Inside AOC
Sustainability Initiatives
Australian Olympic Committee’s Climate Action Plan Comes to Life
Over the past two years, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has implemented several initiatives to assist in identifying and starting to address our goal ‘to reduce the AOC’s climate impact across all areas of our business’.
Our journey started in late 2019 when the AOC become one of the first National Olympic Committees to sign up to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework (UNSCAF). This framework assisted the AOC to develop a Climate Action Plan and commit to the ambitious targets of 50% emission reduction by 2030 and a net-zero emissions target by 2040.
The core structure of the AOC Climate Action Plan incorporates the UNSCAF five climate action principles and will assist in directing all future AOC activities. These principles are:
- Undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility
- Reduce overall climate impact
- Educate for climate action
- Promote sustainable and responsible consumption
- Advocate for climate action through communication
Further information on the UNSCAF can be found on the UNSCAF website
Prior to development of the Climate Action Plan, our journey started with an internal education and review process to completely understand the task ahead. Initially a Climate Change 101 session was conducted for all AOC staff led by Dr Sheila Nguyen who at the time, was the executive director of the Sports Environment Alliance (SEA). The AOC has since become a member of the SEA.
The education session was followed by a review of all AOC business activities to establish our emissions baseline. The baseline assessment allowed us to begin to understand where our biggest emissions were coming from.
The assessment also provided insights into the actions required to reduce our emissions and kickstarted our journey down an emissions reduction pathway.
As part of the initial process the AOC also conducted several consultative sessions with a wide range of stakeholders including the AOC’s Athletes’ Commission, National Sporting Federations, key AOC Team Partners, and the IOC. These sessions provided opportunities for open discussion regarding our stakeholders view on the role of the AOC in sustainability and climate action in addition to how we could work together to address these areas.
The initial phase of education, review and consultation then lead to the development of the AOC’s inaugural Climate Action Plan, click on the link to access our Climate Action Plan.
The AOC will initially focus on the following three outcomes of our Climate Action Plan which runs until 2024;
- To consistently and authentically communicate on climate action to the wider Australian Olympic community.
- To lead the Australian Olympic community through climate action.
- To cultivate a positive climate culture within and outside the Australian Olympic Committee.
Over the next two years the AOC will also continue to work with our key stakeholders to ensure we meet our emissions targets while seeking new and innovative ways to help reduce our impact, help educate and help promote awareness around climate change and its impact on sport.
If you are active in the areas of sustainability and climate action and would like to collaborate with the AOC, please contact us via; sustainability@olympics.com.au and lets us know what you are doing.
Warwick Waters
National Relationship Manager
Inside AOC
World
Olympians Association
WOA in Action in 2022
Natalie Cook and James Tomkins
There are 20,000 Olympians who have registered for OLY since it was founded five years ago and to-date over 1,500 Australian Olympians have signed up. To mark the five year anniversary of the introduction of OLY, the WOA Patron HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, was presented with a accommodative plaque and a number of celebrations were held around the world.
The OLY ceremonies held in Australia have proven to be popular, while in Lausanne, during the IOC Commissions Week, OLY ceremonies were held each day with the presentations of the OLY being made by the WOA Honorary President, IOC President Thomas Bach OLY, WOA President Joel Bouzou and WOA Patron HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco OLY.
This year there were 22 recipients of the WOA grants – ‘Service to Society’ and ‘Service to Olympians’, far exceeding previous years. The grants are offered via National Olympians Associations to assist with projects initiated by Olympians to benefit the community.
There were two successful Olympians in Australia that received the grant: Selina Scoble OLY for her start-up, ‘Message Bracelets’ and Rachael Lynch OLY for her project ‘Keeping Girls in Sport’.
Another four Olympians were awarded full scholarships this year for the University of London’s International Sports Management postgraduate degree offered by the World Academy of Sport and the World Olympians Association. The four Olympians were from Palestine, Kenya, Venezuela and the Refugee Olympic Team. In conjunction with the World Academy of Sport’s Global Sports Industry Educational Pathway, WOA has initiated a pilot program providing an opportunity for Olympians to be trained in motivational speaking.
The Pathway provides internationally recognised educational and experiential opportunities for career transition to assist Olympians turn their passion for sport into a profession in sport business, management, training or education. The trial started in Greece with a view to roll it out across the world.
Plans are well underway for OLY House Paris 2024; the first ever hybrid house, offering drop-in hospitality for Olympians, WOA event space for NOCs and IFs. Trials are currently being undertaken by WOA to include their hybrid ‘special chat platform’. WOA will again provide a Ticketing Program for Olympians as well as the ‘Watch with an Olympian’ being very successful between the IOC’s Top Sponsors and Olympians. More details will be provided closer to the Games.
WOA is still raising funds for the children of Ukrainian Olympians, who have been displaced and are now refugees. Donations can still be made via the WOA website: Olympians.org/ #OlympiansforUkraine
There are a number of amazing opportunities for athletes, advertised on Athlete365 / WOA newsletters, websites and socials. I was fortunate enough to win an IOC scholarship which included travel to Lausanne to participate in an IMD Business School, Innovation in Action program. I worked with IOC staff, UEFA staff and leading world professors to tackle an IOC challenge. Applications are available on-line so keep an eye out.
Last but not least, the 2023 World Olympians Forum will be held in Istanbul, Turkey (dates TBC). This is a wonderful opportunity to connect and innovate how we continue to not only serve Olympians, but also our own communities.
OLY
Over 17,000 Olympians have registered for OLY and their Olympian.org email since November 2017, with an average of 200 new sign ups per month. Use the OLY letters on social media, your resume, business cards… in fact, anywhere you use your name. Over 1400 Australian Olympians have registered for OLY. If you haven’t yet registered, go to olympians.org.
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE WOA
SIGN UP FOR OLYMPIANS.ORG EMAIL
Available only for Olympians, this is a great way to get yourself noticed in people’s inboxes – perfect for work or play. Register at: olympians.org for your exclusive email address.
Create a profile on the IOC’s Athlete365 platform where you can keep up to date with the latest Olympic news and discover career opportunities. Further your education with a free, short course on the Athlete Learning Gateway, also accessible via Athlete365.
Inside AOC
Olympian
Opportunities Program
Delivered by LHH Sports Solutions
Support to help you with your next career move
The Olympian Opportunities Program (OOP) has been revamped to help you navigate the challenges of life beyond sport, regardless of when you retired from competition.
Have you ever thought about the benefits of a discussion with a career coach to help you make decisions with your current career or where you might like to be in a few years? Or are you seeking advice and guidance on how you can accelerate or re-evaluate your career?
Delivered by LHH Sports Solutions, our Olympian Opportunities Program aims to assist with furthering your career opportunities. The Program will give you the confidence and support to help you decide your future and is free to you as an Olympian.
At LHH, 300,000+ people find new jobs every year with our help—in 65% less time. 80% negotiate equal or better positions.
Helping people figure out what they want to do with their careers and how to go about it is what we do at LHH. We have specialised options for those seeking a similar job, a career shift, retraining, retirement, or starting your own business. We’ll give you the confidence and support to take control and decide what happens next at no cost to you.
Olympians get access to 3 coaching sessions with a career coach and the flexibility to access these at a time that’s convenient for you.
We provide access to Athlete Attribute Assessment, access to the Career Resource Portal that includes access to interactive elearning, webinars, LinkedIn Learning and more available 24/7.
Cross-industry job connection support via the LHH Digital Talent Exchange providing access to jobs and to be seen by the hiring community.
You’re invited to attend weekly Career Coach led groups that focus individuals on teamwork and accountability.