5 June marks World Environment Day, a United Nations initiative to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment. World Environment Day brings together millions of people and organisations from across the globe, engaging them in the effort to protect and restore the Earth. People from more than 150 countries participate in this United Nations international day, which celebrates environmental action and the power of governments, businesses and individuals to create a more sustainable world.
In a period beset by unprecedented challenges related to climate change and global warming, the IWGA has taken a strong new initiative in creating a Sustainability Strategy for The World Games.
On this special day and to reinforce the commitment of the International World Games Association (IWGA) to sustainability, we are pleased to unveil our forward-thinking Sustainability Strategy for The World Games, aimed at enhancing the environmental, economic, and social impact of The World Games, in line with IWGA’s values of Excellence, Sustainability and Inclusiveness. By adopting these practices, the IWGA not only enhances the quality and legacy of The World Games but also demonstrates leadership in global sustainability efforts.
Strategy Framework Based on OECD Sport Event Guidelines
The new strategy, first introduced in April 2024 and presented at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Esslingen (GER) on 1st May, meticulously aligns with the guidelines provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), ensuring a holistic and sustainable approach to hosting international sports events.
The strategy outlines the main benefits of measuring the impact of sports events such as enhanced reporting and transparency, demonstrating value to stakeholders, community engagement and inclusivity or legacy building.
IWGA’s strategy is structured around a framework of impact indicators derived from OECD Sport Event Guidelines, focusing on sixteen economic, environmental and social impact indicators.
The way forward
Moving forwards, the IWGA has already aligned with the Local Organising Committee of The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China, to follow the IWGA’s sustainability strategy. The specific TWG 2025 Sustainability Plan will be released in August 2024.
In addition, the IWGA will work hand in hand with the future host Karlsruhe, Germany as well as with its International Member Federations to encourage change and follow-up on the recommendations outlined in the Sustainability Strategy.
The comprehensive Sustainability Strategy is available here. You can also consult our Sustainability webpage here.
The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The IWGA comprises 40 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu (CHN) from 7-17 August 2025. 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in this 12th edition. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama (USA).
For more information, please contact the IWGA Media and Communication team: [email protected], Tel: +41 21 311 12 97, or visit our website.
