Dakar 2026 is making a bold environmental pledge: hosting the first-ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) free from single-use plastics. This initiative, backed by Senegal’s Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition alongside the United Nations Development Programme, sets out to redefine the standards for large-scale sporting events in Africa.
The initiative rests on four pillars: eliminating single-use plastics, enhancing waste sorting and collection systems at all venues, raising awareness among athletes, spectators, and local communities, and rallying institutions, businesses, and civil society around a lasting environmental legacy.
« This initiative positions Dakar 2026 as a trailblazer in sustainable sports events while accelerating Senegal’s shift toward a circular economy for plastics », stated the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee. « We are not just launching an environmental project—we are launching an ambition. The Youth Olympic Games in Dakar will prove that a major international event can drive a faster, more responsible transition toward a circular economy », emphasized Fatou Leigh, the PNUD’s interim Resident Representative in Senegal.
« The Youth Olympic Games present a rare opportunity for us », noted Aliou Gory Diouf, Senegal’s Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition. We aim to demonstrate that Senegal can host the continent’s first Olympic event while leaving behind a green legacy as significant as the sporting achievements themselves. Our goal extends beyond the Games; we want the responsible practices adopted during this event to become ingrained in our culture. »
