Sports for Nature: Setting a Baseline – Handbook

SPORTSFORNATURE SETTINGABASELINE ©iStock/ZargonDesign©iStock/simonkr ©2022UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme Suggestedcitation UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(2022).SportsforNature:Settingabaseline–Handbook.Nairobi,Kenya. ISBNNo:978-92-807-3977-0 JobNo:DEP/2475/NA Thispublicationmaybereproducedinwholeorinpartandinanyformforeducationalornon-profitserviceswithoutspecialpermissionfromthecopyrightholder,providedacknowledgementofthesourceismade.TheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgrammewouldappreciatereceivingacopyofanypublicationthatusesthispublicationasasource. NouseofthispublicationmaybemadeforresaleoranyothercommercialpurposewhatsoeverwithoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromtheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme.Applicationsforsuchpermission,withastatementofthepurposeandextentofthereproduction,shouldbeaddressedtotheDirector,CommunicationDivision,UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme,P.O.Box30552,Nairobi00100,Kenya. Disclaimers ThedesignationsemployedandthepresentationofthematerialinthispublicationdonotimplytheexpressionofanyopinionwhatsoeveronthepartoftheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgrammeorGRID-Arendalconcerningthelegalstatusofanycountry,territoryorcityoritsauthorities,orconcerningthedelimitationofitsfrontiersorboundaries.MentionofacommercialcompanyorproductinthisdocumentdoesnotimplyendorsementbytheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgrammeortheauthors.Theuseofinformationfromthisdocumentforpublicityoradvertisingisnotpermitted.Trademarknamesandsymbolsareusedinaneditorialfashionwithnointentionofinfringementoftrademarkorcopyrightlaws. TheviewsexpressedinthispublicationarethoseoftheauthorsanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme.Weregretanyerrorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenunwittinglymade. Acknowledgments: ThisassessmentwascommissionedbyUNEnvironment,inpartnershipwithGRID-Arendal,acentrecollaboratingwithUNEnvironment.SamBarratt,Chief,Youth,EducationandAdvocacy,servedascommissioningeditoroftheproject. UNEnvironmentwouldliketothankMadeleineOrr,leadauthorofthisreport,LoughboroughUniversity,aswellasLornaLittleandMilesMacmillan-Lawler fromGRID-Arendal,JulieDuffusfromtheInternationalOlympicCommittee,aswellasNoémieMetaisfromUNEnvironmentfortheirvaluableresearchinputs. Severalpeopleprovidedsubstantivesupport,including:ThierryLucas,StellaPiipponen-Doyle,MatthiasJurek,AnsgarFellendorffromUNEnvironment,LeighAnnHurt,TimBadmanfromIUCN,JamesSkinnerfromLoughboroughUniversity,RussellSeymourfromBritishAssociationforSustainabilityinSport,andRonyEpelbaumfromGEOFoundationforSustainableGolf. ©Maps,photosandillustrationsasspecifiedLayoutbyGRID-Arendal. Authors: LeadAuthorMadeleineOrr,1JackPippard,1UgoArbieu,2,3JonathanCasper,4TimKellison,5JordanHowell,6WalkerRoss,7JessicaMurfree,8BrianMcCullough,8andSylviaTrendafilova9 1LoughboroughUniversityLondon,QueenElizabethOlympicPark,TheBroadcastCentreHereEast,LesneyAve,London(UnitedKingdom) 2SenckenbergBiodiversityandClimateResearchCentre,FrankfurtamMain(Germany) 3SmithsonianConservationBiologyInstitute,NationalZoologicalPark,WashingtonDC(USA) 4NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,Raleigh,NC(USA) 5GeorgiaStateUniversity,Atlanta,GA(USA) 6RowanUniversity,Glassboro,NJ(USA) 7UniversityofEdinburgh(UnitedKingdom) 8TexasA&MUniversity,CollegeStation,TX(USA) 9UniversityofTennessee,Knoxville,TN(USA) SPORTSFORNATURE SETTINGABASELINE Newrulesofthegame Howtheworldofsportcanplayitspartfornature Ourplanetisoutofbreathasaresultofourunsustainableconsumptionandproductionpatterns–fuelingthefiresofbiodiversityloss,pollutionandclimatechange.Urgentactiontoconserveandrestoretheenvironmentisneeded,providingahealthierclimateforpeopleandplanet. Outdoorsportconnectsuswiththehealthofourbodiesaswellasthatofournaturalworld –fromtheairwebreathe,totheclimatewetrainin;fromthelandscapewemovethrough,tothequalityoffoodweusetofuelourbodies.Sportisbothdeeplydependentandconnectedtonature–andthusitbringsustogetherbyremindingusthateveryonehasaroletoplayincontributingtoaplayingfieldthatisinharmonywithnature. Sportisavectorforunprecedentednature-positiveactionwithitssizableplayerandfanbase,aswellasthelargespatialareaitoccupies.Toprovidesomeperspective,footballaloneisestimatedtobeplayedby 265millionparticipantsin5735footballstadiumsworldwide,andhasanestimateof5billionfans.Togiveanotherexample,thereare6112outdoor skiareasutilisedbyaround400millionpeople,offeringatotalcombinedpistelengthof60,212km,roughlyeighttimeslongerthantheAmazonRiver. TheUNSecretaryGeneralontheInternationalDayofSportforDevelopmentandPeace,onApril6th2021remindedus:“Thoseinvolvedinsporthaveresponsibilities:toreduceitsenvironmentalfootprint;tomeetinternationallabourstandards;tofightdiscriminationandprejudiceofallkinds;torejectcorruption;and toensurethatmajorglobaleventssuchastheFIFAWorldCupandtheOlympicandParalympicGames,whichbringtheworldtogether,leaveapositivelegacy.” InsupportoftheUNDecadeonEcosystemRestoration,thisreportisanofferingandresourceforsportorganizationstoplaytheirpartfornature–andacalltoactiontoparticipateintheUNDecade’smovementforpeopleandplanet.Manyef