Event organisers gathered at a roundtable in order to open up a discussion into the environmental realities of the International Day of University Sport celebrations.

With a primary focus on how to best host the event, the objective was to identify methods by which the economic, social and environmental footprint of the day could be minimised.

“We decided to launch our Torino 2025 sustainability programme because major sporting events involve the movement of people, commitment of resources, where attention to sustainability becomes crucial for the good of the planet,” said Alessandro Ciro Sciretti, Torino 2025 Organising Committee President.

“Sustainability is not only environmental, but also economic and social, following the goals of the 2030 Agenda, with the support of our stakeholders.”

FISU, which oversees the World University Winter Games, have undertaken a number of sustainability initiatives over the past two years – as outlined in this recent feature on Global Sustainable Sport.

With a public commitment to the close monitoring of the sustainability of the Torino Games, the Torino 2025 Organising Committee and the RUS Piemonte signed a letter of intent to set their objectives in stone. One key aspect of the agreement is to focus on the multifaceted nature of sustainability, considering the wide range of factors cloaked by this buzzword.

The public movement has been received warmly by the majority of stakeholders, who have expressed their continued support for the notion. There is a general consensus among involved universities and regional authorities to utilise existing infrastructure and resources in order to maximise the event’s sustainability.

A new countdown clock was unveiled and lit at the Torre Maratona in order to commemorate both the nearing event and its new commitment to sustainability.

Image: Maarten Duineveld on Unsplash