Sustainability
Well aware that the arrival of hundreds of people from all over the world entails critical issues in terms of environmental balance, we will take special care to mitigate the impact through a series of tangible actions and awareness-raising. PGS is sensitive to environmental issues, which are very important for the new generations they address and are included in the May 2015 Encyclical ‘Laudato si’ of the Holy Father Francis on the care of the common home, then recalled in the Apostolic Exhortation ‘Laudate Deum’ of 2023. Care and respect for each other and for the Planet that hosts us will therefore be one of the main themes of the Games.
The International Games medal was designed with the intention of donating a unique, different, symbolic object that would arouse curiosity and make people think.
It is one of the gadgets of the event designed in a green key and was made in collaboration with a local company, which accepted the challenge to make our idea concrete. Inside, it contains basil seeds that all participants can plant once they return home. They will thus be able to ‘take care’ of the memory of the sporting and friendship experience in Genoa… which we are sure will be memorable!
And we hope that one day, finding this medal or looking at their
little plant, perhaps they will decide to return!
The basil seeds are a clear reference to pesto, one of the typical dishes of Genoa, which participants will be able to taste during their stay.
Again with a green perspective, the menus proposed at the PGSI Village will be made with a preference for local raw materials and seasonal ingredients, in order to limit the event’s environmental impact and enhance the region’s typical dishes.
We will try to limit the impact of travel, discouraging the use of private vehicles and organising group travel to/from the venues of the sports events by means of special shuttles.
We will pay attention to the use of plastic and use recycled, recyclable or reusable materials as much as possible; we will pay special attention to the choice of gadgets and promotional materials distributed, favouring green products that are really useful, made of sustainable materials, do not result in waste and have a potentially long life cycle.
We will avoid printing unnecessary materials and divert most communication to online channels.
We will choose predominantly local suppliers, who espouse the Salesian values that guide us, understand our goals and show the same focus on sustainability as we do.
In line with the dictates of sustainable tourism, we are aware that the athletes arriving in Genoa must be respectful guests and we will sensitise them so that they experience the city to the full with respect and a desire for discovery.
Social sustainability is realised in the proposal of a sport for all, which knows no physical or geographical barriers. We will also bring the Games to the suburbs and symbolic areas of the city, we will try to involve citizens and maximise cultural exchange. We will leave a tangible sign of our passage through the city, symbolising the joy of the event, universal friendship and the beauty of sport without borders.