The vision for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Dakar is clear: an event entirely free from plastic pollution. This ambitious commitment has been forged by Dakar 2026 and the Senegalese Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, with substantial backing from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Several key principles will guide these Olympic Games, including a strong emphasis on reducing single-use plastics, significantly improving waste sorting and collection across all venues, actively raising awareness among athletes, spectators, and local communities, and uniting institutions, the private sector, and civil society to cultivate a lasting environmental legacy.
“With this groundbreaking initiative, Dakar 2026 is poised to become a benchmark for sustainable sporting events, simultaneously propelling Senegal’s shift towards a circular plastics economy,” the Organizing Committee for the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ) proudly declared. Fatou Leigh, Interim Resident Representative for UNDP Senegal, elaborated on this vision: “We are not merely initiating an environmental project. We are launching an aspiration: to position the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as a powerful demonstration that a major international gathering can indeed accelerate the transition towards a more responsible and sustainable circular economy.”
Aliou Gory Diouf, the Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition, highlighted the significance of the event. “The Youth Olympic Games present an extraordinary opportunity for us,” he stated. “We are determined to showcase Senegal’s capability to host the first-ever Olympic event on the African continent, while simultaneously establishing an environmental legacy as profound as its sporting impact. Our ambition extends far beyond the duration of the Games. We aim for the responsible practices adopted during this period to evolve into a deeply ingrained cultural norm.”