April 2026 at ISG: CSR in practice, good governance, and sport as a space for collaboration
April at ISG was a month of very concrete actions: education, implementation, community engagement, and ongoing discussions on how sport can be managed more responsibly. At the center of our activities were the CSR in Sport Academy, the GGCS project, collaboration with sports organizations, and participation in events connecting sport, law, business, and academia.
It was a month that clearly showed that responsibility in sport is not reserved for the largest clubs and federations. It can start with simple decisions: better communication, cooperation with local communities, educational initiatives, volunteer engagement, or first steps toward reducing environmental impact.
CSR in Sport Academy: from theory to real action
The key highlight of April was the launch of the CSR in Sport Academy – a nationwide educational programme by ISG focused on responsible sport management. The Academy was created in response to a very specific challenge: while CSR and ESG are increasingly discussed in sport, there is still a lack of practical knowledge on how to implement these ideas in everyday organizational work.
In April, the first three Academy webinars took place:
- Marcin Tarociński discussed the evolution of social responsibility at Widzew Łódź, showing how to develop social initiatives step by step, based on clear goals, community needs, and partnerships.
- Magdalena Sprawka demonstrated how sports events can become tools for social impact, relationship-building, and participant engagement.
- Paweł Pietrzyk presented how to build a programme for people with disabilities from the ground up – from the first training sessions to an initiative involving hundreds of participants.
The key takeaway from these sessions is clear: CSR in sport does not have to start with large budgets. It starts with understanding needs, consistency, relationships, and a willingness to act.
An important milestone for the Academy was also the onboarding of new partners: the Polish Rugby Union and the Małopolski Football Association. This demonstrates that social responsibility is gaining importance both at national federation level and within regional structures.
GGCS: good governance in practice, not just on paper
In April, we also continued our work around the Good Governance and Compliance for the Good of Sport (GGCS) project, implemented under the Erasmus+ Sport programme. The project focuses on strengthening standards of governance, compliance, and risk management in sports organizations.
A key element of GGCS is the Proof of Concept (PoC) approach – direct, hands-on work with sports organizations. This allows us to move from general principles to practical diagnosis and actionable recommendations, including:
- organizational self-assessment,
- analysis of governance and compliance areas,
- workshops with decision-makers,
- development of concrete, implementable recommendations.
GGCS shows that good governance is not just the language of strategic documents. It is a process that can be embedded in the daily operations of federations, clubs, and public institutions.
CSR, ESG and reporting: sport learning to measure responsibility
April also brought important reflections on reporting and impact measurement. We discussed the new UEFA Football Sustainability Reporting Playbook, a practical guide designed to help federations, leagues, and clubs move from declarations to measurable action.
From ISG’s perspective, one key shift stands out: reporting is no longer seen purely as a compliance requirement, but as a management tool supporting decision-making, resource allocation, stakeholder trust, and comparability of actions.
At the same time, a major challenge remains the practical implementation of such standards, particularly for smaller organizations that often lack sufficient financial and competency support.
This topic is directly linked to the CSR in Sport Academy: responsibility must not only be communicated, but also planned, measured, and continuously developed.
Sport, climate and infrastructure: new governance challenges
In April, we also returned to climate and infrastructure-related topics. We highlighted how climate change is increasingly affecting winter and para sports. Examples from the recent Winter Paralympic Games showed that weather conditions are becoming critical not only for athlete comfort, but also for safety, fairness of competition, and long-term event planning.
We also explored the future of ice hockey and synthetic ice surfaces. This illustrates a complex dilemma: traditional ice rinks generate high environmental costs, while synthetic alternatives raise concerns related to plastics and microplastics. The conclusion is clear: infrastructure decisions in sport must consider the full lifecycle of technologies, not just short-term efficiency.
At the same time, based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Sports for Nature: Urban Playbook, we addressed the implementation of urban sport development strategies. We emphasized that strategy documents are only the beginning – the real test lies in translating them into measurable goals, partnerships, community engagement, and continuous evaluation.
Sport as an economic and social sector
In April, we also highlighted the global decline in physical activity as both a public health and economic challenge. If fewer people participate in sport, the sector loses future participants, fans, and consumers.
This represents an important shift in perspective: physical activity is not just a matter of individual lifestyle, but a foundation of the entire sport ecosystem.
In this context, sport must be treated as an integral part of public policy – spanning health, education, and economic development – rather than being seen solely as a domain of events and competition.
Summary
April 2026 at ISG demonstrated that responsible sport is built at the intersection of education, implementation, and collaboration. The key themes of the month were:
- the launch and development of the CSR in Sport Academy,
- practical implementation of good governance through the GGCS project,
- the growing importance of reporting, data, and impact measurement,
- ongoing discussions on climate, infrastructure, and the future of winter sports.
It was a month in which CSR, ESG, and good governance once again proved their practical value – not as buzzwords, but as tools that help sports organizations operate more consciously, responsibly, and sustainably.
