Some examples of how this will affect the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games include improved working standards at factories, and additionally, eco-friendly sporting centres built for both the enjoyment of world-class athletes and the local community.

This Vancouver 2010 Sustainability Report from 2007-2008 examines six performance areas under VANOC’s direct control, namely accountability, environmental stewardship and impact reduction, social inclusion and responsibility, Aboriginal participation and collaboration, economic benefits and sport for sustainable living. It also discusses the Organizing Committee’s challenges and future plans on sustainability issues.

The report reflects input from the general public, and from non-governmental organizations specializing in inner city, environment, sustainability, persons with a disability, labour and human rights issues, and VANOC’s own staff. While developing the report, VANOC also consulted with its government partners, corporate sponsors and its multi-stakeholder advisory committee.

VANOC’s sustainability team conducted 144 engagements ranging from public consultations, information sharing, advice seeking and shared decision-making sessions.

The corporate sustainability officer from VANOC, Ann Duffy, said that these conversations held reinforced how important it is for us to demonstrate leadership on sustainability issues, especially in these tough economic times, as a way to showcase how sustainability can generate environmental, social and economic outcomes that support positive long-term legacies.

To measure its performance, VANOC used the sustainability reporting guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The GRI is an internationally established standard for corporate reporting on the “triple bottom line” of an organization’s economic, social and environmental performance. It is aligned with several worldwide sustainability initiatives and is used by the private sector and the United Nations.

For more information on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, please visit www.vancouver2010.com.