Laureus SportsLAB Learning Session: When Sport is a Force for Nature
Click above to watch a recording of the Laureus SportsLAB Learning Session: When Sport is a Force for Nature.
On the 27th August 2025, Laureus hosted an online Laureus SportsLAB: Learning Session to explore how sport is being actively used to promote environmental rehabilitation, conservation and protection. United Nations Environment Programme, Conservation International and I Am Water joined forces with Laureus Sport for Good and Laureus Academy Member - 24-time Windsurfing World Champion - Robby Naish.
We have known for long that sport is both a culprit and a victim of climate change. We contribute to climate change through the mere practice of sport and physical activity, from single use plastic bottles to venue maintenance to burning fossil fuels as part of sporting practice. But we also experience its impact in deteriorating playing surfaces, intensified raining seasons, floods, droughts and plastic contamination, to name but a few.
For the past five years, Laureus has taken different steps to reduce our own carbon footprint and that of our sector, including developing and rolling out an environmental action toolkit, supporting low cost GHG emission audits, and promoting climate action through our grant making.
‘When Sport is a Force for Nature’ was the first time Laureus explored how sport and physical activity can be used more proactively to engage communities and promote environmental rehabilitation, conservation and protection.
Hanli Prinsloo, founder and director of the South Africa based organisation I Am Water, talked about their diving-based programme to promote Ocean Conservation through transformative experiences for youth in under-resourced communities in South Africa, fostering a community of conservationists in low-income communities.
Scott Atkinson, Marissa Miller and Luisa Tam, senior programme staff from Conservation International, discussed the lessons from their Surf Conservation Programme in which they have joined forces with partners across the world to harness the power of surfing to transform marine conservation. Together with partners and local communities, they aim to protect marine and coastal ecosystems with outstanding waves, globally significant biodiversity, and huge stores of carbon that must be maintained to combat climate change.
And Sam Barratt, Chief for Youth, Education & Advocacy at UN Environment Programme presented the Sports for Nature initiative, developed in partnership with among other the International Olympic Committee and IUCN to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, by 2030 and beyond, enabling sports to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration.
On the 27th August 2025, Laureus hosted an online Laureus SportsLAB: Learning Session to explore how sport is being actively used to promote environmental rehabilitation, conservation and protection. United Nations Environment Programme, Conservation International and I Am Water joined forces with Laureus Sport for Good and Laureus Academy Member - 24-time Windsurfing World Champion - Robby Naish.
We have known for long that sport is both a culprit and a victim of climate change. We contribute to climate change through the mere practice of sport and physical activity, from single use plastic bottles to venue maintenance to burning fossil fuels as part of sporting practice. But we also experience its impact in deteriorating playing surfaces, intensified raining seasons, floods, droughts and plastic contamination, to name but a few.
For the past five years, Laureus has taken different steps to reduce our own carbon footprint and that of our sector, including developing and rolling out an environmental action toolkit, supporting low cost GHG emission audits, and promoting climate action through our grant making.
‘When Sport is a Force for Nature’ was the first time Laureus explored how sport and physical activity can be used more proactively to engage communities and promote environmental rehabilitation, conservation and protection.
Hanli Prinsloo, founder and director of the South Africa based organisation I Am Water, talked about their diving-based programme to promote Ocean Conservation through transformative experiences for youth in under-resourced communities in South Africa, fostering a community of conservationists in low-income communities.
Scott Atkinson, Marissa Miller and Luisa Tam, senior programme staff from Conservation International, discussed the lessons from their Surf Conservation Programme in which they have joined forces with partners across the world to harness the power of surfing to transform marine conservation. Together with partners and local communities, they aim to protect marine and coastal ecosystems with outstanding waves, globally significant biodiversity, and huge stores of carbon that must be maintained to combat climate change.
And Sam Barratt, Chief for Youth, Education & Advocacy at UN Environment Programme presented the Sports for Nature initiative, developed in partnership with among other the International Olympic Committee and IUCN to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, by 2030 and beyond, enabling sports to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration.
