More than 80 stakeholders from various sports disciplines came together at the first comprehensive digital network meeting of the Sports For Future e. V. association on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, to exchange ideas on climate protection projects, discuss climate neutrality, and network. Not only did numerous athletes accept the invitation, but also representatives from clubs, associations, initiatives, industry, and science contributed to a very active discussion, painting a diverse picture of how sports can contribute to climate protection.
"The strong response, lively exchange, and dedicated efforts of all participants show how relevant the topic of climate protection in sports has become," said Stefan Wagner, 1st Chairman of Sports For Future, who moderated the network meeting. "Both professionals and grassroots sports, large and small organizations, have been able to provide important contributions and new impulses, once again showing that together we can achieve (even) more. We, as a sports community, want to be a voice for climate protection and set impulses in society." Claudia Fischer, 2nd Chairwoman, added, "It's great to see how quickly points of contact were found between participants during the meeting and subsequent discussions. We are pleased to have possibly sparked some fruitful collaborations here."
Exactly one year earlier, the Sports For Future association launched the Sports4Trees initiative, a low-threshold reforestation campaign that aims not only to plant trees but also to serve as a gateway for climate-related topics. Wagner looked back on this in a short presentation. Since then, clubs like Waldhof Mannheim, athletes from the national teams in rowing and badminton, as well as smaller clubs like SV Grün-Weiß Mühlen, have joined the initiative. They have all found their own ways to work with Sports For Future on their projects for more climate protection in sports. What unites them is the idea of not only influencing the climate with their actions but also providing an impetus for many other people. Through these collaborative projects and other donations, Sports4Trees has been able to plant 97,643 trees and 103,174 mangroves, protect an area of 9,010 football fields, and involve 49,000 students and teachers.
Two lively discussion rounds followed. In the first round, Katharina Morlang, a representative of the German Sports Youth (DSJ), and Prof. Dr. Torsten Weber from CBS International Business School provided exciting insights into their scientific cooperation project, in which the dimensions of sustainability in the German Sports Youth were analyzed. Morlang appealed to all participants to use the current momentum among youth regarding environmental issues and involve young people more actively.
SV Waldhof Mannheim 07 has firmly anchored the idea of sustainability in the club for several years, as Julia Best, CSR representative of Waldhof Mannheim, reported. Under the umbrella of "Herzbuwe," the club's social engagement, two climate projects are currently in focus: Fans can choose to buy a climate ticket, and the sale of each jersey from the current season donates three euros to a school project in Nigeria. Both projects have been well-received by fans, allowing for the planting of over 1,800 mangroves in the first four months and the donation of nearly 7,000 euros for the school project.
The two rowers from the German National Team, Carlotta Nwajide and Fini Sturm, teamed up with Sports4Trees to create the "Ruderwald," a reforestation project in Kenya. The motivation for their engagement was the high emissions caused by the athletes, especially in the Olympic year 2020, which they wanted to offset. But it's not just about that; with the action, they want to draw attention beyond compensation to the role of sports in the climate crisis and raise awareness.
More and more professional athletes are becoming aware of their role and taking action: Miranda Wilson, badminton national player, co-founded the BadmintONEarth project with teammate Kai Schäfer. In collaboration with Sports4Trees, a reforestation and climate protection project was created to plant trees, promote solar energy, and address social issues in the DR Congo. The aim is to directly offset the emissions caused by tournament travel and similar activities. Like the rowers, they also want to leverage the reach of their sport and their role as role models to activate others. As climate officers of the German Badminton Association, Wilson and Schäfer consistently advance the topic.
What does "climate-neutral" mean? How can a club determine its current emissions? What measures can be implemented in the short, medium, or long term? Whether professional or amateur sports club, the questions are the same everywhere. Sports For Future used the platform of the network meeting to bring this topic to the forefront, foster transparent exchange, and collectively achieve more in the sports world.
The Alliance for Development and Climate links development cooperation with international climate protection – using the instrument of voluntary emission compensation. Peter Renner, Chairman of the Foundation, emphasized that compensating emissions without additional measures for avoidance and reduction is not sufficient. When selecting compensation projects, it is important to focus on projects certified with the Gold Standard for long-term effective action.
FSV Mainz 05 has already come a long way on this path and has been climate-neutral since 2010. However, Christina Mayer, Team Leader CSR, uses the term with caution and reinforced Renner's argument. Mainz 05 systematically expands its analyses and measures, including aspects of education and awareness.
In his dual role as Chairman of the Board of TSC Eintracht Dortmund and Board member of the Freiburger Kreis, Dr. Alexander Kiel provided insights into the challenges of another exciting project: TSC Eintracht wants to determine its ecological footprint in a pilot project, becoming the first grassroots sports club in Germany to do so. The overarching goal is to develop a CO2 calculator that Sports For Future, together with the Freiburger Kreis and myclimate, wants to implement. The calculator should allow even small clubs to determine reliable figures with manageable effort. Dr. Kiel emphasizes that the results should not be sugar-coated but presented as accurately and honestly as possible. Only then can starting points be recognized and addressed with the necessary depth.
The combination of sports and climate protection is gaining more traction in the media and, thus, a broad public. To anchor the topic more strongly, the Sports Information Service (SID), a media partner of Sports For Future, has created a new sustainability department. The current reports go to various editorial offices but are also featured on the Sports For Future website. Jörg Soldwisch, Editor and Berlin Office Manager of SID, reported on the great approval the reports receive in the editorial office. He also positively evaluated the noticeable interest and willingness of larger newspapers to delve deeper into the topic in the future.
After about two years, Sports For Future has already achieved a lot, brought people together, and initiated projects. What do the network members wish for the future? In an open survey during the network meeting, it became clear that the previous measures are still relevant. Many other suggestions are now being taken up and evaluated, such as the desire for greater engagement in politics and education or the establishment of local Sports-For-Future ambassadors.
In general, the meeting clearly showed how broad and diverse the stakeholders in sports are on climate-related topics and the positive dynamics currently unfolding. Many took the opportunity for concluding open and intensive networking. It quickly became clear that another event should take place next year – hopefully in person.
