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ThinkSport, together with the Sustainable Mountain Alliance (SMA) and the Sustainable Sport Lab (SSL) announced a new Challenge which looks for innovative solutions that promote and enhance biodiversity conservation, with an actual or potential link with sport. The Sports for Nature Challenge succeeds last year’s Air Quality & Sport Challenge that generated viable and creative solutions for the sports world.

Protecting biodiversity can help people to adapt to climate change, ensuring health and food security, with healthy ecosystems becoming more resilient to climate change. Conserved or restored habitats can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to address climate change by storing carbon. Ultimately, by halting and reversing biodiversity loss, a nature-positive world may be achieved by 2030 for the benefit of the planet and the people.

The Sports for Nature Challenge is powered by Sails of Change, a foundation dedicated to the protection and regeneration of biodiversity, created by sportswoman, investor and philanthropist Dona Bertarelli, her husband Yann Guichard, and her children. Sails of Change’s activities focus on the goal of fully or highly protecting at least 30% of global land and ocean by 2030.

“Often, we do not understand how fragile our planet is, our impact on nature, or what practical steps we can take to preserve biodiversity,” said Dona Bertarelli. “Sails of Change was founded to raise environmental awareness and to promote positive change. We’re delighted to support the Sports for Nature Challenge, which can play a vital role in spotlighting ideas, actions and solutions to help individuals and organisations become nature positive.” 

Sports organisations, startups, established companies, not-for-profit organisations, academic and public institutions and other stakeholders had until 14 March 2023 to submit here their solutions for the sports ecosystem within the following categories:

1. Impactful campaigns that promote biodiversity protection, increase knowledge and help enforce legal and statutory biodiversity requirements.
    
2. Innovative infrastructure, including architecture and infrastructure that integrate biodiversity protection, e.g. recovering rainwater; reducing waste water; building green rooftops; providing sustainable drainage systems; and phytoremediation using plants and its microorganisms to enhance soil fertility and recover contaminated soils.
    
3. Smart technology, including the application and promotion of digital solutions for biodiversity conservation, and the use of satellite data and artificial intelligence for biodiversity protection.

The Sports for Nature Challenge 2023 is particularly calling on innovative solutions relevant to the mountain environment, which is seriously affected by climate change and home to more than 85% of the world's species of amphibians, birds, and mammals, far exceeding the species diversity of the lowland.                                                                                

An expert panel will judge the entries, with the best ten applicants provided the chance to present their solution during THE SPOT (8-9 May 2023), ThinkSport’s international sport and innovation flagship event. The three selected winners will receive high visibility, financial support and the opportunity to further develop their proposals with interested parties.

ThinkSport President, Andrea Traverso, said: “Sport and nature are closely interconnected. Sport must lead by example and inspire action to reduce environmental impacts, being those linked to the practise of sport, the construction of sport infrastructure or the travel emissions from sport events. We hope that this year’s Challenge will provide smart solutions to protect nature, preserve and restore biodiversity, raise awareness and be the catalyst for further initiatives.”

The Challenge is closely linked to the Sports for Nature Framework, which was agreed to at the Convention on Biological Diversity 15th Conference of the Parties meeting (COP15) in December in Montreal. The Framework, which is a first of its kind, was already signed by twenty-three sports organisations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a founding partner, and the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Co-created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the IOC and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Sports for Nature Framework aims to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, by 2030 and beyond.

Sails of Change will play a key role in promoting and rolling out the Framework, working with IUCN to deliver programmes, toolkits and training. The new Sports for Nature Challenge launched today forms part of these efforts.

For more information on the Challenge: https://thespot.ch/sports-for-nature/

More than 80 top football clubs are today joining forces against climate change in the world’s biggest football campaign to protect our world, Green Football Weekend.

For the next 20 days, clubs across the top divisions are battling it out for the coveted Green Football Cup. But unlike other tournaments, it’s fan action that will decide who takes the Cup home, with fans scoring green goals for their club by taking climate-friendly actions - from eating a veggie meal to turning the thermostat down one degree or taking a shorter shower.

Fans can choose their activities and register their goals at greenfootballweekend.com.

The competition will culminate in Green Football Weekend on 3-5 February, when clubs will join fans in implementing changes by making their fixtures ‘greener games’, and some teams will wear green armbands to show their support for protecting our world.

Amazing prizes are up for grabs for anybody taking part in Green Football Weekend, including a men’s signed England shirt, tickets to Premier League Games, a voucher for a National Trust holiday cottage, tickets to the Football Supporters Association Awards, Football Manager 23 game codes, BT Sport app passes, and yearly subscriptions to children’s newspaper First News.

Are you concerned about climate change but not sure how to best express your concern?

Do you want to help make a difference and inspire change but not sure where to start?

If so, World Athletics would like to invite you to participate in ‘Rock Your Cause’, workshops on climate change communication that we're organising around the following meets:

• Birmingham Diamond League (May 20, the day before, time tbc)
• Turku Continental Tour (June 13, the day before, time tbc)
• Monaco Diamond League (Aug 9, the day before, 7pm)
• Zurich Diamond League (Sep 7, the first day, time tbc)

The aim of the workshops is to help athletes identify the most effective ways to speak confidently about the issues they care about most.

Monaco details:

• Date: Tuesday August 9th
• Place: Hotel Riviera Marriott (Meet Hotel), Saint Tropez Meeting Room
• Time: 7pm

The workshops will be conducted by Dr Madeleine Orr and Dr Daniel Sailofsky, noted academics and communicators in the sport and sustainability space and experts on climate change communication.

The workshops will last one hour and will be scheduled to not interfere with your pre-meet routine. Space is limited – if interested please RSVP to sustainability@worldathletics.org.

If the start time conflicts with a training session or your travel schedule, let us know. We'll try to organise small group sessions either prior to or after the main workshop. Let us know what time works best for you.

Public leisure facilities not only provide the essential infrastructure to our nation’s sports clubs, voluntary organisations and NGBs, but they are also managed by operators for the benefit of families, individuals and the wider community.

Therefore they have a responsibility to review their own environmental sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint. Community Leisure UK is supporting leisure trusts on this journey and will share what leisure trusts are doing to make public leisure facilities more environmentally friendly.

Angela Brown from Freedom Leisure will bring this to life to share experience from a charitable leisure trust perspective

Community Leisure UK is the national membership association representing leisure and culture trusts across England, Scotland and Wales.

Click here to register

We are very excited to announce that the 2022 Green Sports Alliance Summit will take place in-person on June 21-23 at U.S. Bank Stadium!

As the sports & event industry continues to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022 GSA Summit will showcase how sports venues, teams, leagues and corporate partners around the world are taking ambitious action on both environmental and social issues to create a more sustainable, just, and resilient future for all.

Learn how the scope of the sports greening movement continues to expand, including improved operational performance measurement, tracking and reporting in addition to commitments on equity and increased diversity across the business.

Together, we Play for the Next Generation!

If you have any questions and/or are interested in participating in next year’s in-person Summit, please reach out to us at matt@greensportsalliance.org.

Click here to register

View the agenda here

This year, tune into the second all-day virtual celebration of United Nations World Oceans Day, where exhibitors will dig deeper into the theme

’The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods’.

Click here to tune in

Sports organisations of all kinds and sustainability experts will gather next week for the BASIS (British Association for Sustainable Sport) Conference at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 17^th May 2022.  This is the first BASIS conference  for several years and over a hundred representatives have signed up to attend. BASIS hopes the Conference will help all sports organisations to think about how they can address their environmental impacts and improve their sustainability performance.

At this year’s BASIS conference  over twenty speakers will deliver case studies, workshops, and panel sessions. Delegates from across the sporting and sustainability sectors will attend including operational managers, athletes and academics. There will be discussions on energy procurement, waste management, carbon emissions, fan engagement and more. The conference will also host workshops on sports clothing and equipment and sustainable sports surfaces. The full programme can be found on the BASIS website here: https://basis.org.uk/event/basis-annual-conference-17th-may-2022/

BASIS has been supporting sports clubs, venues and governing bodies with advice on sustainability for more than a decade, with its members including Arsenal Football Club, England Rugby, the Jockey Club and the ECB.

Dr Russell Seymour, CEO of BASIS, explains: “We have seen many sports clubs really up their game over recent years in terms of considering their role in mitigating against climate change and other environmental impacts, but there is still much that can be done”.

He adds: “The benefits of different organisations sharing ideas, best practice and solutions are huge, and our conference gives the sector a terrific opportunity to share and discuss current best practice.”

In the context of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, you are invited to a global virtual event on Wednesday 6 April 2022 at 9:30 AM EDT.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared that “we must go into emergency mode against the climate crisis,” warning that, “the battle to keep the 1.5C goal alive will be won or lost this decade."

The world of sport is in a unique position to display leadership in climate action and in mitigating the effects of climate change. On this International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, learn about innovative actions sport is taking to limit its footprint, incentivize action in, and beyond, the sporting sector, and how it plays a major role in amplifying awareness and contributing low-cost, high-impact solutions. 

Join us on Wednesday, 6 April 2022 at 9:30am EDT on the UN YouTube Channel or UN Web TV for a virtual event hosted by UN Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming, featuring remarks from high-level UN Officials, and conversations with elite athletes and Olympians, and major sporting groups including the 2022 Qatar World Cup organizing committee, and World Rugby (moderated by NBC correspondent Tabitha Lipkin). 

Click here to register

SPEAKERS

Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General,United Nations Department of Global Communications hosts the event

Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General provides welcome remarks

Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Lead delivers keynote address

Curated Conversations with Sports Industry Leaders & Elite World-Class Athletes

Moderator: Tabitha Lipkin, Broadcast Journalist and NBCLX Evening Host 

• Mihir Warty, Chief Strategy Officer, World Rugby (UN Sports for Climate Action Signatory)
• Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability Director, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar
• Jessie Diggins, Olympic Gold-Medal Athlete (Skiing) & Protect Our Winters Board Member
• Boris Herrmann, Ocean Skipper, Team Malizia (UN Sports for Climate Action Signatory)
• Tatyana McFadden, 20x Paralympic Medalist, 24x World Major Marathon winner

Curated Conversation On The Intersection of Sport, Government & Climate Action 

Moderator: Robert Skinner, Chief of Partnerships and Global Engagement, UN Department of Global Communications

• H.E. Ms. Isabelle Picco, Permanent Representative of the Principality of Monaco to the United Nations 
• H.E. Ms. Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations 

HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT 

• Register for International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: The Role of Sport in Combating Climate Change - once you register, a few days before the event you will receive an email with links to join the event. 
• Event website for additional information & programme.  

The event is organized by the UN Department of Global Communications and Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with the support of the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Monaco to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations. Event Contact: creative@un.org.

“Environmental Responsibility in Events” aims to make known the best examples of environmental management practices. On the 18th of February, from 3 pm to 6:30 pm, will be held the Online Conference “Environmental Responsibility in Events”, which will bring together speakers from different National and International Entities, with the aim of sharing their approach to environmental management at sports and cultural events.

In a joint organization between the FC Porto Football Sciences Institute and Lipor, as part of the Life Tackle Project, this Conference aims to raise awareness of the best examples of environmental management practices, promoting strategies and tools that increase the competence and consciousness of clubs/companies and its stakeholders.

Designed for sustainability and event management professionals, but open to all the participants, the Conference has free, but mandatory, registration on the FC Porto Football Sciences Institute website. Spaces are limited.

The conference will have simultaneous translation in Portuguese/English.

For more information, please, contact fcporto.fsi@fcporto.pt.

Conference Program “Environmental Responsibility in Events”

Opening and Welcome Session
3:00 pm - Welcome to the Conference Environmental Responsibility In Events
3:10 pm - Life Tackle Project
Tiberio Daddi – Life Tackle Project Manager

First Panel – Fan Engagement
3:30 pm – The impact of environmental initiatives on fan engagement – ​​opportunities and challenges
Andrea Maschietto – Juventus FC External Relations and Sustainability Manager
3:45 pm – Sustainability in and off the pitch
Luis Estrela – Fundação Liga Portugal Coordinator
4:00 pm – Rock in Rio Sustainability Goals
Dora Palma – Rock in Rio Sustainability Manager

Second Panel – Events Management
4:30 pm – Life Tackle FC Porto Case Study
Teresa Santos – FC Porto Sustainability Manager
4:45 pm – Mobility and Environmental Impact in Event Management
Manuel Paulo Teixeira - Director of Mobility and Transport - Porto City Hall
5:00 pm – UEFA Environmental Requirements for Events Management
Hugo Viseu – UEFA Social Responsibility Manager

Third Panel - Round Table Discussion
5:15 pm - Juventus| Fundação Liga Portugal| Rock in Rio FC Porto| CM Porto| UEFA

Closing Panel
6:15 pm -  Towards Sustainability
José Manuel Ribeiro – Chairman of the Board of Directors of LIPOR

Preventing plastic pollution in sport

The Environment Agency’s Plastics and Sustainability team will be discussing how sports clubs, venues and events can reduce the amount of avoidable single-use plastic they use. Bringing participants, fans, and members along on the journey. By reducing avoidable plastic sport can play its part in tackling the climate emergency and protecting the planet for future generations.

Click here to register