On Wednesday 20th March, UNEP with the support of the Governments of France and Kenya, together with our partners from the IOC and IUCN, will host a discussion on what role can sports play to act for nature.
Without a healthy ecosystem, there can be no sport. No pitches for football, no oceans for sailing and no rivers for kayaking. And yet, nature is often an after-thought for many sports organisations. Sports can play an important role in nature protection and restoration, both as an unparalleled communication and awareness raising platform as well as being actors in the environments that they use and the infrastructure, events, and sourcing decisions that they engage in. In the lead up to Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the future African Cup of Nations in Kenya in 2027, two sporting super-powers, France and Kenya are inviting interested member states and key partners to explore how major events can leave a sustainable policy legacy for sports to become active and sustainable agents for nature and climate. This event will build the foundations for further collaboration between ministers of sports, environment, and different member states, starting with France and Kenya, and unleash the power of sports to support the achievement of the Global Biodiversity Framework commitments.
Sports for Nature is a joint initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Sails of Change. To date, 55 signatories from national Olympic committees, a variety of sports federations, unions and clubs from different parts of the sport pyramid have signed the Sports for Nature Framework, which has been developed in consultation with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and sports organisations.
