Eight years ago, Norwegian professional footballer Morten Thorsby stumbled across a section of The Guardian newspaper devoted to the climate crisis. Called “Keep it in the Ground”, it laid out the perils facing a rapidly overheating planet.
Thorsby, now a 26-year-old midfielder with 1. FC Union Berlin, was so alarmed by what he read that he would eventually found We Play Green. The non-profit organization works with current and former footballers, including one-time Brazil international Marcelo Vieira, to spur the transition to a more sustainable world.
Last month, We Play Green was among more than 20 major sports organizations that joined a global push to protect nature and counter a biodiversity crisis that has seen 1 million species pushed towards extinction. That effort, called the Sports for Nature Framework, is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and several other organizations.
The partnership was announced just days before 188 countries struck a landmark agreement in Montreal, Canada to halt nature loss and protect 30 per cent of the Earth’s surface.
UNEP recently spoke with Thorsby about his environmental awakening, his take on the new sporting framework, and the role of sport in the climate and biodiversity fightback.
What made you interested in environmental issues?
Morten Thorsby (MT): Throughout my life, I have always had a strong connection to nature. My interest in environmental issues came when I was 18 and had just moved to Heerenveen (in the Netherlands) to play professionally. I had a lot of time on my hands in between practicing and playing, so I decided to educate myself on the climate and environmental crises.
In 2015, reading Keep it in the Ground from The Guardian sparked my engagement and passion for environmental issues because that was the beginning of my understanding of the severity of the situation.
Tell us about the work you've been doing so far with We Play Green?
MT: I founded We Play Green in 2020 and have been working very hard to keep it growing since then. My priority is my playing. However, I dedicate my free time to brainstorming, meeting potential and current partners, and involving myself in organizations that align with my values.
It was made very clear to me by my father that the better footballer I become, the better I can help my organization achieve its mission of mobilizing the global football family and encouraging other players to join and also use their voices. So, on the pitch, I always try to be the best player I can be.
Photo Credit: We Play Green/FC Union Berlin
The Sport for Nature Framework is backed by several leading organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. Why is an environmental framework for sport important?
MT: Sport is a universal language that connects everyone, everywhere. The sports world has a huge impact on people’s behaviors, lifestyles, and values. Therefore, implementing an environmental framework can create mass awareness and engagement around the environmental crisis. That is why my organization works within the football world.
Research from organizations like the United Nations finds that the climate crisis is accelerating. What impacts have you witnessed?
MT: Being a professional player and playing and training outside, there are many impacts I have noticed. For example, playing in Italy, you really feel the effects of global warming and extreme heat. Different places I’ve played have also had poor quality of air which is always noticeable for a player. Rescheduling games because of flooding has become an increasingly common reality for myself, and for many other players around the world.
How can football help counter the climate and biodiversity crises?
MT: Football has a massive role to play in mobilizing the masses. I hope that the influential and far-reaching voices of professional clubs and players join together to mobilize the global football family in supporting the “Green Shift”.
The 5 billion members of the football family include the businesses, sponsors, industries, and decision makers that can implement the solutions necessary to save the climate and the environment. There just needs to be a mass movement to implement these solutions, which is exactly where football can come in.
For more information, contact Sam Barratt at sam.barratt@un.org
Healthy, biodiverse ecosystems sustain life on Earth. Despite the value nature provides, it is deteriorating worldwide – a decline projected to worsen under business-as-usual scenarios. From December 7-19, 2022 the world gathered for the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal where leaders struck a landmark agreement to guide global actions on biodiversity through 2030. The framework lays out an ambitious plan that implements broad-based action across sectors addressing the key drivers of nature loss and aims to ensure that by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature is fulfilled.
