Think Beyond

🌍🏆 Congratulations to our client, World Athletics, for winning Elite Organisation of the Year at the BBC Green Sport Awards! This recognition celebrates the Athletics for a Better World (ABW) Standard, a pioneering framework developed in partnership with Think Beyond. Designed to embed sustainability at every level of athletics events globally, the ABW Standard ensures global standards are met across 55 key areas, from energy and waste management to diversity, travel, and wellbeing, setting new benchmarks for environmental and social impact in sport. We’ve proudly guided World Athletics on this journey since 2019, helping shape their 2030 Sustainability Strategy. A huge congratulations to Bob Ramsak and his team for driving this ambitious vision forward. Find out who all the winners are here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eAcepgk5 Special acknowledgement to Dave Lockwood and the BBC team for bringing these stories to the mainstream and championing the power of sport for good 👏 #SustainabilityInSport #GreenSportAwards #WorldAthletics #ThinkBeyond

⚽ At the World Football Summit last month, Think Beyond Senior Partner Dr Susie Tomson led a panel exploring how football, with its vast global reach, can play a leading role in tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges—from sustainability to social impact. Forward-thinking organisations, including Think Beyond clients The Football Association, The Premier League, and Liverpool Football Club, along with Bosquia, shared why they’re prioritising sustainability—from commercial opportunities and legislative pressures to fan engagement. Here are the top five takeaways from this insightful discussion:

🏌️ Inspiring the next generation through the game of golf. Discovery Education and LIV Golf have announced a new multi-year partnership, LIV to Learn, that will positively impact half a million students worldwide. 📚 This innovative collaboration offers students and educators digital resources that explore STEM, life skills, and career opportunities, while also addressing topics of teamwork and sustainability. Part of LIV Golf's broader 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭, 𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 Impact Strategy, which we developed together in 2022, LIV to Learn aims to positively influence 5.4 million young people. It’s an ambitious programme designed to open doors in education, employment, and training—uniting partners from across sectors to create tangible opportunities for the next generation. We’re proud to have played a role in creating this initiative, which redefines what impactful partnerships in sport can achieve. Learn more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eZQKpUpv #LIVGolf #PotentialUnleashed #ThinkBeyond #PowerOfSport

🚀 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. At Think Beyond, we believe in the power of sport to create lasting social change—and we know that social entrepreneurs are often at the heart of this movement. That’s why we’ve partnered with UnLtd to launch a survey aimed at better understanding the opportunities and challenges social entrepreneurs face. 💡 Are you a social entrepreneur working in sport or physical activity? We want to hear from you! Your insights will help us identify barriers, uncover opportunities, and provide more targeted support for social entrepreneurships like yours. 📝 Take the survey now and help shape the future of social entrepreneurship in sport: https://lnkd.in/eTWAAwvt Thank you for supporting this important initiative and sharing your valuable insights. #SocialEntrepreneurs #SportForDevelopment #ImpactThroughSport #ThinkBeyond #UnLtd #SocialChange #Entrepreneurship #Survey

🎉 Congratulations to our Senior Partner, Dr. Susie Tomson, and many of our clients, who have been shortlisted for awards at the inaugural Sport Positive Awards. The Sport Positive Awards celebrate, uplift, and raise awareness of organisations and individuals who are leading the charge in using the power of sport to address some of the biggest issues of our time. Shortlisted nominees include: 🔷 Regional Leader Europe: Dr. Susie Tomson 🔷 Community Initiative: SailGP 🔷 Education and Training: Liverpool Football Club 🔷 Inspired Innovation: SailGP and The Football Association 🔷 Purpose-led Partnership: The LTA 🔷 Report of the Year: 11th Hour Racing 🔷 Transformation: Liverpool Football Club, The LTA, and World Athletics Find out more about all the awards and the full shortlist here: https://lnkd.in/eURpZAAF The winners will be announced at the Sport Positive Summit on October 8 – best of luck to all nominees! 🌍🏅 #ThinkBeyond #SportPositive

Last week, I headed to Cambridge for the European Outdoor Summit— an annual gathering of outdoor industry leaders tackling the big issues in sustainability and business. With two days of thought-provoking talks, here are my key takeaways: 🌿 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 Faith In Nature became the first company in the world to appoint “Nature” to its board of directors, a pioneering example of environmental personhood. This move gives Nature a vote on all business decisions, ensuring the natural world is represented at the highest level of corporate governance. It challenges other businesses to rethink how they integrate sustainability into their operations. 📈 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Icebreaker shared their journey toward becoming 100% plastic-free. They reached 96.14%—and instead of seeing it as a failure, they proudly celebrated their "last 4%." Their transparency about falling short of their goal highlights the importance of honesty in building trust with consumers. It’s a reminder that sustainability is a long-term commitment and about making continual progress. 🌲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 Canopy works to protect the world’s forests, species, and climate by transforming unsustainable supply chains, catalysing innovative solutions, and conserving vital forest ecosystems. With over 3 billion trees cut down annually for paper packaging, Canopy emphasised that only 15% of global forest cover remains intact. They made a powerful case for replacing virgin paper with innovative materials like Circulose, made from recycled textiles. Forests are irreplaceable, and businesses must act urgently to protect them. 🤖 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐈 AI has the potential to reinforce biases, as seen when it consistently depicted a hiker as a white male in his 30s. The conversation at EOS focused on the need for AI systems to be more inclusive, ensuring that technology reflects the diversity of the world. 🛠️𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 In a world of increasing uncertainty, businesses must be adaptable. The summit highlighted how organisational resilience can be strengthened through flexibility, adaptability, and shared leadership, while also allowing teams time for recovery and reflection. Scenario planning was seen as a key tool for preparing teams to navigate uncertain situations. By training employees on how to respond to multiple outcomes linked to their roles, organisations can stay resilient when the unexpected happens. Were you at the European Outdoor Summit? I’d love to hear any other highlights you picked up from the summit!

Our Senior Consultant Lisa Markey (Norman) shares her insights on the blurred lines between sport and entertainment, and how the same frameworks that drive impact through sport can be applied to the arts and entertainment. Check out her article below to learn more 👇

Last week at Sustainability Live London, Think Beyond Managing Partner Sam Shave moderated a thought-provoking panel discussion with clients Rishi Jain, Director of Impact at Liverpool Football Club, and Will Stone, Head of Social Impact & Government Strategy at NFL UK, to explore how sport drives social and environmental impact. Watch the full 30-minute panel discussion, or if you're short on time, read Sam’s top five takeaways. #ThinkBeyond Sustainability Magazine Charlie King Steven Downes

⛳ Changing the game of golf for the better. Think Beyond is proud to have developed LIV Golf’s groundbreaking social impact and sustainability strategy, Potential Unleashed, which launched in June 2023. This strategy reflects LIV Golf’s commitment to using the game to create positive social change, push boundaries, and make the world a better place. Through our collaboration, LIV Golf has made remarkable strides, as highlighted in its first Impact Report: 📚 LIV to Learn: Positively impacted 120,000 young lives, supported 62 organisations, and secured five long-term partnerships, with plans to reach thousands more in 2024. 🏌️ Transform the Game: Launched pilot mentorship programs in partnership with The 10,000 Interns Foundation, providing internships that transform careers for under-represented groups. 🌎 LIV Green: Measured the carbon footprint of all events, embedded sustainability into event delivery, and began the process for ISO 20121 certification. And this is just the beginning—stay tuned for some exciting announcements as LIV Golf continues to push boundaries in social impact and sustainability. We’ve loved collaborating with Jake J., Anthony Angol and Gabriella Thompson on this strategy, and a big thanks to our team: Ed Hubbard, Pippa Nicholas, Peter Speight, Lois Peake and Rowena Luscombe. #LIVGolf #PotentialUnleashed #ThinkBeyond #PowerOfSport Sam Shave Radha Balani

We are delighted to officially announce Think Beyond as a Partner to the Sport Industry Report 2024. This November, SIG will release a new report on the health of the industry. The free-to-access insight study gives the definitive analysis of the value being delivered across the UK sport industry, and which organisations are leading the way within it with the report’s findings being discussed at an exclusive event for leaders in UK sport, business and politics. Think Beyond is a leading social impact and sustainability consultancy, working in and through sport and entertainment. They support brands, teams, leagues, and talent to have a real impact on the world and their business. Contact simon.zubairu@sportindustry.biz to find out more about the report. Simon Zubairu