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ThinkSport, together with the Sustainable Mountain Alliance (SMA) and the Sustainable Sport Lab (SSL) today 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.

Click here to apply

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 have until 7 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/

Click here to apply

Are you an athlete working to tackle climate change? Enter the IOC Climate Action Awards by 31 March 2023 for your chance to win some incredible prizes!

WHAT ARE THE IOC CLIMATE ACTION AWARDS?

The IOC Climate Action Awards are an exciting new awards initiative designed to celebrate and support the efforts of athletes, International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that are tackling climate change. It’s been developed in collaboration with three of our Worldwide Olympic Partners – Airbnb, Deloitte and P&G – which are each supporting an award (and giving away some amazing prizes and opportunities!)

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT FOR THE GLOBAL ATHLETE COMMUNITY?

We don’t need to tell you that climate change threatens communities, economies, livelihoods and lives. No industry or individual is immune – and the global athlete community is no different. With rising temperatures and an increased prevalence of extreme weather conditions it is becoming harder to practise winter sports, while summer competitions are now often taking place in intense heat and humidity.

As athletes and role models within your community, you have the power to lead by example and inspire others to make sustainable changes. And the IOC Climate Action Awards seek to celebrate that!

WHAT ARE THE AWARD CATEGORIES AND WHAT CAN I WIN?

CLIMATE ACTION X SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL

Are you an Olympian or Paralympian working to make your sports-related travel more sustainable?

Airbnb is recognising athlete action in the field of sustainable travel – whether that’s the way you travel to events, the type of accommodation you stay in, or your lifestyle choices while travelling for competitions. As a winner, you’ll receive a USD 7,500 Travel Grant, which can be redeemed on Airbnb.

Apply now

CLIMATE ACTION X INNOVATION

Are you an Olympian or Paralympian with an innovative project aimed at reducing your carbon footprint?

Deloitte is celebrating the athletes who are leading innovative projects that are designed to reduce their emissions. This could include an initiative designed to reduce your own emissions, or a creative way you have educated others about climate change. As a winner, you’ll receive tuition funding of up to USD 5,000 to enrol in an academic course in sustainability and leadership, to help you create more impact and grow your project.

Apply now

CLIMATE ACTION X ATHLETE ADVOCACY

Are you helping tackle climate change on a community level while you train towards Paris 2024?

Through their Athletes for Good programme, P&G are celebrating the athletes who are encouraging communities to take action on climate change by raising awareness. As a winner, P&G will give you a global ambassadorship and platform to promote your work, alongside USD 24,000 for a non-profit organisation that is working in the environmental sustainability area of your choice.

Examples of projects that could make you eligible for this award include awareness-raising at events or online, educating the community or your team-mates on climate change, volunteering or fundraising for an environmental charity, working with brands and sponsors on environmental campaigns, and organising or participating in beach clean-ups.

Apply now

I’M IN! HOW CAN I APPLY?

Check your eligibility for the awards on the IOC Climate Action Awards webpage, then simply fill in the application form for your chosen award. (Olympians and Paralympians can apply for more than one!)

Applications for each award are open until 31 March 2023, and you will be informed about your application status by September 2023. In addition to the individual prizes, winning athletes and organisations will be invited to an awards ceremony, where they will  be featured amongst other athletes, IFs and NOCs working in this area.

Apply today for your chance to win!

bloomUp is about changing direction, making a new start with a unique vision, an innovative systemic approach to integrate positive change for its clients.
bloomUp is a group of committed experts and creative sparring partners who have worked with the world's largest sports events as well as the corporate and non-profit industry.
​Their mission is to contribute to a sustainable, healthy and thriving society that integrates planetary boundaries and social justice in an exciting and innovative manner.
bloomUp draws its inspiration from the world of sport, its universal values, adrenaline and emotion.
bloomUp provides measurable and scalable solutions to drive leadership and positive change. Theyfocus on impact and thrive in doing business as unusual.
Through a 360 degree integrated and innovative business approach, they aim to maximizing the contribution of companies, projects and leaders to people, planet and prosperity.

Core Team:

Neil Beecroft was responsible for sustainable development at UEFA EURO 2016 football tournament in France. In 2020, he was Head of Sustainability for the Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games. As B Corp Leader, Neil encourages the way in which business innovation and sustainability can positively influence the organisational model of sports and the industry. He is also Head of the Omega European Masters and is the CoFounder of the StartUp PuraWorka and the NGO Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI). Recently, Neil achieved a certificate in disruptive innovation at IMD Business School and is ready to blend this field with sustainability.

Philippe Furrer spent the largest part of his career with the IOC, in various senior roles. In recent years, he spearheaded the IOC Young Leaders programme and contributed to the development of the innovative Global Active City model. He founded his own advisory firm insPoweredBy in 2019. Philippe holds several academic degrees in geoscience, sports science, business leadership and sustainable finance. He leads several social business initiatives and believes in cross-disciplinary approaches as the only way to solve today’s complex social and environmental challenges. Forest bathing and running is Philippe’s best option to stimulate his creativity and recharge his batteries.

Geert Hendriks worked for two decades in both the private and public sector before transitioning into the sport industry. Since 2012 he managed projects on sustainability, legacy and education with six Olympic Games as well as 50+ different international sports organisations across all continents. Geert is a Founding Director of the international NGO Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI) and has co-created since 2014 multiple associations using sport to empower refugees and youth. Geert has won the Peace & Sport Award 2016 as well as the UIM Environment Award for his work on the Sustainable Sport & Events Centre. Geert has published a variety of books and is currently studying Social Business Strategies at the Harvard Business School. Being Dutch of origin, he commutes to the office on his bicycle and is a passionate player of any sport that involves a ball, in particular korfball.

Anne-Cécile Turner is an award-winning sustainability expert. She is currently Founder and CEO of Blueshift, agency created in 2009, specialised in sustainability consultancy. Anne-Cécile was also the Director of Race for Water Foundation to identify, implement and promote solutions for a new social circular economy around plastic waste. She is The Ocean Race (previously called Volvo Ocean Race)’s Sustainability Director, creating a platform for change, engaging world leaders, Academia, Institutions, private sector and philanthropists to accelerate ocean health restoration. Experienced in driving positive change through international platforms, her work is supported by her impressive qualifications and training from Harvard’s Executive Leadership Program, The Tavistock Institute and WWF. Meaningful Business ambassador, passionate sailor, amateur triathlete she also loves lighthouses and Modigliani!