HOW SPORTS STEPS UP FOR OUR PLANET'S WILD SPACES
WILDING
Inspired by Paul Hawken's vision in Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation, we've launched "Regeneration Revolution: Sport’s Solutions to Helping End the Climate Crisis." This series highlights how sports can be a dynamic force in addressing the climate crisis, with a keen focus on the nine core areas explored in Hawken's book: Cities, Food, People, Energy, Industry, Forests, Land, Wilding, and Oceans.
Hawken explores the interconnectedness of all living things in his book, including how human beings are not separate from nature. He emphasizes that the protection of wild spaces is crucial on an individual and planetary level.
Hawken’s proposed solutions center around allowing nature to renew through the following methods:
Creating wildlife corridors.
Rewilding.
Grassland conservation.
Protecting pollinators.
Wetland rehabilitation.
Species extinction prevention.
HOW IS THE SPORTS
INDUSTRY RESPONDING?
Sports, particularly those that take place in wilder areas (e.g., trail running and mountain biking), can play a vital role in guiding existing solutions.
There are many sports initiatives where organizations are promoting biodiversity in and around their facilities, showing how sports and nature can co-exist effectively.
BIODIVERSITY AS A NATIONAL SPORT IN GERMANY
The Grüne Liga (Green League) has organized a national contest called The Jungle on Sports Facilities to educate the German sports world on biodiversity.
Through a dedicated website, seminars, and education materials, they aim to give sports associations the knowledge they need to promote their sports ground as a biotope and to develop its biodiversity capacity.
Progress is being tracked over five years and the results will be published to serve as a practical guide to encourage other organizations to join.
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In an effort to make Irish sports clubs biodiversity-friendly, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan has been developed as a guideline for the pollinator-friendly management of sports clubs.
The plan aims to create a network of safe spaces for bees and other insects across the Irish landscape to promote insect pollination and in turn to allow the natural habitat to thrive.
UK SPORTS CLUBS PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY
Across the UK, a number of cricket, golf, football, and rugby clubs are prioritizing biodiversity.
In an effort to show how sports and nature can live alongside one another, these clubs are stopping pesticide use and reducing pruning – allowing nature to flourish without intervention.
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The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to create a guide to incorporating nature into urban sports, from the development of Olympic cities to the design and management of sports fields in an urban landscape.
The guide is part of IUCN’s ongoing collaboration with the IOC to develop best practices around biodiversity for the sports industry.
SPORTS FOR NATURE: SETTING A BASELINE
Inspired by the UNFCCC’s Sport for Climate Action Framework, the UN Environmental Programme has written a handbook to show how sports can move forward positively to adapt their games for a more sustainable future.
The handbook highlights the urgency, dependency, and impact of sports on nature and provides guidance and case studies to inspire action.
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A design graduate from Central Saint Martins, Kiki Grammatopoulos, has innovated a unique pair of trainers named "Rewild the Run" aimed at promoting urban rewilding.
Currently in the prototype stage, these shoes feature a bristly outsole with tiny hooks. Grammatopulous used biomimicry to design these features to latch onto dirt and plant matter, facilitating the spread of seeds across cities and promoting rewilding in urban environments.
Additionally, the trainers' design subtly pays homage to keystone species like the bison. Through their chunky appearance and cloven tread, these details symbolize the bison's role in ecosystem restoration. This technology has huge potential for use in marathons and road races in all urban environments.
Co-created and launched by the IOC, UNEP, and International Union for Conservation of Nature in December 2022, the Sports for Nature Framework is a pledge by sports organizations to protect and avoid damage to important species and habitats, restore key ecosystems, create sustainable supply chains, and educate the wider community to take action for nature.
WHAT CAN WE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?
The expansion of wild places needs much more attention than it currently receives. At 17 Sport, we believe sports can play an even greater role in bringing people together to support solutions that boost biodiversity.
Take a look at five key ways you can take action through your sports activations:
Acknowledge Interconnectedness:
Understand and emphasize the interconnectedness of all living things, recognizing that human beings are not separate from nature. This awareness can serve as the foundation for promoting biodiversity and protecting the environment.
Protection of Wild Spaces:
Prioritize the protection of wild spaces on both an individual and planetary level. Recognize the importance of preserving natural habitats and ecosystems to maintain biodiversity and ensure a healthy planet.
Nature Renewal Strategies:
Embrace nature renewal methods, including creating wildlife corridors, rewilding, grassland conservation, protecting pollinators, wetland rehabilitation, and species extinction prevention. These strategies allow nature to thrive and recover.
Biodiversity Initiatives:
Actively engage in biodiversity initiatives within the sports industry. Encourage sports organizations to promote biodiversity in and around their facilities, demonstrating that sports and nature can coexist harmoniously.
Collaboration and Education:
Collaborate with environmental organizations, government bodies, and international institutions to drive biodiversity-friendly practices in sports. Provide education, guidelines, and resources to sports clubs and associations to help them become champions of biodiversity and habitat preservation. Promote the importance of protecting and restoring natural spaces within sports for a more sustainable future.
Through collaboration and education, sports can adopt and promote best-practices that center on regeneration. The sports industry has the opportunity to lead the global efforts to achieve a more sustainable tomorrow.
ABOUT 17 SPORT
17 Sport exists to help businesses use the power of sport to build a more positive future for the world whilst accomplishing commercial goals.
Founded in 2020, our name is inspired by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and is anchored to SDG 17 and our profound belief in the power of partnerships. Based in 7 different countries on 3 continents, our global team of experts comprises individuals who have been at the forefront of the purpose revolution in sports and business for the last 15 years.
To find out how 17 Sport can help you activate your purpose through sports to help address the climate crisis, reach out to info@17-sport.com for a one on one consultation with one of our experts.