with specific stands with an accent on sustainability.
Water fountains are being set up for all attendees, and specific work has already been done on food packaging.
On the topic of waste management several departments are collaborating closely to minimise waste at each step and level of the organisation. There is also an initiative underway to reduce food waste.
A bicycle parking area and a temporary bicycle rental station will be set up during the Championships.
Other initiatives include:
*A solidarity ticketing programme working in cooperation with local authorities. More than 4 000 tickets will be dedicated to this programme
*A procurement strategy has been validated and assessment will be made of the economic impact of EA’s sustainability measures, which will be widely shared to all providers and stakeholder
*The large-scale Learn to Swim programme being operated by the organisers within the Olympic Aquatics Centre will be widely publicised
Our organisations recognise that maintaining a clean environment and conserving water are essential for ensuring a healthy and sustainable world, which is crucial for the well-being of athletes and society.
We are also aware that achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals requires significant and transformative actions to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
We aim to make a positive contribution to the promotion of a sustainable future for aquatics, therefore all participants, team members, staff, volunteers and spectators are encouraged to support a joint ambition and commitment to sustainability by embarking on a journey to reduce their individual carbon footprint.
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
