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Philipp Lahm,
Michele Uva,
Martin Kallen,

Ladies and gentlemen, 

last week, the Special Olympics World Games were held in Berlin. For the first time in Germany. All week, athletes with intellectual disabilities proved themselves in sport competitions. They showed great athletic achievements and how inclusion works. 

The Special Olympics World Games were a joint effort by the athletes and the many volunteers. And: they were an outstanding example of respect and sustainability. That shared enthusiasm for sport and mutual respect for the athletes’ achievements was impressive and inspiring. For me it demonstrated how a major sport event conveys these values. And how such an event can make our society stronger.

We can learn from this example. That is especially true of EURO 2024. Football has shown again and again that it can bring people together.

That it can inspire excitement. It helps us look forward to the future with confidence. A future for which we must all take responsibility together.

Responsibility. That is what sustainability is all about: we take responsibility for this event so that the focus can be on the athletic achievements in football. Because we want to celebrate football – without second thoughts.

When we say we want a sustainable EURO 2024, we are talking about more than re-usable cups and green energy. As a society, we want this event to create something that lasts. And I am not just referring to sport. In recent years, we have seen that many people in Germany are opposed to major sport events. That was especially true of last year’s football World Cup in Qatar.

There are many reasons for this attitude: for example the enormous waste of money and resources or the human rights situation in host countries.

I am very certain that EURO 2024 can change and improve this image, permanently. 

Surveys have shown that the German public is looking forward to EURO 2024. They want to get excited. At the same time, they want sustainability and human rights. We want EURO 2024 to promote our goals and values for all of society.

I would like to thank the German Football Association (DFB) and UEFA for taking this responsibility seriously. From the very beginning, they have followed the UN’s guiding principles on business, human rights and sustainability. The Federal Government’s sustainability strategy is committed to these principles too. 

Now we have to keep these promises. I am glad that we – the DFB, UEFA, the Federal Government, the federal states and the host cities – have all agreed on a shared understanding of what makes EURO 2024 sustainable. Environmentally and economically, but also and above all socially.

This declaration of our shared understanding, which I am presenting today, creates a common framework. It brings together all the different perspectives. Each of us has our own responsibilities and a different way of addressing them. But we now have a shared understanding of what we want to achieve together.

By acting together, we are also supporting our national team. We are helping it to bring people together and unite Germany. The Federal Government wants as many people as possible to visit EURO 2024.

Our society depends on people who take responsibility and get involved. So I am pleased that UEFA has adopted a central element from the Special Olympics World Games: the volunteer tandems, in which people with and without a disability work together.

More than 16,000 people have already applied to be volunteers. We want to encourage them to continue volunteering even after EURO 2024 is over. In cooperation with the German Foundation for Civic Engagement and Volunteering, we are offering a volunteer academy. Volunteers can learn how to become a referee. Or they can be certified to work with children and young people. There will also be many opportunities for volunteers to make new contacts.

We know: the best way to overcome prejudices is to get to know each other. That is why EURO 2024 will offer opportunities to meet people from other countries and get involved.

The Federal Government is planning many different projects to promote such interaction:

1)  such as local street football events all over Germany. They will bring together 12,000 children and young people who face social exclusion. They will be able to see that they too can have a voice in our democracy. 

2)  Together with the Federal Agency for Civic Education, we are organising a youth congress. It will focus on the social and political significance of football.

3)  And of course, we also want to reach out to fans from other countries. That is why we will have a programme for fans and guests of EURO 2024.

4)  And the minister of state for culture is funding a cultural programme with a budget of 13.2 million euros.

I thank everyone who is working to make these programmes a reality.

 
Ladies and gentlemen,

sadly, athletes and fans often experience discrimination and racism at major sport events. Also in football.

We must take action to show that this will not be tolerated. Sport and human rights are inseparable. With the weight of its global popularity, sport can push for improvements. It can initiate change and set an example.

 

In 2024, the eyes of the world will be on Germany as host country – they already are. Particularly after the controversy over the World Cup in Qatar. We will be judged by what we say and do. And rightly so.

We are responsible for respecting and protecting human rights, in Germany and beyond. We stand firm against racism and discrimination. And we call for human rights even in places that are not immediately obvious.

The same applies to climate change. That is why EURO 2024 will use existing stadiums instead of building new ones.

Of course, major events produce emissions, mainly caused by travel. But our common goal is to reduce these emissions. For example, the match schedule has been designed to keep travel to a minimum during the group stage. We will only be able to achieve climate neutrality if the transport sector too offers climate-neutral options. That also applies to EURO 2024. The German railway (Deutsche Bahn) plans to offer special discounts for the event. We thank the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport for working with Deutsche Bahn to find a good solution here.

It was important to us, that responsibility is also taken for unavoidable emissions. That’s why we welcome the fact, that UEFA has taken a clear position and is assuming responsibility for a large part of the emissions. Especially also for the large area of the fan travel. This is a milestone. I am particularly pleased that a new approach is being taken in a fund model that will benefit German sport. UEFA will provide more information on this later today.

 
Ladies and gentlemen,

our common goal is clear. We have already successfully completed most of the race. Now, we want to reach the finish line together.

EURO 2024 will set a new standard for major sport events: cooperative, holistic, sustainable. Before, during and after the event.

Now I’ve told you a great deal about our “game plan” for putting on a sustainable EURO 2024. I won’t say anything about the "game plan" for the actual matches. Although I am, of course, one of the 83 million national trainers in this country.

One thing I am sure of: to put on an event that meets the expectations of people and fans in Germany, Europe and the world, we must work together as a team. If we show this spirit and pursue our common goal, we will succeed. Thank you very much for the good cooperation.

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