HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE ATHLETE’S VOICE

Within the global sports landscape, prominent athletes can occupy a particularly influential position; fans, corporates, and other stakeholders often take an interest in their views on a variety of issues beyond the sport in which they’re involved. In a sign of the growing emphasis placed on sustainability, an increasing number are using their platform to shine a light on the topic and how progress can be made.

According to the UN, athletes are amongst the most influential people in society, making them powerful advocates for sustainability[1], which is a sentiment shared by sport fans. A YouGov survey found in 2022 that fans ranked individual athletes amongst the top five most well placed and appropriate public figures to advocate for social causes[2]. Furthermore, a study also found that 66% of UK adults felt that athletes should play a role in championing causes which they believe in[3].

For an example of athlete advocacy done well, we can look to footballer Christopher Smalling, who plays for Italian Serie A team AS Roma. In 2022, Smalling launched ForGood[4], a venture capital consultancy investing in sustainability-driven companies working to address environmental issues. By publicly throwing his weight behind the sector, Smalling acts as a powerful advocate for sustainability amongst his fan base.

In addition to individual action by athletes, collective action can also be a powerful driver of change. For instance, in the lead up to COP26, Olympians Hannah Mils and Melissa Wilson convened a group of over 50 athletes set to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, producing a video appealing to world leaders to take meaningful action to address climate change[5]. Collective athlete action was also seen during the FIFA Women’s World Cup earlier this year, when over 40 players competing for various nations in the tournament launched the biggest ever athlete-led climate campaign in football history. The campaign saw players support a combination of climate resilience and carbon offsetting and adaption initiatives[6].

If athletes are to use their voice to raise awareness and advocate for sustainability, it is crucial that they are equipped with appropriate training and knowledge to do so. In 2022, Enovation Consulting launched the Leaders in Sport Sustainability training programme for athletes and C-level stakeholders in sport, covering a range of topics to ensure participants can speak confidently on issues surrounding sustainability, grounded by a firm understanding of the evidence base. By empowering groups and individuals from across the sports ecosystem with robust data, we can all work together to accelerate progress on sustainability both within the industry and beyond.

[1] https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1115692

[2] https://sport.yougov.com/2022-global-sport-report/

[3] https://www.uksport.gov.uk/news/2023/03/08/new-research-shows-british-public-support-athletes-speaking-out-and-driving-social-change

[4] http://www.forgoodglobal.com/

[5] https://athletesoftheworld.org/

[6] https://www.common-goal.org/Stories/Biggest-Player-Led-Climate-Action-in-History2023-07-13