The European Handball Federation -EHF- has placed sustainability among the key areas of analysis for the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 following the publication of reports by Denmark, Sweden and Norway on the measures implemented during the championship. The tournament, played from 15 January to 1 February, was the first to bring together three host countries under a single concept of environmental responsibility.
The three organising committees worked under the Pure Promise programme, a common initiative focused on seven areas: water, food and beverages, transport, reuse and recycling, waste, fan engagement, and data collection and emissions reporting. The documents published by the host nations set out the main results in each country and form part of a broader line of work through which the EHF aims to integrate environmental, social and governance criteria into its competitions.
A strategy that began in 2023
The institutional starting point came in 2023, when the EHF presented the first draft of its sustainability strategy at the Ordinary Congress in Basel. The federation’s stated vision was to make handball “Europe’s most sustainable sport” by 2027, with three main objectives: moving towards climate neutrality, taking a European leadership role in fairness and sports governance, and fostering an equal, inclusive and skilled handball ecosystem.
The EHF secretary general, Martin Hausleitner, then defended the need to involve national federations and the wider European handball community. “Integrating our stakeholders’ perspectives into the final strategy is key for us and a core piece of the puzzle in order to be successful,” he said. “We understand the growing importance of sustainability for professional sports, not only on the ecological level, but also when it comes to the social and governance perspective,” he added.
Pure Promise, the testing ground for EHF EURO 2026
The Men’s EHF EURO 2026 brought that roadmap into a major event format through Pure Promise, which allowed common criteria to be applied across the three host nations. Water was one of the central elements of the concept and also shaped the tournament’s visual identity through Splash, the water-drop mascot used to communicate messages about water, climate and sustainability to a broad audience. Measures in this area included eliminating bottled water for volunteers, delegates, organisers and accredited media in Denmark through the distribution of 1,000 recycled steel bottles. In Sweden, refill stations were used for 730 individual stainless steel bottles, while Norway distributed 470 reusable bottles and promoted tap water through refill points in key areas of the arena and fan zone.
Transport was another area with a significant amount of data. In Denmark, 94% of the kilometres covered by organisers and delegates were driven in electric vehicles, with a 42% reduction in emissions, while 7,000 fans used free electric shuttle buses. Sweden also used electric vehicles and offered free train and bus transport to volunteers, media and delegates, while Norway added 198 extra electric bus departures during the championship.
For food and reuse, Denmark implemented shared guidelines to minimise waste and reduced food waste by up to 75% in catering areas, venues and hotels. Sweden offered vegetarian options, adjusted the number of buffets and repurposed leftover fruit into marmalade and jam, while Norway donated 717 kilograms of surplus food and beverages to Matsentralen. Material reuse also featured in the reports, with reduced purchases of new clothing in Denmark, reused furniture in Kristianstad and more than 90% of temporary constructions reused in Norway.
The challenge of bringing sustainability to federations
Data collection appears as one of the most relevant elements of the project. Denmark published a climate report detailing the sustainability areas analysed; Sweden measured the climate footprint of a handball championship for the first time using the “Event & Climate” tool, developed by the University of Gothenburg; and Norway conducted surveys among volunteers, fans and spectators, while also requesting information from key suppliers.
Based on that data, the EHF is working with DEKRA on a joint report covering the measures implemented during the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 and the tournament’s main learnings. The partnership with the testing, inspection and certification organisation forms part of the cooperation announced by the federation to calculate and compare the carbon footprint and environmental impact of its major club and national team events.
The EHF’s work is not limited to its major tournaments. A survey conducted between February and March 2025 among its member federations showed that 29 of the 52 federations responded to the questionnaire and that 92% of them consider sustainability important or very important. The study also found that 59% of the participating federations already have a sustainability strategy or are working on one. The same report identified relevant obstacles to the development of these policies, especially financial resources, internal capacity, knowledge and funding.
Last related articles
