CEV Enel EuroVolley Men 2026 Tampere event awarded WWF One Planet Event label

The Finnish national team’s - Veljekset - unforgettable EuroVolley tournament culminated in the medal ceremony held on Monday, September 28, in Tampere upon their return from Milano. The Pool Phase held in Tampere was a major success both on and off the court from many different perspectives. One such success was the event’s sustainability efforts: the event passed an external audit and was awarded the WWF One Planet label.

WWF One Planet is a concrete set of sustainability criteria developed by WWF Finland. It supports sustainable development goals and helps strengthen sustainable practices in the sports and events sector.
 
“The Finnish Volleyball Association and the tournament organising committee had already been working on sustainability even before applying for the WWF One Planet label. The process and the tools we have gained through it have reinforced the role of sustainability, made our sustainability efforts more systematic, and brought greater visibility to the excellent work we have done,” explains Sampo Yrjölä, the tournament’s Sustainability Coordinator.
 
“A large part of this success is due to our partners, whose own commitment to sustainability makes this possible. The City of Tampere, Nokia Arena, and various organisations at the arena have played a major role in enabling sustainable solutions,” continues Secretary General Riia Martinoja.
 

The WWF One Planet criteria have three different levels – Basic, Silver, and Gold – and the event was awarded the Basic level. Next up is analysing and reporting on the event, including through a survey directed at event attendees and volunteers, which will provide feedback on successes and areas for improvement – both in general and from a sustainability perspective. The data collected from the survey, as well as other event metrics, will help the Finnish Volleyball Association plan its sustainability efforts for upcoming international matches and major Volleyball events.
 
WWF Finland is also delighted with the event’s success. “I have many good reasons to offer my congratulations. First of all, congratulations to the Veljekset on their historic and wonderful European Championship bronze medal! I am also delighted that the event held in Tampere passed the WWF One Planet audit, which is a testament to the organisers’ long-term efforts and our excellent collaboration. Nowadays, more and more evidence is expected to back up sustainability claims, so it’s great that a major international sporting event has committed to sustainability efforts based on the WWF One Planet criteria. When you see the logo, you can trust that it’s backed by concrete actions, not just empty promises,” says Mikko Kuiri, Account Manager at WWF One Planet.