Sport events for future generations : A study of motivations behind environmentally sustainable actions within Swedish recreational sport events

Sammanfattning: A growing number of studies acknowledge the effect that sport events have on its surrounding environment as well as the effect the surroundings have on sport events. This has led to a larger focus on environmental sustainability within event organisations, something that however is motivated in very diverse ways and from different perspectives. This thesis, therefore, explores motivations behind the incorporation of environmentally sustainable actions within Swedish recreational sport events, and aim to provide an overview of how it is implemented within their operations. This has been done by a qualitative multiple case study with comparative elements. An outline of earlier research of motivational factors towards sustainable actions does together with an elaboration of central concepts, provide a theoretical background for the case study. The theoretical background has been further used to create an analytical framework with three main themes of motivation ‘strategic’, ‘pressure’ and ‘moral/ethical’. The cases, Vasaloppet and Vätternrundan, has been explored through face to face interviews with specific employees of the event organisations and later analysed through the analytical framework of the thesis. In addition to the interviews, documents regarding their sustainability work have together with the information that could be found on the web pages of the two events been analysed through the themes of the analytical framework. The results show a close similarity when it comes to the main challenges they are facing. Both Vasaloppet and Vätternrundan have transport as their main source of environmental impact, and the trash generated along the arena is another main challenge in order to reduce littering. Out of the three main themes of motivation, the moral and ethical motivation proved to be the main one, whereas the strategic and pressuring motivations came second and were in many cases closely entwined and related to each other. A difference in motivational background is further expressed by the respondents and policy documents of the event organisations, as Vasaloppet displayed a more proactive attitude while Vätternrundan were more reactive.