In honour of Earth Day, the Canada Games Council (CGC) is pleased to unveil the environment component of our newly developed Sustainability and Impact Strategy, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of the Canada Games while supporting environmental enhancements along with social and economic benefits in Host communities.

The CGC acknowledges the important role all sport organizations can play to encourage climate action and support a more sustainable future in Canadian sport.

“Sport is transformative and we firmly believe that the Canada Games can be a catalyst to spark positive change towards climate action in communities across Canada,” said Kelly-Ann Paul, President and CEO of the CGC. “We will achieve this through leadership, collaboration with Host Societies, Governments, and sport partners, by sharing resources and educational opportunities, and by joining calls to action in order to build a future in which we all win.”

As a national multi-sport organization, the CGC recognizes the importance of sustainability through sport and the role we play in sustainable event hosting and promoting and educating on responsible practices. Under our strategic pillar to Reduce Environmental Impact, and in collaboration with The Delphi Group, we have developed a comprehensive environmental strategy that addresses the following areas:

Energy and Climate:
- GHG Emissions
- Energy Efficiency
- Air Quality

Circularity and Waste:
- Plastic Reduction
- Waste Reduction
- Circular Economy

Natural Regeneration:
- Climate Adaptation
- Water Quality
- Landscape and Protected Areas

Through stakeholder engagement, raising awareness and supporting behaviour change, the Canada Games community will generate a positive ripple effect for all participants today and for future generations to come.

In celebration of Earth Day, we invite the Canada Games community to participate in the conversation by sharing your interaction with our environment through sport. Do you have plans to enjoy the fresh air or clean water in your community this Earth Day? Show us how you engage with nature through sport by posting a video or photo from now until the end of the month.

For example, planning to go for a hike this Saturday? Take a picture and let us know! Thinking on enjoying some of the spring sunshine with a quick dip? Post a video and tag us! We are asking all of Canada to participate in this initiative. Let’s see how far this ripple effect can reach!

Please tag us at @canadagames, use hashtags: #CanadaGames and #GreenSport, and let’s keep the conversation going from coast to coast until the end of the month.

For further inspiration on how to positively engage with our environment this Earth Day please check out Earth Day Canada’s suggestions of activities here.

In early 2023, via funding from Sport Canada, the CGC added a member to our team, Gillian Orris, in the role of Senior Advisor, Sustainability and Impact. This role is responsible for the development and implementation of CGC’s environmental sustainability and social impact strategies, helping us to advance our strategic pillars to Reduce Environmental Impact and Reflect Canada's Diversity.  

Sport Canada has played a large role in supporting the CGC in getting to where we are today. We thank them for their continued and ongoing support.

Global Sustainability Initiatives

In 2019, the CGC became the first national sport organization to become a signatory of the United Nations Sport for Climate Action, an initiative aimed at supporting and guiding sport actors in achieving global climate change goals. The Sport for Climate Action works toward two goals:

1. Achieving a clear trajectory for the global sports community to combat climate change, through commitments and partnerships according to verified standards, including measuring, reducing, and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the well below 2 degree scenario enshrined in the Paris Agreement;

2. Using sports as a unifying tool to federate and create solidarity among global citizens for climate action.

National Sustainability Initiatives

Along with this commitment, the CGC is part of the Canadian Alliance on Sport for Climate Action, a community of practice on sport and sustainability issues in Canada.

The CGC will also continue to participate in Green Sports Day Canada, held every year on October 6. The goals of Green Sports Day are:

1. To accelerate a conversation on sustainable sport and climate action.

2. To educate the Canadian sports community on best-practices for sustainable sport.

3. To celebrate the work being done to ‘green’ the sports sector in Canada.

The CGC is committed to reducing our environmental impacts while leading by example as we work toward a more sustainable future in sport. We are eager to meet our goals and look forward to working with our stakeholders to implement these initiatives in the years to come. Stay tuned!