Urgent climate action needed from Olympic and Paralympic sport

by Tom Baker, Head of Social Impact, UK Sport

Introducing UK Sport's Environmental Sustainability Strategy

Yesterday (Tuesday 28 March 2023) marked a pivotal moment for UK Sport and the wider high-performance community in the UK as we unveiled our Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

Climate change is having a profound impact on our planet, and high-performance sport is no exception. The need for immediate action is clear if we want to preserve the relevance, popularity, and very existence of the sports we love.

Our new strategy outlines how we aim to safeguard the future of our planet and our athletes – for both today's teams and the Team of Tomorrow.

Key highlights of our Environmental Sustainability Strategy include:

• A goal for British Olympic and Paralympic sport and major events hosted in the UK to have a net positive impact on the environment by 2040; 
• UK Sport's target to achieve net zero by 2030, with national governing bodies (NGBs) reducing their emissions by 50% by 2030; 
• An expectation for NGBs to develop an Environmental Sustainability Action Plan by March 2025; 
• Utilising the voice, influence, and platform of high-performance sport to advocate for environmental sustainability and inspire positive change. 

What does it mean for us? 

This strategy commits us to reduce the negative environmental impact of all our practices, operations, and activities to achieve net zero by 2030. This follows on from our signing of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework last year.

To help us understand what’s required to achieve this, we’ve also published a carbon footprint assessment. We will continue to report annually on our environmental impacts – increasing the range of sustainability measures that we publish and bringing further transparency and accountability to our net zero commitment.

But we also appreciate the significant role we can play and influence we have as an investor in Olympic and Paralympic sport, major events and more broadly as a leader in high-performance sport in the UK and beyond. Using this position, our target for the British Olympic and Paralympic sport sector and major sporting events hosted in the UK is that collectively they have a net positive impact on the environment by 2040.

However, we can’t make the change we want to see alone and want to work with others to act collectively. In order to reach our targets, we will spend the next two years laying strong foundations for achieving our long-term goals, identifying areas where we can have the greatest impact, and driving progress across the board.

What does it mean for the sports and partners we invest in?

Through a collaboration between British Triathlon, UK Athletics, British Swimming and England Hockey, alongside the English Institute of Sport, we have been piloting environmental sustainability expertise and support for NGBs to accelerate their sustainability journeys. We will now roll out this support to NGBs, driving action and progress across the high-performance sport community. 

We are urging our partners to be curious and bold, questioning existing practices and exploring how we can collectively make the most significant positive impact. We believe that there is no time for complacency – we must act decisively and ambitiously.

To facilitate this transformation, we are offering support and resources for our partners, and we encourage everyone to get involved. We also welcome feedback on the tools, training, and resources needed to make our shared vision for a sustainable sporting future a reality.

Join us as we continue on this crucial journey towards a more environmentally responsible sporting landscape. Together, we can make a lasting impact and ensure the continued success of our athletes and the sports we cherish for generations to come.

For more information about UK Sport’s Team of Tomorrow campaign, please click here.