AboutContact UsRegister
Clearinghouse for Sport
The information and knowledge sharing platform for Australian sport

Environment

Environmental sustainability outcomes have become key factors in event bidding and management, working to mitigate both short and long-term impacts from events, facilities and infrastructure.

Major sport events can involve significant impacts on the landscape and environment such as construction of new facilities and infrastructure and increased waste, energy, water, and CO2 use/emissions (including through international travel for participants and spectators).

A study of the FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) 2019 Women’s World Cup in France estimated that 95% of carbon emissions attributed to the event were from spectators (75% due to international air travel, and a further 25% due to other transport, accommodation, and catering). 12

Increasingly events are setting targets such as reducing carbon and waste, minimising environmental impact of construction (including impacts on biodiversity), and sustainable sourcing (e.g., using local businesses to supply majority of goods and services to help boost local economies). 26, 30, 31

The impact of climate risks (particularly heat and air quality) 13 on events, such as reducing the availability of snow for Winter competitions, 14 or having to move events (e.g., the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon) due to expected high temperatures must also be factored into early planning. 15

Improved environmental sustainability outcomes have become key parts of major event bidding, especially for the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games. Some examples of legacy outcomes include:

  • All you need to know about Tokyo 2020 sustainability, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee, (22 July 2021). From the hydrogen-powered cauldron to medals made from recycled mobile phones, from gender balance to the first official Pride House, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are blazing a trail for the future.
  • Sydney 2000 Legacy: Environmental efforts, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). From the solar-powered hot water system in the Olympic Village to the development of the 450-hectare Millennium Parklands, the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 left a substantial environmental legacy for the city. The efforts of the Sydney 2000 Organising Committee to protect the environment were recognised in the United Nations Global Roll of Honour in 2001. The environmental guidelines for the Sydney Games were adopted by the IOC as a benchmark for host cities in the first decade of the 21st century.
  • Post-Games Sustainability Report, opens in a new tab, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). Sustainable sourcing implemented Games-wide; 8,660 goods and services contracts - 98% of contracts awarded to Australian businesses. 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses built to Liveable Housing Design Gold or Silver Standard, for legacy rental accommodation. Environment: 6 star and 6 leaf rated Commonwealth Games Village; zero helium balloons or lightweight plastic bags; 7 hectares of public parkland at the Commonwealth Games Village; first operational carbon baseline and management plan; 136,420 trees planted.
  • Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games Post-Games Report, opens in a new tab, Commonwealth Games Federation, (2014). This report identifies several environmental initiatives or savings delivered by the Games. A carbon management program to offset vehicle emissions during the Games (including a tree planting program). The goal of being the ‘public transport games’ was achieved by including the cost of public transport to sporting venues into event ticket price. The first Commonwealth Games to commission a ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment’ capturing data on infrastructure development. Recycling furniture and office equipment (much of it from the 2012 London Olympic Games) and building materials for the Games headquarters facility.

Resources and reading

  • Queensland’s high-tech plan to make the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games smarter and greener, opens in a new tab, Davina Jackson, The Conversation, (21 November 2022). With Brisbane to host the 2032 Olympic Games, Queensland is accelerating “smart” and “green” infrastructure projects right across the coast from Coolangatta to Coolum. So what practical steps is the state government taking to bring Brisbane closer to being a smart city while managing rapid growth? And what differences can city residents realistically expect to see for themselves?
  • In a year of sporting mega-events, the Brisbane Olympics can learn a lot from the ones that fail their host cities, opens in a new tab, Anthony Halog, The Conversation, (15 August 2022). In a year of major sporting events – the Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup, cricket’s T20 World Cup, the Winter Olympics – conversations on greening such events are more essential than ever. While the Brisbane Olympics are a decade away, lessons from events like these need to be applied from the start to maximise the benefits of the city’s transformation for the 2032 Games. Good planning can produce a positive environmental legacy for years to come.
  • Brisbane's 2032 'climate-positive' Olympics commitment sets high bar on delivering sustainable legacy, opens in a new tab. Ashleigh Stevenson, Brittney Kleyn, ABC News, (8 November 2021). Brisbane's 2032 Olympics will be the first Games contractually obliged to operate as "climate positive", which is part of a bid to avoid the legacies of huge debts and abandoned stadiums faced by some previous host cities. A "climate positive" Olympic Games has to offset more carbon emissions than it produces. Specific details of how Brisbane 2032 will achieve a climate positive Games are yet to be laid out. In the process of trying to achieve a 2032 climate positive Games, Brisbane itself will transform, experts say.
  • Tokyo 2020 legacy highlights social and environmental benefits created by the Games, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee, (7 August 2021). Increased sports participation, stronger engagement and initiatives to create a more sustainable city have been highlighted as part of a series of legacy case studies published by the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG).
  • All you need to know about Tokyo 2020 sustainability, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee, (22 July 2021). From the hydrogen-powered cauldron to medals made from recycled mobile phones, from gender balance to the first official Pride House, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are blazing a trail for the future. Here’s everything you need to know about how Tokyo 2020 is helping build a better, more sustainable world through sport.
  • Sydney 2000 Legacy: Environmental efforts, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). From the solar-powered hot water system in the Olympic Village to the development of the 450-hectare Millennium Parklands, the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 left a substantial environmental legacy for the city for the foreseeable future and beyond. The efforts of the Sydney 2000 Organising Committee to protect the environment have since been recognised internationally, being awarded the United Nations Global Roll of Honour in 2001. The environmental guidelines for the Sydney Games were adopted by the IOC as a benchmark for host cities in the first decade of the 21st century.
  • Sydney 2000: Games of environmental responsibility and inclusion, opens in a new tab, International Olympic Committee, (20 November 2020). There were several key objectives for the Olympic Games Sydney 2000. The platform provided by hosting the Games was to be used to redevelop run-down areas of Sydney. Environmentally responsible, world-class facilities in and around Sydney Olympic Park were to be created. And Australia’s Aboriginal heritage was to be highlighted and promoted.
  • Lillehammer 1994 set the stage for sustainable Games legacies, opens in a new tab. International Olympic Committee, (2014). More than 20 sustainability projects were implemented before, during and after the Games, examples include: relocating the speed skating arena in Hamar to protect a sanctuary for rare birds; designing and constructing the ice hockey venue to conserve energy; using reclaimed stone from the construction of the ski jump site in other venues; and using local construction materials. More than twenty years after the Games, venues are still available for public use and have hosted many international events.

  • Mitigating biodiversity impacts of sports events, opens in a new tab, International Union for Conservation of Nature, (2020). Wherever a new sports venue is built, or the refurbishment of an existing venue is undertaken, it is likely that biodiversity will be affected by that development, although the significance of impacts on biodiversity – both negative and positive – will vary enormously from sport to sport and location to location. Sports organisations, public authorities and financial institutions as well as those involved in the actual construction and decommissioning of venues all have a role to play in managing the range of impacts that sport venues may have on biodiversity. This includes implementing different measures that can be taken to mitigate any negative impacts and adopting approaches that contribute to biodiversity conservation. Moreover, with careful planning and design, new sports venues and the expansion of existing sites or temporary facilities can, in some cases, even contribute to an overall gain of biodiversity. This report offers in-depth guidance on how to integrate biodiversity considerations in the development of a new venue or a temporary facility, including five checklists covering all aspects from the early planning stage and site selection to the decommissioning.
  • Sport and biodiversity, opens in a new tab, International Union for Conservation of Nature, (2018). Sport can have significant negative impacts on biodiversity, through the construction and use of sports venues and the staging of sporting events. Understanding and managing the potential negative impacts and opportunities for conservation is vital for ensuring that sports venues and sporting events deliver successfully both from the financial and operational standpoint. This guide is designed to help decision makers understand these potential impacts, and to present options for mitigating them, as well as for maximising opportunities to use sport as a way to promote and enhance biodiversity conservation.

  • Study on the environmental and socio-economic impact of the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™, opens in a new tab, Utopies for Local Organising Committee and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), (February 2020: Translation: March 2021). Reflecting six months of work involving numerous organisations and territories, the results of the study provide a better understanding of and make it possible to gauge the environmental impact of the competition, as well as its economic influence and net capital gain for each of the affected territories. Some of the key environmental impacts highlighted included:
    • Most of the carbon footprint is created by the spectators: as it is a global event, emissions caused by international air travel have the biggest impact on the environment. 95%: Spectators transport, accommodation and catering 75%: due to international air travel
    • 6.4 tonnes of food waste collected and donated to local community-based associations
    • Enhanced audio-descriptive commentary systems and waste management facilities left at stadiums in Host Cities
  • Post-Games Sustainability Report, opens in a new tab, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, (August 2018). Delivering a GC2018 to international sustainable event management standards supported our Games Delivery Partner’s shared vision for a strong and diversified economy, a pristine natural environment and an active, inclusive Gold Coast community. Some key impact and legacy outcomes relating to sustainability and the environment included:
    • Sustainable sourcing implemented Games-wide; 8,660 goods and services contracts - 98% of contracts awarded to Australian businesses.
    • 1,252 Commonwealth Games Village apartments and townhouses built to Liveable Housing Design Gold or Silver Standard, for legacy rental accommodation.
    • Environment: 6 star and 6 leaf rated Commonwealth Games Village; zero helium balloons or lightweight plastic bags; 7 hectares of public parkland at the Commonwealth Games Village; first operational carbon baseline and management plan; 136,420 trees planted.
  • Playing for our Planet: How sports win from being sustainable, opens in a new tab, UEFA with the support of Green Sports Alliance, (May 2018). Environmental leadership is an increasingly important issue for all sport stakeholders and major sport events. Environmentally conscious operations are no longer solely a focus of visionary thinking, but have become a vital operational and economic requirement for federations, teams, rights holders, host cities, leisure activities and partners linked to the sport movement. UEFA, WWF and the Green Sports Alliance have led the development of a report which is designed to bring together good practices by key stakeholders of the sport movement: from federations, teams, fans, sporting goods manufacturers and venue operators, to sponsoring partners, environmental organisations and policymakers. Its main objective is to highlight innovative solutions which enhance the environmental and sustainable performance of sports.
  • Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games Post-Games Report, opens in a new tab, Commonwealth Games Federation, (2014). This report identifies a number of environmental initiatives or savings delivered by the Games.
    • A carbon management program to offset vehicle emissions during the Games (including a tree planting program).
    • The first smoke-free games.
    • Compliance with international food procurement sustainability guidelines.
    • The goal of being the ‘public transport games’ was achieved by including the cost of public transport to sporting venues into event ticket price.
    • Solar energy collection panels were built into the Games village.
    • The first Commonwealth Games to commission a ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment’, using a holistic approach to capture data on infrastructure development.
    • All waste management practices were compliant with Euro IV standards to improve recycling and reduce landfill waste.
    • Conversion of the Hampden Park facility into the Games athletics stadium, instead of building a new facility.
    • Recycling furniture and office equipment (much of it from the 2012 London Olympic Games) and building materials for the Games headquarters facility.
  • Making a Difference, opens in a new tab, Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, Post-Games Report, (March 2013). This final report attempts to gather evidence to understand if resources used to stage the Games are in some way compensated for by more sustainable practices inspired by, or as a direct result of, the Games. Despite some difficulties along the way, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have both produced an excellent suite of policies that may be used in other situations, thus delivering a legacy of the 2012 Games.
  • Triple bottom line assessment of the XVIII Commonwealth Games, opens in a new tab, Insight Economics, Report to the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination, (2006). Three main environmental programs were delivered through the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne. Under the Water Wise program, 18,000 trees were planted and four hectares of wetland were constructed; in addition to rainwater collection systems being incorporated into several Games venues. The Carbon Neutral program delivered the athlete’s village with a six-star energy rating; approximately one million trees were planted to offset greenhouse gas emissions; bicycle facilities were available at all Games venues; and fuel efficient vehicles were used for Games transport. Low Waste programs involved a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness to minimise waste and encourage recycling; 60% of the waste from the athlete’s village was recycled. This report concluded that although it was difficult to assess whether lasting behavioural change will result from Commonwealth Games linked programs, the overall objectives of the three programs were achieved.

  • Predicting climate impacts to the Olympic Games and FIFA Men’s World Cups from 2022 to 2032, opens in a new tab, Walker Ross, Madeleine Orr, Sport in Society, Volume 25(4), pp.867-888, (2022). In response to concern for climate change impacting sport competitions and legacies, and the need to consider climate adaptability in event planning, this paper uses a combination of historical weather and air quality data as well as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report to predict climactic conditions for the mega-events of the 2022 through 2032. In doing so, this paper provides a preliminary overview of environmental conditions (e.g. temperatures, air quality, precipitation) that can be used by event planners to inform contingency plans for the events and their legacies. The most immediate concerns for the mega events between 2022 and 2032 include heat conditions unsuitable for competition and poor air quality, but there may be more harmful environmental concerns for the long-term legacies of these events. It is imperative that event organizers consider creating climate-resilient events, infrastructure, and legacies that can withstand environmental threats in the future.
  • The Contribution of Sport to the Sustainable Development Goals: Insights from Commonwealth Games Associations, opens in a new tab, Haydn Morgan, Anthony Bush, Darragh McGee, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 9(2), (August 2021). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are hailed as a common language to unite a global commitment towards a change of trajectory regarding social, economic, and environmental development issues. Although not overtly cited within the SDGs or their related targets, sport has been widely accepted and promoted as an enabler of social change and a mechanism through which to strategically map and measure commitments to sustainability. However, despite the numerous case study examples of specific sport-based programs that have demonstrated the potential of sport to contribute to the SDGs, there is limited knowledge about the currency and value that the SDGs hold for key sport stakeholders in development, and a shortage of concrete evidence to assess the uptake and integration at the level of national policy. In an attempt to address this shortage, this paper presents insights from the analysis of secondary data collected by the Commonwealth Games Federation from 62 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in relation to their perspectives on the contribution of sport to the SDGs. The paper provides examples of specific areas of strength, or those in need of further development, to present a baseline for the current state of play in understanding the contribution from individual CGAs to the SDGs.
  • Existential threats to the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games? a review of emerging environmental health risks, opens in a new tab, Michael Annear, Tetsuhiro Kidokoro, Yasuo Shimizu, Reviews on Environmental Health, Volume 36(2), (January 2021). This review highlights two intersecting environmental phenomena that have significantly impacted the Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games: infectious disease outbreaks and anthropogenic climate change. Following systematic searches of five databases and the gray literature, 15 studies were identified that addressed infectious disease and climate-related health risks associated with the Summer Games and similar sports mega-events. Over two decades, infectious disease surveillance at the Summer Games has identified low-level threats from vaccine-preventable illnesses and respiratory conditions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and expansion of vector-borne diseases represent emerging and existential challenges for cities that host mass gathering sports competitions due to the absence of effective vaccines. Ongoing threats from heat injury among athletes and spectators have also been identified at international sports events from Asia to North America due to a confluence of rising Summer temperatures, urban heat island effects and venue crowding. Projections for the Tokyo Games and beyond suggest that heat injury risks are reaching a dangerous tipping point, which will necessitate relocation or mitigation with long-format and endurance events. Without systematic change to its format or staging location, the Summer Games have the potential to drive deleterious health outcomes for athletes, spectators and host communities.
  • Environmental legacy of mega sport events, opens in a new tab, Timothy Kellison, Jonathan Casper, Chapter 7 in Legacies and Mega Events, opens in a new tab, Routledge, (2017). Mega sporting events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games and FIFA World Cup can come at significant environmental costs due to the construction of infrastructure and sports venues and the travel of athletes and spectators. In light of this potential impact, event organisers are endeavouring to promote environmental stewardship through smart facility design, concerted educational campaigns, and a formalised long-term environmental legacy plan. In this chapter, we provide an historical summary of environmental issues related to mega-events. Additionally, we highlight several examples of sport’s largest international sporting events and compare their pre-event legacy development with post-event environmental impact analyses. We conclude the chapter by outlining the challenges that come with planning and operating a mega-event, many of which come long after the event has ended.
  • The adoption and evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Games, opens in a new tab, Walker Ross, Becca Leopkey, Managing Sport and Leisure, Volume 22(1), pp.1-18, (2017). This paper explores the evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Movement and how they have become institutionalized within the field by using qualitative methodology consisting of content analysis of International Olympic Committee and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games documents as well as other archival sources.
  • The making of the IOC environmental policy as the third dimension of the Olympic movement, opens in a new tab, Hart Cantelon, Michael Letters, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Volume 35(3), (June 2016). The Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan, in 1998 marked the first Games at which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had a clearly articulated environmental protection policy that was to be followed by the organizing committee. This article attempts to explain the conditions under which this policy came to be, arguing that it was the widespread environmental damage at the 1992 Albertville and the Savoie Region Games, and the subsequent environmentally conscious Green Games of Lillehammer, Norway (1994), that were the historical benchmarks for the development of this policy. The importance of human/environment interaction in the creation of global sport policy is developed and demonstrates the primacy of local initiatives (Albertville, Lillehammer) upon transnational global concerns (IOC environmental policy).
  • The Olympic Games Impact (OGI) study for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games: strategies for evaluating sport mega-events’ contribution to sustainability, opens in a new tab. Vanwynsberghe, Robert, International Journal of Sport Policy, Volume 7(1), pp.1-18, (2015). This paper introduces three techniques for evaluating the sustainability of sport mega-events. The three techniques are bundling/leveraging, before–after control, and sustainability scorecards. This article would be of interest to future prospective Olympic host cities, researchers of mega-events and their impacts and practitioners who evaluate urban sustainability.
  • Green Olympics, green legacies? An exploration of the environmental legacies of the Olympic Games, opens in a new tab. Shalini Samuel, Wendy Stubbs, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Volume 48(4), pp.485-504, (2013). This paper explores the legacies from the greening of the OG through an analysis of Beijing 2008, Singapore 2010, and London 2012, drawing on interviews with key stakeholders. While each OG is different, the key determinants for green legacies include: the breadth and depth of environmental commitments during the bid process; embedding sustainability in the vision, mission and branding of organizing committees; embedding sustainability in various aspects of OG organization, which is an important practical application of a sustainability vision; and the transfer of knowledge from one OG to the next, allowing newer host cities to enhance green legacies.
  • Leveraging the 2010 Olympic Games ‘Sustainability’ in a City of Vancouver Initiative, opens in a new tab, VanWynsberghe R, Maurer E, Derom I, University of British Columbia, (2010). Theoretically, sustainability is likely to be a factor in future leveraging efforts because it is an increasingly strategic move in sporting mega-event bidding. ‘Sustainability’ in this context means attempting to reconcile constituents’ needs in three broad areas—economic, environmental, and social. Sustainability is also a coherent rationale that directs the public’s post-event momentum toward individual actions that enhance the community's collective well-being and prosperity. Public perceptions of ‘good’ environment practice may be one of the longest lasting legacies of hosting a major sporting event. One year before the 2010 Winter Games, the City of Vancouver announced its ambition to become the world’s ‘greenest city’ by embracing a series of citizen based actions toward environmental concerns – such as recycling initiatives, encouraging active transport (commuting by bicycle and walking), and improving curbside landscaping in residential neighbourhoods. There were also government led initiatives — such as setting a world leading green building code, creating a corporate leaders program to champion environmental issues, and requiring electric-car charging units be built into new multi-unit residential buildings. All initiatives were ‘leveraged’ by Winter Olympic hosting promotions.
  • Olympic environmental concerns as a legacy of the Winter Games, opens in a new tab, Chappelet J, The International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 25(14), pp.1884-1902, (2008). This paper explores how the ideas of environmental protection and sustainable development have been slowly incorporated into the Olympic narrative. The author shows how a set of environmental principles were developed through the experiences of local committees during the 1970s, and how the International Olympic Committee adopted them for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games and incorporated them into the Olympic ideal.

  • ISO 20121:2024 - Event sustainability management systems — Requirements with guidance for use, opens in a new tab, ISO, (Edition 2, 2024). A resource to guide organisations toward practices that are more ethical, eco-friendly, and socially conscious. Highlighting new focuses on human and children's rights, along with event legacies, the standard showcases sustainability's transformative role in the industry. It offers various conformity demonstration methods, including self-declaration, supplier validation, and third-party certification, making sustainable practices attainable for all organizations, especially SMEs facing certification costs.

  • Legacy and sustainable policy, opens in a new tab, Paris 2024, (June 2022). Paris 2024, in alignment with the IOC Agenda 2020 and in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is committed to organize Olympic and Paralympic Games of a new era; Games that contribute to the ecological and social transformation of the society.
    • Be exemplary and innovative in environmental matters by delivering carbon neutral Games; preserving and regenerating biodiversity; developing a circular economy; building environmental resilience and contributing to the acceleration of the sport, territories and major events ecological transformation.
  • Carbon neutral legacy, opens in a new tab, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (2022). Our approach has been developed after analysis of previous Commonwealth Games and applies the International Olympic Committee’s established methodology to measure and manage our carbon footprint. As the Games’ carbon footprint is being measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), this measure also includes the impact of not just carbon dioxide but other greenhouse gases too.
  • Building the Legacy - Beyond 2020, opens in a new tab, Bureau of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Preparation, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, (July 2021). Legacy: It is the social, economic and cultural benefits of holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games that the host city and host country can inherit and enjoy for many years. We’ve come up with nine themes to better define our preparations and ongoing initiatives towards an enduring the Tokyo 2020 Games legacy: Safety and security; Urban development; Sports and health; Participation and cooperation; Culture and tourism; Education and diversity; Environment and sustainability; Prosperity and technology; Disaster recovery.
    • Legacy Reporting Framework, opens in a new tab. The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has released 24 summary case studies about initiatives that focus on the Tokyo 2020 Games legacy aiming to understand the benefits of the Games to the host city.
  • Sustainability, opens in a new tab, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, (accessed 3 February 2023). Our pledge sets out our sustainability goals, it's our blueprint that outlines how the Games can help play its part to achieve a better and more sustainable future.
  • Sustainability policy, opens in a new tab, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). There are many definitions of sustainability, but perhaps the most widely recognised is that given in the Brundtland Report1 - “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Based on this principle, GOLDOC is committed to addressing sustainability criteria in all of its GC2018 activities, to achieve positive economic, social and environmental outcomes. We are committed to the following governing principles of sustainable development: Inclusivity – To ensure that all interested parties are able to participate without fear of discrimination; Integrity – To conduct GC2018 in an ethical manner, consistent with international standards of behaviour; Stewardship – To take responsibility for the economic, environmental and social outcomes to be shared by all; Transparency – To communicate willingly and openly about the decisions and activities that affect the social, environmental and economic outcomes of our actions; Leadership – To demonstrate leadership by delivering GC2018 to international standards, constantly improving our ways of working and meeting all legal and other requirements. Related documents include:
    • Sustainability, opens in a new tab [website], Gold Coast 2018, (accessed 22 October 2021). As a transformational event, GC2018 presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate leadership in sustainability by delivering to international standards of best practice, leaving positive economic, environmental, social and community legacies that last beyond the Closing Ceremony.
    • Towards a Sustainable GC2018, opens in a new tab, Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games, (September 2017). This sustainability framework “Towards a sustainable GC2018” was first published in 2014. Since that time, the organisation has undergone significant growth and evolution. Therefore, to ensure that GOLDOC’s approach to sustainability continues to evolve and in accordance with GOLDOC’s commitment to continual improvement, this document has been reviewed with minor updates incorporated.
  • Action and Legacy Plan, opens in a new tab, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, (July 2016). To promote actions that will result in positive and long lasting legacies, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee is working closely with various stakeholders to promote a range of comprehensive actions from the initials stages of planning in the five following pillars: Sport and Health; Urban Planning and Sustainability; Culture and Education; Economy and Technology; Recovery, Nationwide Benefits, and Global Communication.
  • Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Sustainability Plan, opens in a new tab, Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, (2016). The Tokyo 2020 Games set five main sustainability themes, which Tokyo 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Government of Japan and other delivery partners work on in preparations for and operations of the Games. In addition, Tokyo 2020 formulated the Tokyo 2020 Sustainable Sourcing Code as a tool to ensure sustainability throughout the supply chains of products and services Tokyo 2020 procures as well as licensed products.
    • Climate Change - We will promote energy savings and use of renewable energy as much as possible "Towards Zero Carbon".
    • Resource Management - Through 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle), we aim to "Zero Wasting".
    • Natural Environment and Biodiversity - We will contribute to the realization of "City within Nature/Nature within the City".
    • Human Rights, Labour and Fair Business Practices - We will operate the Games in accordance with the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
    • Involvement, Cooperation and Communications (Engagement) - Through the participation and collaboration of entire society, we will create the Games which open to everyone.

  • eventIMPACTS, opens in a new tab, (accessed 5 November 2025). Developed by a consortium of UK-based organisations that have an interest in staging or supporting major public events, the eventIMPACTS ToolKit is intended to provide organisers and supporters of public events with some key guidance and good practice principles for evaluating the Economic, Social, Environmental and Media related impacts associated with their event. Environmental impacts included are: Waste, Energy, Water, Transport and travel, Food and drink, and Measures of sustainability planning and management.

Back to top

Working together for Australian sport

C4S-Footer-Sport Integrity Australia logo
C4S-Footer-Sport Integrity Australia logo
C4S-Footer-Australian Sports Foundation logo
C4S-Footer-Australian Sports Foundation logo
C4S-Footer-Australian Olympic Committee
C4S-Footer-Australian Olympic Committee
C4S-Footer-Paralympics Australia logo
C4S-Footer-Paralympics Australia logo
C4S-Footer-Commonwealth Games Australia logo
C4S-Footer-Commonwealth Games Australia logo
C4S-Footer-SAHOF
C4S-Footer-SAHOF
C4S-Footer-Invictus Australia logo
C4S-Footer-Invictus Australia logo
C4S-Footer-PLA
C4S-Footer-PLA
C4S-Footer-ACT Gov
C4S-Footer-ACT Gov
C4S-Footer-NSW Gov
C4S-Footer-NSW Gov
C4S-Footer-NT Gov
C4S-Footer-NT Gov
C4S-Footer-QLD Gov
C4S-Footer-QLD Gov
C4S-Footer-SA Gov
C4S-Footer-SA Gov
C4S-Footer-Tas Gov
C4S-Footer-Tas Gov
C4S-Footer-Vic Gov
C4S-Footer-Vic Gov
C4S-Footer-WA Gov
C4S-Footer-WA Gov
C4S-Footer-ACTAS
C4S-Footer-ACTAS
C4S-Footer-NSWIS
C4S-Footer-NSWIS
C4S-Footer-NT
C4S-Footer-NT
C4S-Footer-QAS
C4S-Footer-QAS
C4S-Footer-SASI
C4S-Footer-SASI
C4S-Footer-TIS
C4S-Footer-TIS
C4S-Footer-VIS
C4S-Footer-VIS
C4S-Footer-WAIS
C4S-Footer-WAIS
First Nations Flags, the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag.
The Clearinghouse for Sport pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge the valuable contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to Australian society and sport.