The Green YOG supports World Environment Day!
Did you know today is World Environment Day? As being environmentally aware is part of our Culture and Education Programme (CEP), we thought we’d take a look back and a peek forward at how the Youth Olympic Games does “green”.
Singapore 2010: At the first ever summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, the athletes had the opportunity as part of the CEP to take part in a green exploration journey through the city’s two newest environment-themed attractions, HortPark and Marina Barrage, to learn, reflect and discuss our ecosystem, environmental issues and green initiatives in Singapore and in their home countries. For a full look at how Singapore 2010 taught the athletes to go green, check the video above.
Innsbruck 2012: Last year, Innsbruck, host of the first Winter Youth Olympic Games, opted to place a distinct emphasis on the importance of environmentalism and sustainable development. From a green Youth Olympic Village to a YOG Sustainability Project inviting youngsters to share their tips on Facebook on how to save energy, from an Energy-Saving Competition to mountain awareness workshops, the young winter sports athletes were repeatedly encouraged to apply easy energy-saving tips to their daily lives and acquire a better understanding of the environment.
Nanjing 2014: Looking ahead, Nanjing, host to the second Summer Youth Olympic Games next summer, has already embraced the green spirit. The Chinese city recently organised a tree-planting day at Laoshan Forest Park to mark 500 days to go.
Lillehammer 2016: In 2016, for the second Winter Youth Olympic Games, the YOG will be returning to Lillehammer, which hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1994, and set new standards for environmental sustainability at major sports events.
Let us know what you are doing to celebrate World Environment Day.