Isabella Bertold is going on an adventure to show there’s a different way for athletes to communicate about sustainability and the importance of nature. The Canadian sailor and cyclist is preparing for an expedition that will take her by boat from the UK to Norway, and then across the Norwegian fjords by bike, joined by a handful of other intrepid explorers. She shares her belief that the most powerful sustainability stories are told through raw, visceral experiences that show athletes ...

Most climate tech startups aren’t investing in sport sponsorship – yet. Many see it as too expensive, misaligned with their values, or unable to deliver on goals like awareness and adoption. But one company is breaking the mould. Svante, a carbon capture startup from British Columbia, has teamed up with Speed Skating Canada on ‘Save the Ice’, a campaign that removes carbon every time someone shares their video. For Canada’s most decorated Olympic sport, climate change isn’t ...

In this episode, Nicola Barr talks about her work with FrontRunners — the athlete-led climate movement co-founded by Emma and David Pocock. She shares how the group mobilised more than 150 athletes to support the 'Duty of Care' campaign, calling for a law that would require politicians to consider climate impacts on young people. We also talk about the origins of the movement during the Black Summer bushfires, why athlete voices still matter, and how FrontRunners is now helping under-re...

A recent newsletter explored the idea that athlete investors – those backing climate tech and renewables – might ultimately hold more sway in the sustainability space than athlete advocates. But this follow-up podcast conversation with US rower Christine Cavallo serves as a powerful reminder that influence comes in many forms. Even without financial investment, athletes who are knowledgeable and committed can play a crucial role in the climate transition. Christine brings a unique persp...

Sport-related travel may only account for an estimated 1.5% of global carbon emissions, but its impact is significant – particularly in regions already affected by mass tourism and environmental stress. In this episode, we explore how sports organisations can engage with regenerative tourism, a model focused on restoring ecosystems, supporting local communities and improving resilience. Our guest is Ana Agostinho, sustainability lead at Westbrook Racing, part of the E1 electric powerboa...

In this podcast episode, Eve Joseph, head of social impact and sustainability and a former Microsoft leader, shares insights on what sport can learn from the tech industry’s approach to sustainability.The conversation delves into the transformative role of data, highlighting why democratising access to information is essential for understanding and mitigating the environmental risks faced by athletes, event hosts and the wider sports ecosystem.Eve also discusses the mission and achievements o...

When we think about the climate risks and consequences facing sport, we often think about elite sporting competition?But what about sport for good organisations and grassroots sport clubs? There’s not much of a focus on them even though, in most cases, they are even more vulnerable. However, Football For Future and Common Goal have teamed up to develop the Fields of Change Handbook, an environmental sustainability resource for sport for good organisations.In this episode, we speak Elliot...

Sustainability, in some quarters of the sports industry, is viewed as a cost rather than investment.But what if climate action could actually be an opportunity to diversity income streams for sports organisations?That's a concept put forward by Jamie Farndale in this episode of the podcast, where he reflects on his research that suggests affinity with sport can support the take-up of low-carbon technologies and behaviours.The former captain of the Scotland rugby sevens team and current GM of ...

How can a “non-essential” sector like sport justify its existence on a planet with finite resources?It was a question posed by Damian Foxall, sustainability manager of the 11th Hour Racing Team, during episode 96 of the podcast that we try to unpack.Foxall reflects on a successful 2023, in which his team was crowned champions of The Ocean Race. At the end of the season, it also produced a sustainability report full of achievements and case studies.In addition, Kristen Fulmer, head of sustaina...

As we head into another COP, two major things remain unclear for our industry: on a macro level, what climate trajectory will we find ourselves on once all is said and done in two weeks? And, at a sector level, what role is sport expected to play to keep this trajectory as low as possible?COP28 is a key talking point in episode 95 of the podcast as we talk to SailGP’s Fiona Morgan about its Race for the Future takeover in Dubai. Russell Seymour of BASIS talks about the new Game Changer II rep...

Collectively, more than three-quarters of the fans of Bohemian FC, Club Brugge KV, FC St Pauli, FC Twente, Ferencvárosi TC, Real Betis and SV Werder Bremen believe their clubs and football in general need to do more to support and accelerate the shift to a lower carbon society.But how can football clubs position themselves as the drivers of this transition – and crucially, how can they ensure that transition is just and beneficial for their local communities.That’s what we try to unpack in th...

A week after the Sport Positive Summit, Kate Chapman (London Marathon Events), Sara Kassam (UK Sport) and Rikke Rønholt Albertsen (Danish Olympic Committee) help us unpick some of the key talking points.Can growth and sustainability coexist in sport? How can sport wean itself off of fossil fuel sponsorship? What does the sports industry collectively need to say when we reconvene again in 12 months time? We cover it all.

Protecting humans, animals and plants. That’s what climate justice boils down to, says Jessica Murfree. In this edition of the podcast, Murfree (sport ecologist and assistant professor at the University of Cincinati) and Claire Poole look ahead to the Sport Positive Summit, exploring how the industry can position itself best to promote climate action and justice through thoughtful discourse.The episode focuses on the importance of diverse perspectives, risk management and using nuance la...

In this podcast episode, we delve into the nuanced approach sports should take towards carbon emissions and question whether current best practices in carbon measurement and reduction are fit-for-purpose for an industry with such distinctive challenges.In the company of Nicola Barr, the decarbonising sport lead at FrontRunners, and a current player for the Greater Western Sydney Giants, and Alice Ashpitel, head of sustainability at Mercedes F1, we explore the practicalities of investing in su...

Dr. Maddy Orr, Bob Ramsak and Dr. Sheila Nguyen were the three guests as The Sustainability Report Podcast came back after a six month rest.While Ramsak (head of sustainability for World Athletics) and Nguyen (head of sustainability for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023) spoke about managing the environmental impact of two of the year’s biggest sporting events, Orr discussed the disruption sport had experienced as a result to extreme weather in recent months.All thre...

Sport in Africa has huge cultural significance – and every single nation in the vast continent is impacted by significant environmental and social challenges.Sustainable Sport Africa, established by Rachel Aron and Tristan Niesslein, aims to position sport as a medium to address some of these challenges, which, in turn, should make African sports properties more appealing to potential investors.In this episode of the podcast, Aron and Niesslein discuss the launch of the organisation and some ...

Football fans are often treated as a problem. But, actually, when it comes to throwing their weight behind large societal issues – such as anti-racism and refugee support – they can be a significant part of the solution.That’s according to Jenny Amann and Mark Doidge, doctoral researcher and senior research fellow respectively at the University of Brighton. Their latest piece of research, titled ‘Mobilising Football Fans on Climate Change’, explores how this diverse group of people, brought t...

Calling the Wolverhampton Wanderers sustainability strategy ‘One Pack, One Planet’ was always going to be a winner with fans.But beyond the clever branding – and the launch of the strategy during a really successful Green Football Weekend – One Pack, One Planet was built on solid foundations of robust impact assessments, clear communications with club staff and giving departments the agency to develop their own action plans to achieve targets in four main areas: carbon, waste, nature and cult...

A focus on purpose and sustainability is shifting sports partnerships from traditional transactional deals to deeper, strategic, holistic relationships.That’s according to Mya Doelling, the global partnerships manager for the International Olympic Committee (IOC). And in this episode of the podcast, she explains how purposeful partnerships are gaining traction in sport, using the IOC’s Climate Action Awards partnership with Airbnb, Deloitte and P&G as cases in point.Together with her coll...

When Lorenzo Sacchetti was asked to embark on a project to increase biodiversity at a motorsports track by his Copenhagen Business School tutor Rikke Albertsen and project manager at the Dansk Automobil Sports Union (DASU), Michella Skov, he was a little surprised.How does nature conservation and motorsport – an unsustainable activity in Lorenzo’s mind – fit together?Alongside Albertsen, Skov and his friend and biodiversity expert Matilde Montagna, Sacchetti tried to find out by developing a ...