The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held from July to September 2020. Building on three concepts “Achieving a Personal Best”, “Unity in Diversity” and “Connecting to Tomorrow(1)” , the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is advocating that “Sport has the power to change the world and our future” as its vision. In order to optimize the Games with finite resources and environment, and to create “a Better Tomorrow”, it is essential to ensure the integrity of, and embed the concept and principle of, sustainability, being harmonized as a social value, in the entire event lifecycle of the Games.

It is said that if the current rate of carbon dioxide emission and over-use of natural resources would last, more than two Earths would be required by 2030(2). Also, from economic, social and ethical points of view, arising human rights and labour issues need to be addressed in the context of economic globalization, along with solutions for how to live and work together with people from diverse backgrounds(3). The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 should be able to contribute to such fundamental tasks. We believe that the Olympic movement has the power to change society for the better, and sport has the power to guide people in the right way. From this perspective, the Group of Experts for the Games has studied and produced the draft “Sustainability Themes for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020”, and would like to invite public comments on the document.

All comments received during the public consultation will be considered by the Group of Experts, and the final results will be submitted to the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.