Urgent action is needed by all of society, including the sports community, to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity and the damage to the natural world on which we all depend to sustain our health and well-being, and provide clean air, fresh water and food. By protecting and restoring nature, sports organisations can play a vital role in climate mitigation and adaptation both in the outdoor and indoor environments where they play and through their enormous influence with the wider public.
Sports for Nature
While there is an urgent need to act across all parts of society, sports have a unique opportunity to address the nature crisis. IUCN has been working with key partners on developing a Sports for Nature Framework to contribute to global efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 by engaging with the sports community.
“There is an urgent need to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and everyone, including sports and recreation, must play a role. The Sports for Nature Framework is a step in the right direction. Thank you to IOC, IUCN and UNEP for joining forces under the Convention on Biological Diversity in this ground-breaking initiative to bring action for biodiversity from sports worldwide. It is encouraging to see this level of commitment from sports federations, leagues, clubs, and events, and I challenge all sports organisations to follow suit by taking urgent action for biodiversity,”
Co-created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Sports for Nature Framework aims to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, by 2030 and beyond, enabling sports to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration. It provides a game plan for sports—at all levels—to accelerate and inspire others to take action for nature.
Through an IUCN-Sails of Change partnership, the signatories to the Framework will receive technical support, customised tools and training to assist them on their nature journey.
Download the Sports for Nature Framework
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