|
Listen to this story:
|
Key Impact Points:
- Sport England’s “Every Move” strategy mandates all major sports bodies in England to have sustainability plans by 2027.
- A £45 million investment aims to address climate change and promote physical activity.
- Extreme weather affects 60% of adults’ ability to stay active in England.
- The Football Association estimates 120,000 soccer matches are lost annually due to flooding.
Sport England has unveiled its first Sustainability Strategy, “Every Move,” requiring major sports organizations to develop robust sustainability plans by 2027 to secure funding. Chris Boardman, Sport England’s chair, emphasized the urgency of moving from encouragement to action, stating, “It’s time we moved from informing and encouraging to enabling and requiring.“
The strategy includes a £45 million investment to combat climate change’s impact on sports. Boardman highlighted that extreme weather affects 60% of adults’ ability to remain active. The Football Association estimates that 120,000 soccer matches are lost each year due to flooding.
A sector-wide consultation revealed that eight out of ten people want sports organizations to be more ambitious about environmental issues. The British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) praised the strategy, with BASIS chair Russell Seymour noting, “BASIS has been calling for funding to be linked to sustainability since 2011.“
Related Article: PwC Report: Over 70% of Critical Minerals for Net Zero Transition at Risk Due to Climate Change
Sport England’s plan also mandates end-of-life recycling for artificial turf pitches installed after June 2024 and aims to reduce its own carbon emissions by 50% by 2023, with a goal of achieving net zero by 2040.