DECK - Developing environmental and circular knowledge

The main objective of DECK is to increase the awareness and to foster the adoption of environmental management and circular economy practices by sport key actors in order to improve sustainability during canoe and kayak competitions. DECK leverages the role of national canoe and kayak federations (NFs) to foster the transition of the canoe and kayak sector towards circular economy, by supporting the adoption of innovative environmental governance tools among participating NFs – federations of Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Greece – and the integration of leading-edge environmental practices in canoe and kayk competitions’ operations. DECK addresses the lack of environmental governance capabilities and sustainability management competences among sport organizations in Europe, by tailoring environmental governance tools and deliverables to the needs of participating organizations, with the aim to improve the environmental performance of sport events, along all events’ life-cycle phases (from planning to closure and post-event). DECK approaches and outputs are highly replicable, involve different sport stakeholders, up-scalable and exploitable also beyond project lifetime: (1) DECK will collect, assess and test best practices for the environmental management of canoe and kayak, to realise a set of Guidelines that will be valorised in subsequent implementation and dissemination actions; (2) DECK will develop a Sustainability Rating Tool, which allows sport organizations to monitor their environmental performance from a “circular” and life-cycle perspective; (3) DECK will design and implement training and education modules addressed at NFs’ personnel and athletes to foster the consolidation of environmental management capabilities and the integration of environmental concerns in work routines, as well as enhancing environmental awareness in the sport sector.