Sports4Nature’s Post

🌍 The Climate Crisis is Knocking on the Door of Global Sports 🌡️ Is this the future of international sports events? 🌧️🔥 🚨 EURO 2024: A game brought to a halt due to torrential rain and hail the size of golf balls. 🔥 COPA AMERICA 2024: A referee collapsing on the field due to extreme heat. We are witnessing unprecedented climate events impacting major sports events. The undeniable reality of climate change is here, and it’s wreaking havoc on our global arenas. 🔴Are we doing enough to combat climate change? Should international sports bodies take a stand and lead by example? 👇 🏟️🌱 ⚽ The sports institutions have the power to influence millions. If they step up and demand sustainable practices, we can drive significant change. Imagine if every sports event prioritized green energy, reduced carbon footprints, and spread awareness about climate action. The impact would be noteworthy. Sports bodies can no longer remain neutral; they must be at the forefront of the fight against climate change, leveraging their platforms to push for environmental policies and practices that protect our planet for future generations. Photo credit: Greenpeace Sign their petition to stop Big Oil comapnies from drilling and start paying 👉 https://lnkd.in/gG8PiTfK #ClimateAction #EURO2024 #CopaAmerica2024 #Sustainability

🏅 The Olympics in Paris start tomorrow! It is a perfect occasion to discuss the importance of sports in ocean literacy. Copious research shows that sporting events have the power to shape social attitudes and drive change. A 2018 report by the Geneva-based Centre for Sport and Human Rights concluded that "mega-sporting events" like the Olympics, if well managed, can accelerate social progress, help protect human rights, and drive sustainable development. Of course, it might be tough to link javelin throwing to ocean acidification, but there are still plenty of ways to harness the Olympic spirit for ocean protection: 💪 For one, the media's emphasis on togetherness, perseverance, fair play, and health can all be tied into calls to environmental action. 🏊♂️ Water sports, like swimming, kayaking, and sailing can also make audiences want to connect with the sea. 🌎 Athletes from coastal communities or island nations have a unique media platform to speak up for ocean protection. So let's take this opportunity to explore how to use the shared symbolism and aspirational nature of the Games to amplify ocean conservation efforts. Because this chance won't come around for another 4 years. #Paris2024 #OceanConservation #SportsForGood

In sports, hard work secures records and victory. Athletes are all about pushing the limits of what humans can achieve, and witnessing the birth of new world records. These are the kinds of records that make us proud – but there are some records that aren’t cause for celebration. Record temperature highs, nature loss and melting ice all signal a threat to our very survival. On the eve of the Paris Olympics,WWF’s launched “The Climate Games” – a campaign that highlights the unprecedented records we don’t want to break. But if we come together, we can help inspire world leaders to change the game. The campaign centres around a powerful new video, conceived and produced by the creative agency TRY and the production company Aparent, both based in #Norway. The film highlights climate records that were broken in 2023 with gripping sports commentary, and will air on French TV just before the men’s 100-meter final on Sunday, August 4. In addition, the campaign will be visible on out-of-home in Paris, and WWF offices around the world will seize moments during the Games when sports records are broken to share their own national climate records. #ChangeClimateChange #globalwarming #climate #parisolympics2024 #paris #WWF #UnitedNation Credit: Ads of the World

As incredible as it was to witness the #OpeningCeremony live in Paris, it was even more meaningful to share the Olympic spirit with High-Level Climate Champions - Gonzalo Muñoz Abogabir CMG because of the shared values in our work on climate and sustainability! What sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games teach us is that we can do hard things! The athletes we are going to admire over the next few weeks KNOW that what lies on the other side of HARD is worth the effort and the sacrifice. And as hard as the challenge may be, we rise to the occasion. I believe that this is exactly what sports can contribute in the biggest challenge humanity is facing right now. France put on a spectacle during the Opening Ceremony, uniting the world in a moment that transcends our differences and helps us feel connected. The International Olympic Committee – IOC and the Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 sent a message of hope and unity throughout the entire world. I want to thank our gracious hosts Airbnb and Danone for believing in this vision! It is of particular importance to note that even ahead of the Opening Ceremony, the inaugural Sport for Sustainable Development Summit #S4SD was held with representatives from +500 countries, gathered in Musée du Louvre in Paris 🇫🇷, and hosted by Agence Française de Développement. The momentum for sustainable development, climate action, and nature protection and restoration is building. On August 7th I will have to honor to moderate the Sports for Nature event here in #Paris to map out the steps sports organizations can take to protect and restore nature. Sports for Nature is a joint initiative of the IUCN, International Olympic Committee – IOC, UN Environment Programme Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy. #Sports4Nature #Olympic #Paralympic #S4SD #S4SDSummit #BiodiversityPlan #TEDCountdown Bloomberg Green

The commitment to carbon neutrality at Paris 2024 raises crucial questions about the true sustainability of the Olympics. Despite ambitious targets, including halving the carbon footprint and employing renewable energy, the scale and infrastructure demands of the Games present inherent contradictions. The reliance on air travel, temporary constructions, and the global spectacle itself challenges the feasibility of achieving genuine sustainability. This juxtaposition prompts a critical evaluation of whether large-scale events like the Olympics can ever align fully with environmental and climate goals. . . . #climatechange #climatecrisis #climatemitigation #climateadaptation #resilientcities #nomoreoil #justtransition

And in Other News...  The Earth has just experienced its warmest day in recent history, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) data. On 22 July 2024, the daily global average temperature reached a new record high in the ERA5 dataset*, at 17.16°C. This is not the kind of record-breaking streak the world needs. Millions of sports fans are tuning in to an action-packed season featuring the Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 Olympics , the le de Tour France, the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024, Major League Baseball (MLB)’s All-Star Game, the US Open , the Women’s World Cup in Colombia, and the Rugby Australia Championship in Australia. In her new book, Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport, world-leading sports ecologist Madeleine Orr interviews athletes, coaches, politicians, and thought leaders to explore the inevitable consequences for this trillion-dollar industry. Orr explains how elite and professional sports are being affected by changing environmental conditions and how global sports movements can address these challenges. She shares captivating stories of how the world of sport is being impacted in unexpected ways, such as: ⛳ Golf course designers incorporating flood control measures into their designs. 🚣♂️ Sailors in the 2016 Olympics learning to navigate through trash in the waters off Rio de Janeiro. Through these and other stories, Orr highlights how competitive sports around the world are facing environmental challenges and finding innovative ways to adapt. To learn more about the impact of climate change on sports and what can be done, check out Madeleine Orr’s insightful new book. https://lnkd.in/g34UFimZ #SEA_theChange #noplanetnoplay #FriendsofSEA #oneplanetteam #NoPlanetNoPlay #PlanetMatters #NoPlanetB #Sport #SportandClimate #ClimageChange

🏅♻️ How do the #Olympics help support #SDG13 (climate action)? ➖ Carbon Footprint: organizers increasingly implement strategies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy sources, sustainable transportation and optimizing venue construction ➖ Green Infrastructure: newer Olympic facilities are designed with sustainability in mind, focusing on energy efficiency and resource conservation ➖ Raising Awareness: leveraging the global spotlight of the Games to educate the public about climate issues. From athlete activism to educational campaigns, the tournament encourages a global conversation about environmental responsibility ➖ Inspiring Change: by showcasing sustainable practices, the tournament inspires other sporting events and organizations to adopt similar initiatives 🚧 Challenges remain, such as offsetting the carbon footprint of thousands of athletes and spectators and dealing with the temporary nature of several venues, which raises questions about long-term sustainability But by prioritizing sustainability, the Olympics can demonstrate that achieving athletic excellence goes hand-in-hand with protecting the planet Have you seen other interesting sustainability initiatives in other sporting events? What else could be done to further champion SDG 13 in the Olympics? Share with us below! #GlobalSouth #Africa #Asia #LatinAmerica #SDGs #thinktanks #research #policy #evidence #climate #climateaction #carbonfootprint #environment #environmental #green #renewableenergy #energy

A lot of people around the world are excited about the Olympics. We hear about the “greenest Olympics ever” and a “climate positive event”. But the reality is that these giant global sporting events are just not compatible with the needs of the planet. It’s true that the Paris organizers have made a genuine effort to cut the carbon footprint of the games. And, to their credit, they have also avoided the lies and greenwashing of organizers of other large events, like those of the last FIFA World Cup. A good summary of the climate impact of the Paris games that everyone should read is  https://lnkd.in/gFk6mN9j . But the core reality is that the very format of a global mega-event is not right for our planet. Having millions of people flying to a single destination to use a massive amount of infrastructure for a few days is unthinkably wasteful and damaging to the environment. As Benja Faecks of Carbon Market Watch says: “Real transformation to make the games compatible with a 1.5°C world requires a rethink of the entire Olympic model.” Martin Müller of the University of Lausanne studies these “gigaevents” and feels the Olympic/World Cup model may have grown so large as to reach a breaking point. I encourage you to read his paper: https://lnkd.in/gYNnyR9F I believe, like Pierre de Coubertin, in the importance of physical activity. His vision was not of massive entertainment spectacles in which millions of people passively watch a very small number of people actually engaging in physical activity. Let’s take a pass on the Paris Olympics and enjoy sports actively and locally without doing irreparable harm to the planet. #paris2024

The #Paris2024 Olympics have an ambitious sustainability goal: slash the carbon footprint in half compared to previous Games in London and Rio. Organizers are using different sustainable approaches, including #geothermal for temperature control. However, the use of air conditioning by some countries has sparked debate and raised questions about climate equity and the injustice of wealth disparity and climate adaptation. Great read by Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash that explores the AC debate: https://bit.ly/4dgP1LL #climateequity #climateaction #olympicgames

#PhotoOfTheDay | Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 100 metres at the Olympic Games in Paris. Her medal was the first ever Olympic medal for St Lucia. Like many Caribbean countries, the small island nation is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Join us at #ImpactWeek, where we showcase catalytic capital, enabling policies and other examples of systemic change. It’s also where we launch strategic ideas that can speed up our journey to a more equitable and sustainable world: https://zurl.co/2GEz