C9939 - SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT IN SPORTS MEGA EVENTS

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will: • Understand the multifaceted nature of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental) and its implications for the strategic management of sports organizations, events, and facilities. • Be able to critically analyze real-world sports case studies to identify complex sustainability challenges and evaluate the managerial models and tools used to address them. • Be able to design and justify effective action plans that strategically balance the competing demands of organizational performance and sustainable development. • Be able to communicate managerial decisions and their rationale effectively to diverse stakeholders and collaborate in problem-solving environments.

Course contents

Prerequisites & Eligibility

This is a postgraduate module designed for students in the Master’s in Management of Exercise and Sport Activities [https://corsi.unibo.it/magistrale/ManagementSport-Bologna]. It is not an undergraduate course (corso di laurea triennale); undergraduate students (including Erasmus) are not eligible.

To enroll, you must:

• Be enrolled at the Master’s level (laurea magistrale) and hold a recognized Bachelor's degree.

• Have already passed a basic sport management module in your undergraduate studies - completed at least one foundational Sport Management course during your undergraduate studies.

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Indicative Content of the module: 

This course adopts a critical, case-study methodology to evaluate the planning, delivery, and legacy of sports mega-events through the lens of multidimensional sustainability: environmental, social, human rights, and economic governance. Key topics include:

• Foundations & Governance: Triple-bottom-line frameworks, IOC Olympic Agenda 2020+5, ISO 20121 standards, and ESG metrics.

• London 2012: Urban regeneration, ISO 20121 creation, brownfield reclamation vs. gentrification and community displacement.

• Rio 2016: Social inequality, displacement of favela communities, human rights controversies, and broken environmental promises ("white elephants").

• Beijing 2022: Carbon neutrality claims, heavy artificial snowmaking, water resource stress, and environmental trade-offs in winter mega-events.

• Milano Cortina 2026: Decentralized multi-cluster logistics, alpine ecosystem preservation, infrastructure cost containment, and regional governance.

• Los Angeles 2028 & Future Mega-Events: "No-build" infrastructure models, transit-first planning, social equity, circular economy, and combating greenwashing. Please note:

• *Note:The detailed schedule, topics, and specific case studies listed above are indicative and may be subject to minor adjustments based on class dynamics, guest lecturer availability, and emerging industry developments.

Readings/Bibliography

Core Texts:

• McCullough, B. P., & Kellison, T. B. (Eds.). Routledge Handbook of Sport and the Environment. Routledge.

• Rook, W., Heerdt, D., & Jain, S. (Eds.). The Routledge Handbook of Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights. Routledge.

Complementary Readings & Case Studies:

- Pappous, A. (2026). Thinking out of the (Olympic) box: is it time to reconsider permanent hosting for sustainable Olympics? A conceptual review. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 8, 1778441.

- Solberg, H. A., Storm, R. K., & Swart, K. (Eds.). Research Handbook on Major Sporting Events. Edward Elgar Publishing.

- Müller, M., et al. (2021). "An evaluation of the sustainability of the Olympic Games." Nature Sustainability, 4(4), 340–348.

Selected official sustainability reports, IOC guidelines, and independent human rights/environmental audits (provided on the e-learning platform).

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures combined with student-led case discussions. Classes feature comparative case-study analysis of specific Olympic editions, workshops addressing real-world event crises (e.g., greenwashing, displacement, resource allocation), and group debates on controversial governance issues.

Assessment methods

Case Study Project & Presentation (100%):

  In-depth critical sustainability audit of a chosen mega-event edition, assessing environmental footprint, social/human rights compliance, and post-event legacy. Oral powerpoint presentation followed by Questions and Answers session

Teaching tools

Lecture slides, academic papers, official IOC/organizing committee sustainability reports, investigative case briefs, multimedia documentaries, and dedicated discussion forums on the university's e-learning portal.

Office hours

See the website of Athanasios Pappous