Sustainability Plan

1. INTRODUCTION

The SilverSkiff is an international rowing regatta held in Turin on the River Po. It is organised by the Reale Società Canottieri Cerea ASD, with the support of local rowing clubs. Now in its 35th edition, the event will take place on 7 and 8 November 2026, bringing together Italian and international athletes in a setting where sport is closely connected to the river landscape and the city. More than 1,000 athletes are expected in Turin over the weekend.

The programme is spread over two days. Saturday 7 November will be dedicated to the KinderSkiff and the sixth edition of the SilverVintage. The KinderSkiff will involve younger athletes over 1,000- and 4,000-metre courses, depending on their age category. The SilverVintage will cover 4,000 metres and is reserved for wooden boats built before 1992, celebrating rowing’s heritage and its connection with tradition. On Sunday 8 November, the SilverSkiff will take place: an 11-kilometre time trial for single sculls. Starting and finishing at the Canottieri Cerea clubhouse, the course follows the urban stretch of the Po, with an upstream leg and a return leg. The race is open to youth and senior athletes, as well as the many Masters categories, giving people of different ages and levels of experience the chance to compete on the same course.

Alongside elite athletes, the event welcomes young people taking part for the first time and those who continue to row into later life. Meet-and-greet sessions with champions, scheduled for Saturday, also give younger participants the opportunity to get to know some of the sport’s leading figures. In this way, competition goes hand in hand with shared experiences and the passing on of sport values, bringing generations together.

International sport events can bring significant benefits to the host community and participants. The SilverSkiff, for example, attracts visitors and supports the local economy, while creating opportunities to meet and promoting the physical and mental health benefits of sport. The involvement of young people also strengthens the event’s educational value. At the same time, organising an event of this scale places pressure on the environment and host community. Waste generation and potential food waste, the consumption of materials and energy, travel and noise are just some of the factors to consider when planning the regatta. With international participants expected to make up around 50% of Sunday’s field, athletes’ travel is estimated to be one of the event’s main sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

This understanding has led the organisers to formally integrate sustainability into the SilverSkiff’s governance and operations. The regatta is the first international competitive rowing event in Italy organised by a FIC-affiliated body to launch a formal sustainability project that takes the federation’s guidelines into account. From this edition onwards, sustainability will be formally embedded in the organisation’s governance through a Sustainability Plan setting out measurable objectives and concrete actions. The project aims to progressively reduce the event’s environmental and social impacts while creating an increasingly responsible and inclusive experience. Its ambition is to build a process of continuous improvement, learning from each edition and turning the results into new opportunities for progress. The SilverSkiff hopes to share this commitment with all its stakeholders, actively involving them in a collective effort to make the event increasingly sustainable.

2. METHODOLOGY

The SilverSkiff Sustainability Plan is based primarily on the Guidelines for the Organisation of Sustainable Events issued by the Italian Rowing Federation (FIC). The document provides practical guidance that each Organising Committee can adapt to the characteristics of its event and its local context, without introducing new obligations. In particular, the SilverSkiff agrees with the principle that “sustainability should be understood as a gradual process, based on simple choices that are consistent with the resources available”.

This document formally recognises sustainability as an important issue for the regatta for the first time. The Plan does not aim to address every aspect from the outset; rather, it is a starting point that can be expanded as experience is gained and information is collected. The main goal of this first edition with a focus on sustainability is to involve the entire staff in this new challenge and introduce a new way of thinking about how the regatta is organised. Each decision should also be assessed for its impact on the environment and local community, while seeking a balance between the event’s spectacle and sporting performance and its responsibility towards the place hosting it. With this in mind, sustainable practices will be introduced gradually, strengthening the commitment with each edition.

2.1 Identifying priorities and objectives

The process of setting priorities involved four steps:

• Analysing activities: identifying all the operations required to deliver the event.
• Identifying impacts and risks: assessing their potential consequences for the environment and people.
• Identifying stakeholders and their expectations.
• Selecting objectives and actions based on the significance of the impacts and the organisation’s ability to address them.

For this first edition, eight activities have been identified and are listed in the table below.

Implementing the Plan requires input from both those who take part in the regatta and those involved in organising it. Engaging with stakeholders helps the organisers understand their needs and gather suggestions. The table below provides an initial stakeholder map, which will be updated during the planning process and for each edition.

2.2 Indicators and measuring results

Each objective in the Plan will be accompanied by performance indicators, or KPIs, to measure the results of the actions taken. 2026 will be the first year in which data is collected systematically, establishing a baseline against we will compare future editions and set targets for improvement.

2.3 Greenhouse gas emissions calculation

The SilverSkiff’s emissions will be estimated using the GHG Protocol, distinguishing between Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organisation, such as fuel used by its vehicles. Scope 2 covers emissions associated with the production of energy purchased and consumed for the event. Scope 3 includes other indirect emissions, such as those from participant travel, waste and the production of purchased materials.

Once collected, activity data will be multiplied by the relevant emission factors to estimate the emissions generated, expressed in CO₂ equivalent. The calculation will use the Sport Federations Emissions Calculator developed by World Athletics.

3. OUR GOALS

The impact assessment, stakeholder expectations and the guidance provided by the Italian Rowing Federation’s Guidelines have led to the definition of three main objectives for 2026.

• Goal n. 1 = Integrate sustainability into the regatta’s governance: make sustainability part of organisational decision-making, involve the entire staff and define clear responsibilities for implementing the Plan. For this first edition, it will be essential to build a shared understanding of the impacts of the organisation’s activities and encourage collaboration and communication across different functional areas.
• Goal n. 2 = Ensure accessibility, inclusion and equity for all participants: create the right conditions for everyone to experience the event in a welcoming and respectful environment. This commitment will cover access to spaces and information, the prevention of discrimination and recognition of the work carried out by staff and volunteers.
• Goal n. 3 = Minimise the event’s environmental impact: reduce the impacts of the activities required to stage the regatta, with particular attention to the use of natural resources and the protection of the River Po. Actions will be assessed in terms of their efficiency, their contribution to the quality of the event and their environmental impact.

3.1 Governance

Governance is the “system by which an organisation makes and implements decisions in pursuit of its objectives” (ISO 26000).

For this edition, the first step towards integrating sustainability into the event’s governance is to share this commitment with the entire staff and actively involve every team member. The regatta has reached its 35th edition thanks to a wealth of experience and well- established working methods. Integrating sustainability now means adapting these methods by considering how decisions affect the environment and local community and by taking a more systematic approach to managing activities. The guiding framework will be the Plan– Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle, which represents the management system proposed by ISO 20121. This approach involves four steps: planning initiatives and expected outcomes, carrying out the planned actions, checking their effectiveness using concrete data and using what has been learned to improve.

Introducing new criteria into day-to-day decisions and adapting working practices takes time and discussion. The process will therefore be gradual and collaborative, while recognising the expertise of those who have contributed to the SilverSkiff over the years.

As set out in the FIC Guidelines, communication is an integral part of governance and supports every stage of the organisation. Online and on-site communications help showcase the actions taken and explain to stakeholders the values that guide the SilverSkiff and how available resources are used. The planned actions are listed below.

3.2 Social

The SilverSkiff’s sustainability also concerns the quality of the experience it offers to everyone who takes part in or helps organise the event. The regatta brings together participants ranging from the youngest KinderSkiff rowers to the Masters categories, creating opportunities for people of different generations to meet and share experiences through sport. The Plan aims to build on this aspect by promoting a welcoming and respectful environment and gradually identifying actions to improve inclusion, accessibility, equity and people’s involvement.

For many years, the KinderSkiff has provided an important opportunity to introduce young people to sport and support their physical and mental wellbeing. Taking part in the race helps them develop transferable skills such as commitment, time management and the ability to handle pressure. Through sport, young people also learn fundamental values such as respect, equality and fair play. Around 250 participants are expected in the Kinder race in 2026.

For this first edition, training for the people directly involved in organising the event will be a priority. Staff and volunteers play a key role in delivering the initiatives and interacting with athletes, coaches, spectators and public authorities. Everyone should therefore understand the goals of this Plan and be able to act in line with them. After all, sustainability requires specific knowledge and skills: it involves assessing organisational processes, following relevant standards and guidance and taking applicable legal requirements into account. Appropriate training can help everyone involved in the organisation make informed decisions. For this reason, we plan to include sustainability in the training session for volunteers and staff.

Another important issue for the SilverSkiff is preventing all forms of discrimination. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with respect and fairness and with dignity, regardless of their differences. This message will be shared through the event’s official channels before the event, along with information on how to report incidents of discrimination or other unpleasant situations.

Finally, the organisers will work to ensure that all participants, both Italian and international, have equal access to information, which will be provided in both languages. An initial assessment of the physical accessibility of the event spaces will also be carried out to identify any issues. The findings will help the organisers plan the necessary improvements, with the aim of addressing all the issues before the next edition.

3.3 Environment

A sport event temporarily brings people and activities together in a limited area. Even when it lasts only one day, this concentration puts considerable pressure on the ecosystem hosting the competition. It consumes resources, generates waste and affects the natural environment, for example through noise pollution or the dispersal of materials. The SilverSkiff’s international dimension adds to these impacts, particularly because of the amount of travel involved. Around 50% of participants are expected to come from abroad. With this in mind, the Plan’s third and final goal is to reduce the regatta’s environmental impact as much as possible. We recognise that we will not be able to eliminate the event’s environmental impact in this edition, but we are committed to introducing the first practical measures and setting processes in motion to manage and gradually reduce it.

Waste generation is one of the main environmental impacts of a sport event. Waste can come from event set-up and dismantling, packaging for purchased materials, the production and distribution of giveaways, prizes and information materials and catering, including leftover food and food containers and packaging. Our first step will be to gain a better understanding of the materials we purchase and distribute by recording their quantities and types in an inventory. We aim to identify unnecessary purchases and limit them, reducing the amount of material in circulation during the regatta. We will also communicate our sustainability ambitions to partners, sponsors and suppliers, encouraging them to avoid distributing promotional materials. For this edition, this will be a request; in future, we plan to include a clause directly in our contracts. We will also work with the catering provider to prioritise reusable cups, cutlery and plates. Where this is not possible, tableware will be recyclable or compostable and the use of plastic, including recycled plastic, will be kept to a minimum. In the same spirit, we plan to purchase and distribute more than 1,000 reusable cups bearing the regatta’s branding to participants, staff and volunteers. Finally, thanks to the support of Smat, large water containers with taps will be provided to reduce the use of plastic bottles.

For waste that cannot be avoided, we will organise waste sorting in collaboration with Amiat, which will help us determine the appropriate number and location of waste bins. After the event, we will request a report on the waste generated by category. These figures will provide a baseline for setting improvement targets for future editions.

Catering is another source of environmental impact. For this edition, we aim to keep beef to a minimum, offer chicken as the only meat option for the second course and ensure vegetarian options are available. We will also work with the catering provider to reduce food waste by planning purchases in stages and replenishing supplies as existing stocks run low.

As with many international events, we expect transport to be the regatta’s main environmental impact. However, we can directly influence only a small number of journeys, since international participants will arrange their own travel, apart from a few invited guests. This year, we will therefore focus mainly on local participants, spectators and volunteers, encouraging them to use public transport through our communication channels. We will also share a questionnaire to gather information about how international participants travel. This will help us better understand the impact of their journeys and assess how it could be reduced in future editions.

The SilverSkiff takes place on the River Po, in a natural setting that we have a responsibility to care for. During the race days, we will work with an environmental association that will run awareness-raising activities for KinderSkiff participants through games and prizes. With the help of volunteers, we will also organise at least one clean-up of the areas on land used for the event. We will share online content to introduce people to the area’s biodiversity and encourage its protection.

Finally, as described in the methodology section, we will prepare an initial estimate of the regatta’s greenhouse gas emissions, distinguishing between Scopes 1, 2 and 3. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organisation; Scope 2 covers emissions associated with the production of purchased and consumed energy; and Scope 3 includes other indirect emissions, such as those linked to participant travel, purchased materials and waste. We will seek to collect data on all the emission sources that can be included in this first edition. The estimate may therefore have some limitations, which will be clearly described in the Sustainability Report. In future editions, we will work to expand the calculation and make it increasingly complete and accurate.

4. MONITORING AND IMPROVEMENT

This is the SilverSkiff’s first Sustainability Plan. It sets out a total of 22 actions, supported by 38 KPIs. As emphasised throughout, this is the beginning of a shared journey: we do not expect to get everything right straight away or resolve every issue in a single edition. Our aim is to engage staff and stakeholders, deliver the first practical initiatives and measure their results. Collecting data and reviewing what worked, as well as the challenges we faced, will help us set priorities and make progress with each edition.

Transparency will be an integral part of this process. We will document the initiatives carried out, the results achieved and the areas that still need improvement in a Sustainability Report, to be published within two months of the event. The report will also address the challenges and limitations identified, sharing what we have learned with stakeholders and helping to shape future editions.

Publication date: 20 October 2026