Sustainability assessments are intended to ensure that the principles of sustainable development are factored into projects and political decisions. Sustainability assessments are dynamic processes that are aimed at incorporating environmental, social and economic aspects into laws, action plans and public projects at both national and local levels. They are always processes of learning.

Yet how can we say for certain whether or not we really are moving in the right direction? A range of different assessment tools has been developed in Switzerland and internationally in recent years. These are available today for use by public sector institutions. The federal government and some cantons and municipalities have already introduced the corresponding rules and regulations in their administrations. They are now evaluating whether or not their projects can be reconciled with sustainable development objectives. 

Sustainability of major (sports) events

Following the UEFA EURO 2008 sustainability report, the two host countries, Switzerland and Austria, took it upon themselves to establish a set of international guidelines for the sustainability of major events. Under the direction of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which defines internationally recognized guidelines for sustainability reporting by businesses, and with the help of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the London 2012 Organizing Committee (LOCOG) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), they develop a sector supplement with sector-specific requirements for major events by 2012. These reporting guidelines will address the most important topics in terms of the sustainability of major events and will ensure that reports produced for different events can be compared.