The LEGO Group and WWF Denmark have partnered to develop new socially and environmentally responsible play storylines through their Planet Promise Design Guidelines.

The new Planet Promise Design Guidelines developed by LEGO Group and WWF Denmark cover both products and packaging to serve as advice and inspiration for LEGO designers to create sets and stories that reflect the importance of social and environmental activities. This includes themes such as protecting nature, increasing use of renewable energy and resources, and creating a more sustainable world.

This is part of LEGO’s Planet Promise commitment as part of its brand values, and follows recent research that showed 83% of children aged 5-12 say they care about protecting the environment, and 94% of parents believe play is a tool for children to explore and learn about sustainability. LEGO is enabling children and their families to engage in planet-friendly ideas and conversations, to encourage responsible behaviour in our future leaders.

Since 2014, the LEGO Group has been part of the WWF Climate Savers Program. Together with WWF Denmark, the LEGO Group set ambitious targets to ensure more environmentally responsible means of producing LEGO play experiences, in addition to reducing carbon emissions, developing a better understanding of its impact on nature, and promoting global action on climate change.

Annette Stube, chief sustainability officer at the LEGO Group, said: “We know LEGO play is a powerful and engaging tool for children to make sense of the world around them, and we have included environmentally and socially responsible storylines in our products for many years.

“The new guidelines will allow us to continue helping children imagine what the world could look like through our products, inspiring them to think creatively about the world they will inherit.”

Jacob Fjalland, interdisciplinary director at WWF Denmark, commented: “We are delighted to partner with the LEGO Group on this new set of guidance to inspire and engage children around the world and make room for curiosity on nature and climate matters and how to take good care of our planet. We know firsthand how important education on nature and climate matters is, and as the world’s largest environmental organisation WWF aims to inspire hope and motivation in children and young people helping to shape a generation of optimistic and proactive young individuals.”

WWF experts from the US, China, Germany and the UK worked closely with WWF Denmark to assist on the guidance, which includes:

• Planet Promise Design Principles to educate and inspire LEGO designers who want to gain a deeper understanding of socially and environmentally responsible practices related to nature, communities, energy, and resource use.
• Planet Promise Design Guides which provide LEGO designers with essential information and guidance relevant to the experience they are creating.

This initiative is the latest in LEGO’s arsenal of sustainability efforts, as it recognises there is no one single solution. The Group is also exploring making its products from renewable and recyclable materials, a project for which it has tested over 600 different materials for its bricks and elements.

Read more about LEGO’s projects here.