Sustainability, in its broadest sense, is a philosophy. It is a way of thinking and acting that takes into account not only the economic but also the environmental and social consequences of every decision. It must never be bolted on at the end of a decision-making process. That is the stated philosophy of The Dome Sweden, and this post explains how it turns into goals an investor, a municipality or a sponsor can report on.
Three pillars, one arena
The Dome Sweden prioritises environmental, social and governance practice. Transparent governance structures and ethical decision-making ensure responsible management. The three pillars read like this:
- Environment. The arena’s construction and operation is sustainable through and through; it respects and promotes the environment and the surrounding nature. In line with Sweden’s net-zero goal, it will strive to become the first fully sustainable and smart arena in Scandinavia.
- Economy. The arena creates jobs in many fields, promotes the growth of sports tourism and becomes a vector for business development in the region.
- Social. The arena encourages and promotes sports participation, offers an ideal platform for sports education for young people and becomes a favourite place to meet. It teaches younger generations how to prevent diseases related to inactivity and strives for a healthier lifestyle.
From pillars to the UN goals
The World Health Organization has established that physical activity has the potential to affect 13 of the 17 global goals. The Dome Sweden’s own assessment is that the arena will have a direct impact on 6 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and a supporting impact on 7 of the others.
A direct impact on 6 global goals and a supporting impact on 7 more.
The direct ones follow from the programme: good health and well-being from daily participation; quality education from coaching, after-school clubs and year-round conferences; gender equality from classes that attract women and the goal of equal access for girls; reduced inequalities from programmes for people with disabilities and the integration of new Swedes; sustainable cities and communities from a facility that answers a twenty-year shortage; and peace, justice and strong institutions from a safe place where young people learn the values of community life.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Dome Sweden is fully in line with the four fundamental principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: all children have the same rights; the best interests of the child must always come first; every child has the right to survive and develop; and every child has the right to express their opinion. For a Swedish municipality, where the convention is law, that alignment is a practical requirement rather than a slogan.
What this gives a partner
An investor can tie the investment to named goals. A municipality can show how a private partnership delivers on its public health, integration and safety responsibilities. A sponsor can report on participation, equality and sustainability rather than on logo exposure alone. The philosophy is that these outcomes are designed in from the start, so they can be measured from the start.
