Understanding Natural Capital in Sport 

According to the World Economic Forum, more than half of the world’s GDP is highly or moderately dependent on nature. Sport, like many other industries, relies heavily upon its conservation and protection, not only to provide the physical environment for training, competitions, and spectators, but to contribute to the health and fitness of its participants. The depletion and destruction of nature is therefore a critical barrier to sport’s enduring success, but little attention has historically been paid to this fact.   

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a report in 2020, outlining the mutual benefits nature and sport can have upon one another and offering guidance on how sport stakeholders can take steps to mitigate negative impacts on nature whilst championing the protection of natural resources.   

This is not purely an ethical dilemma, either; it quickly becomes commercial when elements such as athlete performance and audience attendance are impacted by a lack of support for the natural environment. Conversely, where nature is woven into every element of planning, from corporate strategy all the way through to the design of new stadia or training facilities, the benefits are significant and multiple.  

As the consequences of not engaging with this complex relationship become clearer, sports stakeholders are starting to act. In December 2022, more than twenty sports organizations singed the first Sports for Nature Framework, committing to a set of principles aimed at safeguarding nature and agreeing to contribute to global goals on biodiversity.  

 Though it’s a bold statement, the future of sport will be determined by the action it takes to ensure the conservation, sustainable management, and promotion of natural resources. The value nature contributes to sport may not always have been recognised, but it is becoming increasingly clear that sport has not only a responsibility to protect the natural environment, but it is in its best interest to do so. 

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Team Q&A: Caroline Carlin, Senior Business Development & Sustainability Manager

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HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE ATHLETE’S VOICE