Exploring Sports Role in Climate Action At COP26
November 5, 2021
For nearly three decades the UN has been bringing countries together for global climate summits called COPs, Conference of the Parties, as part of the UN Climate Change Conference. Participants at COP26, the 26th annual summit currently taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, are collaborating on ways to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
On 3 November, EXTREME and our sister consultancy, thinkBeyond partnered to host Sport For Climate Action Day at the EXTREME Hangout, powered by OVO Energy. EXTREME is a unique brand, community and purpose driven company that lives at the nexus of sports, entertainment and lifestyle. The EXTREME Hangout was created to provide the younger generation with a platform for their voice to be heard.
Inspired by a love of the outdoors, adventure sports and driven by a passion to protect the planet, the platform at COP26 provided delegates and guests the opportunity to have hard conversations, tackle big issues and pledge tangible solutions and actions to tackle climate change.
“The idea of creating The EXTREME Hangout at COP26 was fuelled by the realisation that the voices of young people are so often ignored, dismissed and patronised. As they are going to inherit this planet and will be impacted most by the climate crisis, it is vital that their concerns be heard loud and clear at COP26, their active participation is crucial,” said Environmentalist, Amber Nuttall, who was a speaker during The Planet as Our Playground session.
The day drew leading figures from the world of sport, social impact and sustainability for sessions organised and curated by thinkBeyond. They were led by moderators, Nick Keller, Founder and President of Beyond Sport and thinkBeyond, Claire Poole, Founder and CEO of Sport Positive and Radha Balani, Director of Design and Facilitation at thinkBeyond. The four sessions explored the role of sport in a climate-conscious world, how to minimise our impact, mobilise communities and drive positive behavioural and physical changes to support the planet.
The second session featured UN Patron of the Oceans and endurance swimmer, Lewis Pugh, who, for years, has been stressing the role of healthy oceans in mitigating climate change and calling for more countries to commit to protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
“The glaciers are moving faster than the politicians,” he stated. “We should stop talking about climate change and start talking about a climate catastrophe. Because that’s what it is. I urge the public to bear with us and get involved. If we are able to transform our relationship with the environment, we’ll have a bright future.”
The Sport for Climate Action Day is available for viewing online: Watch Session 1 | Watch Session 2 | Watch Session 3 | Watch Session 4.
The event made it clear that COP26 needs to be a catalyst for world leaders to take action now, not in 30 to 40 years’ time. Sport has a huge role to play and athlete have a powerful voice in driving behavioural change around climate action. As Balani recently shared, "organisations having a sustainability policy is not impressive - it's imperative. What’s impressive is how they make it real and bring it to life through their staff, partners, fans and more."
Earlier in the week, two of the day's speakers, Hannah Mills, Double Olympic Gold medallist and founder of The Big Plastic Pledge, and Melissa Wilson, British rower and Champion for Earth, unveiled a video calling on global leaders to take action at COP26. The video comes off the back of over 200 athletes, sports teams, sports-adjacent organisations - including Beyond Sport - and thought leaders backing the COP26 Sports Community Manifesto developed by EcoAthletes. Endorsers want the leaders of COP26 to know that they have the support of the global sports industry from around the world to accelerate the #ClimateComeback.
The EXTREME Hangout will continue throughout COP26, finishing on 11 November. Click here for more information.