Unanimous global mandate paves the way for SIGA EARTH and new Universal Standards on Sustainability in Sport
On Earth Day, the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) today announced a landmark strategic decision to formally establish Social and Environmental Sustainability as a core pillar of Sport Integrity, elevating it to the highest level of priority within its global agenda.
This decisive move follows unanimous approval by both the SIGA Council and General Assembly, convened last week, underscoring a unified global mandate for sport to assume responsibility for its own governance and integrity, while exercising its influence to drive positive social and environmental impact across society. It also reflects the clear direction set by Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros following his re-election for a third term, with a commitment to “hit the ground running” and accelerate delivery against SIGA’s 2026–2030 strategic priorities.
This defining step marks a new phase in SIGA’s evolution—moving decisively from commitment to system-wide implementation, and positioning sustainability alongside Good Governance, Financial Integrity, Sports Betting Integrity, and Youth Development & Protection within a comprehensive and unified integrity framework.
To operationalise this strategic pillar, SIGA is launching SIGA EARTH — a global platform designed to drive coherence, accountability, and measurable impact across the sport ecosystem, including serving as SIGA’s annual global thought leadership platform on Sustainability in Sport.
This initiative builds on the roadmap initiated with SIGA’s Manifesto for Sustainable Sport and is fully aligned with its Global Strategy. Under this framework, SIGA will lead the development and global implementation of a new set of Universal Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability in Sport, formally embedding sustainability as a core pillar of Sport Integrity alongside its existing Universal Standards, which currently cover Good Governance, Financial Integrity, Sports Betting Integrity, and Youth Development & Protection.
As part of this framework, SIGA will deliver a set of interlinked, high-impact initiatives, including:
– The development and global rollout of the SIGA Universal Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability in Sport, establishing a new international benchmark for responsible and sustainable practices;
– The establishment of a Permanent Committee on Social & Environmental Sustainability in Sport, composed of leading independent experts to guide and oversee implementation;
– The advancement of SIGA EARTH as the leading global platform for thought leadership and action on sustainability in Sport.
As part of its continued efforts to promote Social and Environmental Sustainability in Sport, SIGA also recognised this fundamental area within the 2025 Sport Integrity Awards, where a dedicated category was introduced to highlight excellence and innovation in sustainability. The inaugural award was presented to Tottenham Hotspur F.C., acknowledging the club’s leadership and commitment to advancing environmental and social responsibility in football.
Together, these initiatives form a structured and ambitious roadmap, ensuring coherence between principles, standards, and implementation at a global level.
SIGA EARTH will serve as the engine of delivery, ensuring that principles translate into standards, and standards into measurable, real-world adoption across the global sport ecosystem.
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, Global CEO of SIGA, stated:
“This is a defining moment for global Sport.
With the unanimous backing of our Council and General Assembly, we are sending a clear and unequivocal message: Sustainability is now a core pillar of Sport Integrity.
One week ago, I said we would hit the ground running – and this is exactly what delivery looks like.
With SIGA EARTH, we are building a rigorous, global framework that turns principles into standards, and standards into measurable action.
Sport has the scale, influence and social responsibility to lead. Our role is to ensure it does so with integrity, credibility, consistency and, of course, impact.”
Further announcements regarding the composition of the Permanent Committee and the next phases of SIGA EARTH will be made in the coming weeks.
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world’s leading organisation for Sport Integrity. We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.
Funded by our Members, SIGA is a non for profit global independent organisation with one aim: To ensure the sport industry is governed under the highest integrity standards so that the values of sport are protected.
SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
SIGA is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a non for-profit association, and comprises of the following continental subsidiaries: SIGA AMERICA, SIGA EUROPE and SIGA LATIN AMERICA.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com and FAQs.
To contact SIGA, please email: comms@siga-sport.com.