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Sports and Sustainability

Large-scale sporting events and sports activities convene hundreds of millions of people globally every year.  This activity can be used positively to instigate sustainable innovation from within the sports teams, stadiums, governing bodies, ministries - all the way to the behaviours of individual fans.  The scale of change that can be implemented and the number of people that this industry can touch is unparalleled.

Organised by Climate Action, in partnership with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with haute patronage of the French Sports Ministry and in association with the Green Sports Alliance, this meeting will convene 100+ leaders from Government, UN, sports leagues, clubs and governing bodies and corporate sustainability leaders. 

This half day meeting will highlight the opportunities that enhancing sustainability in sports can offer to the wider climate change effort, amplify and bring awareness to current initiatives that are changing the face of the international sports and sustainability space, as well as focus on new policy and technologies that can be significant game changers.

Limited attendee spaces are available to individuals who are influencers within the industry to join this closed, high-level meeting. To apply to join us, please complete registration form below. This meeting is held alongside Sustainable Innovation Forum, which services the wider business and climate goals.

  • Government and city leaders
  • Sports Clubs
  • Sports Leagues
  • Sporting governing bodies
  • Stadiums
  • Sustainable service providers
  • Rights holders - clubs/leagues/organising bodies

This high-level meeting will bring together stakeholders in the global sports sphere, to discuss the unique opportunity that the realm of sports offers the climate change effort all over the world. 

The focus of this event will be to amplify and bring awareness to current initiatives that are changing the face of the international sports and sustainability space, as well as focus on new policy and technologies that can be significant game changers.

By the end of the meeting we will have progressed the dialogue on such issues as how sports leagues & associations can be the change, enhancing the sustainability of sports stadiums and proven methods of decreasing the carbon footprint of spectator travel to sporting events, amongst other key issues.

  • Stand out from the crowd - this will be the only sports content focussed event at the COP
  • Influence the discussions and dialogue with key actors within the sports industry
  • Be seen as a leader in the burgeoning area of sustainability within this $145 billion industry
  • Enhance your current commitment within the sports arena as well as support the move to a more sustainable future
  • Meet buy side decision makers across the entire value chain of sustainability in sports

The ministry in charge of sports has the responsibility to define the great objectives of the national policy of sports, to fix its legal framework, notably through the sport’s code, and to see to the respect of the general interest.

The national sport policy is structured around four main actions :

  • The development of sport for everyone, particularly towards publics that are the farthest away from sport practicing. 
  • The organization of high level sports, in order to keep France’s rank as one of the great sports nation. 
  • The prevention via sports, the protection of sportsmen and the fight against unbearable drift like doping, violence, racism, and cheating are all forms of discrimination. 
  • The promotion of the jobs issued from sports and the development of sports employment

 


The Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where we live and play

We do so by inspiring sports leagues, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, species preservation, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. Alliance members represent more than 300 sports teams and venues from 20 different sports leagues and 14 countries.

 


The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis,  located in close proximity to the le Bourget site of Paris where main UNFCCC negotations will be taking place.

speakers

 

  • Niall Dunne

    Niall Dunne

    Chief Sustainability Officer, BT

  • Jacques Lambert

    Jacques Lambert

    President of the UEFA EURO2016 Steering Committee and President of EURO2016 SAS

  • Lewis Pugh

    Lewis Pugh

    UNEP Patron of the Oceans

  • Tania Braga

    Tania Braga

    Sustainability, Accessibility and Legacy head, Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee

  • Alain Riou

    Alain Riou

    Adjoint Director-General, French Federation of Tennis

  • Neil Beecroft

    Neil Beecroft

    Sustainability Manager, UEFA

  • Viviane Fraisse

    Viviane Fraisse

    Sustainability Head, Roland Garros

  • Jean Pierre Siutat

    Jean Pierre Siutat

    President of the French Basketball Federation

  • Mael Besson

    Mael Besson

    Policy Officer, Sustainable Development of Sport, French Ministry of Cities, Youth and Sport

  • Dr Allen Hershkowitz

    Dr Allen Hershkowitz

    President, Green Sports Alliance

  • Gretchen Bleiler

    Gretchen Bleiler

    Olympic Snowboarder

  • Neil C. Hawkins, Sc.D.

    Neil C. Hawkins, Sc.D.

    Corporate Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, The Dow Chemical Company

  • Dr Nicoletta Piccolrovazzi

    Dr Nicoletta Piccolrovazzi

    Global Technology & Sustainability Director, Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions

  • Omar Mitchell

    Omar Mitchell

    Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, National Hockey League (NHL)

Join the conference

Agenda

Dr. Neil Hawkins, Corporate Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, The Dow Chemical Company  

 

Plus performance from Never Blink, French Freestyle Basketball Champions

  • The role of policy and good governance to engage sports organisations in sustainable development
  • Consideration of climate outlooks in an adaptation strategy
  • Encouraging behavioural change and social responsibility for health

Mael Besson, Policy Officer, Sustainable Development of Sport, French Ministry of Cities, Youth and Sport

Dr Allen Hershkowitz, President, Green Sports Alliance

Dr Nicoletta Piccolrovazzi, Global Technology & Sustainability Director, Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions

Jacques Lambert, President, EURO 2016 SAS 

  • Viewpoints from sporting leagues and Associations on how they drive behavioural change within teams and spectators
  • How international federations and organisations can drive political change
  • Olympics: How large scale tournaments are enabling vast reductions in carbon emissions and enhancing sustainability

Omar Mitchell, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, National Hockey League (NHL)
Jean-Pierre Siutat, President, Federation Francaise de Basketball

Tânia Braga,  Head of Sustainability and Legacy, Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games

  • Hear the various innovative actions taken to maximise environmentally friendly solutions at the French Open

Alain Riou, Adjoint Director-General, French Federation of Tennis

Vivanne Fraisse, Sustainability Head, Roland Garros

Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans, Pioneer Swimmer 

  • Hear from a panel of pioneering leaders who are creating movements of increased awareness and behavioural change through sport
  • How we can alter the status quo by embedding and highlighting sustainability into every consumer aspect of sport

Moderator: Russell Seymour, Sustainability Manager, Marylebone Cricket Club 
Niall Dunne, Chief Sustainability Officer, BT
Neil Beecroft, Sustainability Manager, UEFA
Gretchen Blieler, 2x Olympic Snowboarding Champion, Director, Protect Our Winters
Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans, Pioneer Swimmer

Closing Performance by Never Blink, French Freestyle Basketball Champions

Registration

Application does not guarantee your attendance.
The registration team will review and respond to your application within 7 days.

Venue

Join us at the national stadium of France for this leading sports sustainability meeting, just 10 minutes from the COP21 negotiations at Le Bourget

Stade de France

Address

Stade de France
93216 Saint-Denis, France

more information

Download Our Partnership Opportunities Document Now

For more information about how to become a supporting sponsor of Sustainable Innovation in Sport, download our brochure now

download pdf

sponsors


Dow (NYSE: DOW)

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity.

Dow's integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 180 countries and in high-growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture.

In 2014, Dow had annual sales of more than $58 billion and employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 6,000 product families are manufactured at 201 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

SportsPro

SportsPro is the leading sports business media company, in print, digital and events. Focused on the commercial, political, and operational aspects of sport worldwide, the monthly magazine is complemented by manifold sector-specific publications, a comprehensive sports industry website, news app, and a growing portfolio of business events.

SportsPro has become a vital source of information and insight for current and potential sponsors and investors, rights-holders, broadcasters, teams, leagues and agencies. Accessed by over 200,000 executives monthly, SportsPro is an essential tool for directors and investors across every sport and on every continent.

Get inside the industry, with SportsPro.

BT

BT’s purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. We are one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries.

Millions of people use our services to connect with friends, family and the things that matter most to them. Whether they’re at home, in the office or out and about.  Whether they’re working, streaming entertainment or relying on ICT to keep their global businesses connected.

The social benefits are clear. By helping businesses and people flourish and improve productivity, we are contributing to more inclusive growth. At the same time, we are helping people and organisations respond to the global climate challenge by using our technology to cut their carbon footprint.

By doing all of this, we contribute to a better world and deliver sustainable profitable revenue growth.

bt.com/purposefulbusiness

@BTBetterFuture

BMW i

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2014, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.118 million cars and 123,000 motorcycles worldwide.

The profit before tax for the financial year 2014 was € 8.71 billion on revenues amounting to approximately € 80.40 billion. As of 31 December 2014, the BMW Group had a workforce of 116,324 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. With the BMW i3 and BMW i8 the company is taking the next logical step with the entry into the field of emission-free electromobility. Further information about BMW i can be found at www.bmw-i.com

Carbon Trade Exchange (CTX)

Carbon Trade Exchange (CTX) operates spot exchanges in multiple global environmental commodity markets, including Carbon, Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Water. The CTX Exchange uniquely interfaces with multiple registries, including APX, the Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard, Climate Action Reserve and the American Carbon Registry. It also electronically links to financial intermediaries to provide efficient and effective trading across multiple markets, including the USA, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
 

Security Update

Statement by Nick Henry, CEO of Climate Action, on the Paris Attacks of 13 November

Climate Action CEO, Nick Henry, has released the following statement regarding the attacks in Paris on 13 November

''As organiser of the Sustainable Innovation Forum and Sustainable Innovation in Sport at Stade de France, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to all those who were affected by the hideous attacks that took place in Paris on Friday 13 November. Such violent acts of terror against innocent people are incomprehensible and abhorrent, and my thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones or are caring for the many injured.

Laurent Fabius, France's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, and Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC, have already confirmed that COP21 will proceed as planned and we support them in the decision not to let terrorism derail what will be one of the most important environmental conferences of our lifetimes.

We can confirm that the Sustainable Innovation in Sport  will go ahead as planned on 7th  December. An important reason for choosing Stade de France as our event partner was its excellent security record. This was confirmed on Friday when three terrorists were denied entry to the stadium.

France has reinstated border controls and will increase police deployment during COP21, so we feel assured that security in Paris will be appropriate to the level of threat. We are currently reviewing event security with Stade de France in the light of Friday's events to ensure the safety of all participants.''

Security Update

We stand in solidarity with our event partner Stade de France whom we selected as our venue partly due to their excellent security record. This was indeed upheld on Friday 13 November as three terrorists were denied entry into the Stadium.

We are currently overseeing the tightening of event security with Stade de France to ensure that every possible measure is taken to prevent any further potential incident, details of which we will share here as soon as they have been confirmed.

France had reinstated border controls before the attack and will increase police deployment during COP21, so we feel assured that security conditions will be well prepared to mitigate any potential threat.

Attending The Forum & Cancellations

We understand that these events may impact your decision to travel to Paris, and so we are therefore happy to offer you a full refund of your delegate place if you get in touch before Friday 20th November to indicate that you no longer wish to attend, so that we may offer this place to someone on our waiting list.

Please email us on registration@climateactionprogramme.org.