Sports for Nature: Setting a baseline

Sport is both deeply dependent and connected to nature – without a healthy planet, there is no playing field for sport. Sport is a highly visible sector with billions of participants and fans who consume its products and regularly engage with sports brands and media, its reach is unprecedented. Inspired by the UNFCCC’s Sport for Climate Action Framework (2018), along with IUCN and IOC’s guidance, and in support of the nature MTS pillar, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the post-2020 Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sports for Nature: Setting a Baseline handbook will support sport to be a critical partner for change.

Developed by the UN Environment Programme with the support of the International Olympic Committee, along with Loughborough University and GRID Arendal, the handbook investigates and highlights the urgency, dependency and impact of sport on nature, demonstrating the opportunities already underway – with guidance and case studies to inspire and innovate. To set a baseline for nature conscious work in the sport sector, focus groups were conducted with 109 sport organisations from 30 different sports and 48 countries. The handbook shows how sport can move forward positively working together to adapt their games for a greener future.