Super Bowl Sustainability Showdown: Eagles Vs Chiefs

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On February 9, fans will rally behind either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Kansas City Chiefs for Super Bowl LIX. Beyond the game, both teams have sustainability programs that are among the most developed in the NFL. From waste diversion and renewable energy to seagrass and bee pollinator boxes, are you Team Go Green or Team Extra Yard for the Environment?

Philadelphia Eagles: Go Green
“Sustainability is no longer confined to just the operational aspect of our organization. It is a key pillar of who we are, what we stand for, and how we operate as a team,” says Norman Vossschulte, director of fan experience and sustainability for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles have had sustainability in mind since 2003, and that has grown into the company wide “Go Green” initiative. Efforts include the use of renewable energy to help power Lincoln Financial field from solar and wind.

Philadelphia Eagles: Go Green

“Sustainability is no longer confined to just the operational aspect of our organization. It is a key pillar of who we are, what we stand for, and how we operate as a team,” says Norman Vossschulte, director of fan experience and sustainability for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles have had sustainability in mind since 2003, and that has grown into the company wide “Go Green” initiative. Efforts include the use of renewable energy to help power Lincoln Financial field from solar and wind.

Bringing Fans Along On The Journey, Figuratively

Through the Go Green program, the Eagles demonstrate a wide-reaching approach to environmental stewardship, but thought is given on how they share efforts with fans. Vossschulte notes, “we are not necessarily here to educate fans about sustainability. Neither do our fans buy tickets to learn about sustainability. We engage fans by having a little fun with it.”

If you’re a stalwart Eagles fan, and visited the male restrooms at Lincoln Financial Field, you might have seen the sign above the urinals that says, “Recycle your beer here, and your plastics outside.”

Bringing Fans Along On The Journey, Physically

Philadelphia’s public transportation authority, SEPTA, has a “Go Green” wrapped bus, sharing sustainability messaging and promoting the benefits of public transportation.

“Go Green extends beyond game days,” says Leslie S. Richards, SEPTA General Manager and CEO. “Choosing to ride public transportation over single-occupancy vehicles is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Waste Diversion Behind The Scenes

The Eagles recycling programs include bottle caps and plastic products collection, cycle reverse vending machines, aluminium baling and food waste composting, to achieve a waste diversion rate of over 99%. This means that the vast majority of waste generated during stadium events is redirected away from landfills.

Seagrass To Offset Team Travel

The Eagles work with the Ocean Conservancy’s Blue Playbook to support seagrass and mangrove restoration in Puerto Rico’s Jobos Bay. This compensates for the carbon footprint associated with their team travel, and they were the first U.S. professional sports team to offset 100% of these emissions in this way. Seagrass captures carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests.

“Eagles fans can be proud that their team is setting the example on this critical, global issue,” says George Leonard, Chief Scientist, Ocean Conservancy.

The Kansas City Chiefs: Extra Yard For The Environment

“It’s not just about reducing landfill waste,” says Jarrod Gravatt, cleaning and recycling supervisor for the Kansas City Chiefs,“it’s about setting a powerful example for Chiefs Kingdom and redefining how we tackle environmental challenges in sports.”

That landfill waste reduction is courtesy of recently installed composting bio-digesters at Arrowhead Stadium. They convert organic waste from stadium concessions into nutrient-rich compost, and are used in the Chiefs orchard and garden beds or donated to Kansas City Community Gardens.

Since the Chiefs launched their Extra Yard for the Environment program in 2013, the team has focused on reducing waste, recycling, energy efficiency, and community engagement.

Connecting with Fans and The Local Community

In Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs have “an educational slide that we run on the scoreboards pre-game and half-time,” so fans can see “what our program is but also how they can help out,” says Brandon Hamilton, vice president of stadium operations.

Beyond the stadium, the local community is involved in sustainability efforts through recycling days, tree planting events, and educational programs. One recent project saw more than 40 volunteers build pollinator boxes from recycled materials. These boxes, which support local biodiversity by protecting honey bees, were donated to local nonprofits.

Reducing Food Waste And Surplus Donation

The Chiefs are “very close to being net zero in waste diversion” says Brandon Hamilton. “This year we’ve averaged between 85 and 90%.”

Reducing the amount of food waste to begin with is key. The team works with Aramark to prepare the right amount of food for stadium attendees, using ticket sales, promotions, and tickets scanned to plan. For unavoidable food surplus, donations to local hunger relief agencies, such as Pete’s Garden, can ensure it doesn’t end up in landfill. In 2023, these food donations totalled 3 tons or 5,000 meals to Kansas City area families.

Clean Power and Under-Soil Heating

Arrowhead Stadium is also making strides in energy efficiency and generation. The stadium’s solar arrays generate approximately 29,000 kWh of electricity per year. A more efficient under-soil heating system has replaced 200 electric heaters, ensuring that games can be played in winter, significantly lowering energy consumption and saving thousands of dollars a month.

The Final Score

As the Eagles and Chiefs prepare to battle for the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LIX, their sustainability and community efforts remind us that the impact of sport can extend far beyond the field.

From seagrass restoration to pollinator gardens, zero-waste stadiums and energy-efficient innovations, the teams show that environmental responsibility and football go hand in hand. Whether you’re backing the Eagles or the Chiefs for Super Bowl, this match-up is a win-win for the planet.

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Five Ways Super Bowl LIX Is Tackling Sustainability

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Super Bowl LIX isn’t just a spectacle of athleticism and entertainment, it’s an event with a massive environmental footprint. From the energy-intensive operations of Caesars Superdome, to the volume of waste, travel emissions, food and merchandise, the big game leaves a lasting impact on the planet.

Organisers are working to change that. “Sustainability is a core focus at the NFL” says Anna Isaacson, senior vice president of social responsibility for the league. “We are constantly adapting to address the unique regional, operational, and cultural aspects of each of our events, including Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.”

The league is implementing a range of initiatives to reduce waste, recover food, and engage the community in climate conscious efforts. This is “welcome to see” says Walker Ross, lecturer in sport management and digital marketing at University of Edinburgh and director of The Sport Ecology Group. However these efforts “ought to be expected across all of sport, as we face our many planetary crises.”

1. Reuse and Recycling Of Super Bowl Materials

Creating the spectacle we will enjoy on February 9 requires a lot of materials. Planning takes years, and preparation at Caesars Superdome has been underway since January 6. Materials used include the artificial turf field, concessions for food, drinks and merchandise, technology, media and stage equipment for the half time show, generators, medical supplies, team equipment and signage.

Single-use materials and unsold concessions could create a mountain of waste. Finding a second home or repurposing as many of these items as possible can reduce the environmental impact of the event, as we saw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. NFL say they have identified 20 local organizations to repurpose and reuse Super Bowl items, including local schools and art studios.

Ramping up recycling both in front of house and behind the scenes is planned. 200 extra recycling bins are being added for fans to use, and contamination will be reduced by staff sorting through bags, to maximize the number of bottles and cans that are recycled. Zero waste is the aim for the Commissioner’s Party and NFL House events, meaning 90% or more of waste accumulated will be diverted from landfill.

2. Recovering and Redistributing Super Bowl Food

Three tons of shrimp, 12,000 oysters, 150,000 nacho chips, half a ton of soft shell crab and over 50,000 baguettes. This is just some of the food that Super Bowl attendees at Caesars Superdome will enjoy.

Food waste is inevitable given the scale of events, and the nature of a championship final. For example, a “winner’s banquet” is prepared at both team’s respective hotels. There can only be one winner, so when the losing team departs immediately after the game, their banquet is untouched. This food, and lots more like it, will be recovered and redistributed by local nonprofit, Second Harvest Food Bank.

Recovered food from 18 events across Super Bowl week will go to “dozens of partners, providing food to those facing food insecurity across the Greater New Orleans community,” says Lindsay Hendrix, chief impact officer of Second Harvest Food Bank. This includes shelters feeding unhoused community members and food pantries.

Redistributing surplus food has a positive impact both environmentally and socially. One in five households in South Louisiana are at risk of hunger. Drivers include high poverty rates, economic disinvestment in more rural communities, COVID19 impacts and disasters like hurricanes that prevent families ability to put food on the table, Hendrix tells me.

3. How Super Bowl Attendees Are Being Asked To Help

Fans travelling to New Orleans are being encouraged by NFL to use active and public transport options in the city. They are being asked for their help to recycle by sorting correctly and making sure recyclables are empty, clean, and dry. Sustainability staff will be present at events if fans have questions.

4. Benchmarking Super Bowl Greening Efforts

Waste diversion rates will be monitored on game day and other Super Bowl week events, to benchmark and improve in the future. Carbon emissions will be calculated for energy used at the stadium, staff travel, and the carbon footprint of the food and merchandise sold at the game.

“We recognize sustainability is a long-term process and are committed to leveraging the lessons learned this year to build upon and improve our efforts in the years to come,” shared NFL’s Anna Isaacson.

Data collection to measure and understand a sports event’s footprint is the first step in reducing overall climate impact, according to Sports For Climate Action Framework, the global initiative lead by UN Climate Change. From there, action can be taken to effectively avoid, reduce, replace and compensate.

5. Community Projects and Legacy After Super Bowl

Louisiana is losing one football field’s worth of wetlands into open water every 100 minutes, caused by sea level rise, hurricanes, levees and the loss of sediment that once replenished coastal wetlands.

For Super Bowl LIX, a number of local projects are being supported by NFL Green, the league’s environmental program, to slow land loss and protect against storm surges. Initiatives include a number of tree plantings and the creation of a living shoreline, created from oyster shells collected from New Orleans restaurants.

Are Current Super Bowl Greening Initiatives Enough?

Super Bowl LIX greening efforts are “standard practices for today’s large-scale events,” says Walker Ross. “These are good initiatives, but they are not particularly special either.”

Ross believes efforts “focus heavily on reducing and diverting outputs like waste, donations, and carbon emissions,” but “equal attention has yet been paid to the inputs side of this claim,” such as reducing the size and scale of the event, travel to the event, single-use product use, or sourcing of materials.

Beyond reducing environmental impacts, the spotlight of Super Bowl presents education and engagement opportunities. Second Harvest Food Bank’s Lindsay Hendrix believes their partnership with Super Bowl LIX creates a “platform to educate our nation about the most pressing social issues we face each day,” and helps “highlight the work being done to address these issues.”

Telling the story of Super Bowl’s green initiatives to the league’s teams and venues, so they can learn from them is also a way NFL can “set the example,” according to Brandon Hamilton, vice president of stadium operations for Super Bowl finalist Kansas City Chiefs.

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Super Bowl LIX Tackles Louisiana Land Loss With Oyster Shell Reef

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In the time we watch the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs compete at Super Bowl LIX, Louisiana will lose land the size of 2.5 football fields. The NFL’s Super Bowl activities include projects to combat this land loss, notably a living shoreline made from oyster shells.

Connecting Super Bowl With The Local Environment

NFL Green works to mitigate the environmental impact of Super Bowl every year by supporting local projects with the host city. Super Bowl LIX takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, a state losing one football field’s worth of wetlands into open water every 100 minutes.

This is among the fastest rates of land loss in the world, and is caused by sea level rise, hurricanes, levees and the loss of sediment that once replenished coastal wetlands. It threatens communities, wildlife, and infrastructure. Climate change is exacerbating the problem by intensifying storms, increasing rainfall, and driving higher storm surges.

“It’s important to go into a community and listen to what they need,” said Susan Groh, NFL Green co-director, who leads Super Bowl environmental projects with husband Jack. Land loss and coastal erosion are major local issues for Louisiana, but they have national implications. The state is a key hub for the U.S. energy industry, the Mississippi River, which runs through Louisiana, is vital for national commerce and Louisiana supplies a significant portion of the U.S. seafood market.

Oyster Reef Project Created During Super Bowl Week

The creation of a living shoreline from oyster shells is a Super Bowl project taking place in Leeville, a community 90 minutes south of New Orleans. Leeville was founded in 1893 by survivors of the Cheniere Caminada Hurricane and has since endured numerous hurricanes including Katrina, Ida and Francine, as well as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The oyster reef will slow erosion, protect inland communities from storm surges, and provide a habitat for new oysters and wildlife. The project is happening in partnership with Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, a local nonprofit that has been doing this work since 2014, special forces veterans, local government and community volunteers.

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PRESS RELEASE: GARFIELD Project Launches to Address Greenwashing and Sustainability Reporting in Football

GARFIELD Project Launches to Address Greenwashing and Sustainability Reporting in Football

Pisa, Italy, 21 January 2025: The first meeting of the GARFIELD* project took place today in at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, to outline the roadmap for the 30-month EU-funded project.

GARFIELD, an acronym for Greenwashing avoided through reporting: a football initiative for environmental leaders to develop, aims to address greenwashing in the football and sports sector, via Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Six European partners are involved:

• ARIS AC Thessalonikis – Greece
• FC Porto – Portugal
• Real Betis Balompié – Spain
• TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – Germany
• Sport Positive – United Kingdom
• Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Italy

GARFIELD will support the development, transfer and implementation of innovative management tools and practices, and bridge knowledge gaps in sustainability reporting of football organisations, at a time when CSRD is raising challenges.

Through this work, football clubs and organisations of all levels will benefit from increased knowledge and understanding, which will reduce the risks of greenwashing in their environmental communications, claims, and marketing activities.

Key areas of focus for the project include the creation of tools to support around CSRD and reduce greenwashing, training and education on key concepts of sustainability reporting activities and the development of “No Greenwashing in Football” Guidelines. The GARFIELD project envisions the sports sector as a leading industry in environmental reporting and communication. By supporting football organisations in implementing clear, concise and reliable sustainability reporting, GARFIELD aims to inspire change across the sports industry at all levels.

For more information about the GARFIELD project, contact [email protected]

* Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

EFL Launches Revamped Scheme For Soccer Sustainability

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The world’s original league soccer competition, the English Football League, has redeveloped its ‘Green Clubs’ environmental sustainability scheme. Bi-seasonal assessments will be rolled out and clubs now have the ability to achieve bronze, silver and gold status.

What Is Green Clubs?

EFL Green Clubs is a league-wide voluntary scheme that supports soccer clubs in England to improve their environmental practices and operations. It offers training and support for clubs as they develop green practices in areas such as purchasing, staff engagement and measuring their carbon footprint. The scheme is delivered in partnership with GreenCode, an environmental accreditation organisation owned by environmentalist and soccer club chairman, Dale Vince OBE.

Of the 72 member clubs in the EFL, 38 are signed up to Green Clubs, which initially launched in 2021. The new inclusion of bronze, silver and gold status will require clubs to reach a minimum number of points for each level, and have certain specific measures in place. Examples include a published environmental policy, a baseline carbon footprint, setting targets and having a director or board member responsible for environmental sustainability.

Wycombe Wanderers soccer player David Wheeler believes the beautiful game can can play a big part in creating positive action around climate change, saying “Clubs are hugely influential within their local communities which is why it is fantastic to see the EFL develop and expand its Green Clubs Scheme.”

A clear roadmap for EFL clubs and more opportunity to celebrate the work being done to reduce their environmental impact is what director of equality, diversity and inclusion, David McArdle, hopes the improved scheme will achieve. “By championing the achievements of this season’s participating clubs, we want to encourage further environmental action across the League.” he said.

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Space Agency And Snow Sports Team Up On Sustainability

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The use of space technologies and data to improve environmental sustainability in snow sports is the focus of a new agreement between the European Space Agency and International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

Sustainability, Snow Sports and Space
Climate change poses an existential threat to skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports. The US ski industry has lost more than five billion dollars over the past two decades due to human-caused global heating, and more than half of Europe’s resorts are at ‘high risk’ of snow-scarcity by 2100.

The winter sports industry has an imperative to act on sustainability to secure its long-term future. Technologies from human spaceflight such as satellite communication, navigation and observation have been identified as ways to support the management of sports competitions. That support extends to improving environmental sustainability, event safety and facility management.

The connection between sustainability and sport is becoming increasingly important, believes Davide Coppola, head of ESA’s Space Applications Initiatives Section. Speaking about the newly announced partnership with FIS, he said it “not only fosters innovation, but also has the potential to make a substantial impact on the broader events industry.”

ESA and FIS Partnership Focus
The memorandum of intent is part of ESA’s business applications and space solutions program, which uses space technology to solve challenges on earth. It will focus on deforestation prevention, biodiversity protection, carbon emissions reduction, circular economy and resilience.

Athlete performance, safety and security around events, and recreational snow sports experiences are anticipated future topics referenced within the FIS memorandum that space applications could help address.

ESA brings “the highest level of human knowledge and technology to our common mission of making the world – and snow sports, for that matter – much more sustainable,” said FIS sustainability director Susanna Sieff.

Space Applications For Sport
This is not the first time the space agency has connected the application of their technology to sport. Previous partnerships have been inked with European Platform for Sports Innovation, beginning in 2022, and UEFA from 2023.

The ongoing collaboration with UEFA has a sustainability-focussed element. It aims to understand the potential of space technologies to advance social and environmental solutions in European soccer, as well as crowd movement around stadiums and mapping pitches.

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Soccer At COP29: Clubs Unite For Climate Action

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Top flight soccer clubs have committed to increasing climate action with the creation of a new alliance, launched during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Football Clubs Alliance for Climate, led by European Club Association and Azerbaijani team Qarabağ FK, has initially been joined by Atlético de Madrid, Fenerbahçe SK, Flamengo, Galatasaray SK, Liverpool FC, Malmö FF, FC Porto, Real Betis Balompié, Tottenham Hotspur and Udinese Calcio.

“Football clubs have a role to play as catalysts of passion, collective effort and change,” say soccer players Rasheedat Ajibade of Atletico de Madrid Feminino and Dries Mertens of Galatasaray FK in the launch video. Udinese Calcio midfielder Jesper Karlström concludes, “We play for the planet, you make the difference.”

Aligned with the long-established UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action, a key component of the new alliance is encouraging more soccer clubs to join the initiative. Additional commitments include minimizing the club’s environmental impact, inspiring fans to take climate action, collaborating with cities and environmental NGOs to develop climate solutions and investing in green technologies.

FIFA Extends Partnership And Comes Under Fire

FIFA CEO Gianni Infantino made the trip to COP29 to extend a partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum to leverage the power of soccer to address climate change. “FIFA is supporting the Oceania FIFA Member Associations in climate-resilient soccer development and will continue to stand side-by-side with the PIF to help raise the issues directly affecting its members by embracing the unique power of soccer to educate, to inspire, and to unite the world.” he said.

Infantino has been criticised for flying into Baku by private jet, with Inside World Football saying “Gianni Infantino has once again pledged that his organization will help combat climate change. His own incessant use of private jets contradicts those claims.” During the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament he reportedly travelled 40,000 kilometres by air in the Oceania region.

Ronaldinho Appearance

Brazilian former soccer star Ronaldinho travelled to Baku to take part in COP29. Posting a highlight reel of his trip on social media, he also arrived by private jet to attend events, visit pavilions inside the conference and meet young soccer players. The post included a caption “see you next year in Brazil!” The next annual global climate conference, COP30, will be hosted in the northern state of Belém.

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PRESS RELEASE: New Report Explores How Psychology Can Accelerate Climate Action in Sport

PRESS RELEASE: New Report Explores How Psychology Can Accelerate Climate Action in Sport

Insights from social psychology offer sports organisations a deeper understanding of how to create the change needed to accelerate climate action in sport.

November 19, London: People sit at the heart of every transformation needed within sport to move towards a healthier and more sustainable future. Therefore the exploration of insights from social psychology, such as understanding people’s values, overcoming misperceptions about what other people think, and the role of leadership and social norms can offer sports organisations a deeper understanding of how to create change.

“What’s Stopping Us? Applying psychology to accelerate climate action in sport” is a new report released today, brought to you by Sport Positive, UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), that explores these themes, with a view to illuminating a path forward.

The report’s recommendations, informed by the psychology of environmental behaviour change, call on the sports industry to take a series of actions, to acknowledge and address its environmental impacts, to lead by example and to adopt multiple roles to promote wider social and political transformation.

The report highlights the different ways in which people engage with climate change, outlining research on values, trust, emotions and collective action. It also highlights evidence about behaviour change within organisations, including social and structural barriers and how interventions should be tailored to different groups. While there are barriers to climate action in sport, there are also many ways to enable change, and sports organisations have several roles and opportunities to do so.

Speaking about the launch of the report, its lead author and researcher in CAST at Cardiff University, Briony Latter said, “With the growing interest in sport and climate change, we’re pleased to share these insights with the sector. There’s a lot of relevant research from within psychology that sports organisations and decision-makers can use to leverage the influence that sport has and lead on climate action.”

Sport Positive founder and CEO, Claire Poole commented; “Our core belief has always been  that sport has an unparalleled influence to tackle climate change. We approached CAST with the concept for this report, as we believe a deeper understanding of what drives human behaviour change sits at the heart of a more urgent approach to instigate climate action inside sports organisations and beyond.”

“Behavioural change is about our ability to think differently, feel differently and understand our relationships differently. To address climate change we need to be open to these factors. This report is a good starting point for sport to do just that.” shared Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Initiatives Lead at UNFCCC.

Read the full report: What’s Stopping Us? Applying psychology to accelerate climate action in sport.

**ENDS**

Media Contacts

Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST)
United Kingdom
[email protected]
www.cast.ac.uk

Sport Positive
United Kingdom
[email protected]
www.sportpositive.org

UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action
Germany
[email protected]
www.unfccc.int/climate-action/sectoral-engagement/sports-for-climate-action

Golf Legend Rory McIlroy Reacts To New Player Travel Emissions Tracker

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Player travel is the cause of over one third of DP World Tour event’s total greenhouse gas emissions. In response to this, the European Tour group has launched a player travel emissions tracker. This will enable its golfers to track, calculate and offset their travel-related greenhouse gas emissions across tournaments.

Elite golfers are aware of the environmental impact of their travel, with Rory McIlroy saying, “we have the opportunity to travel all over the world doing the job we love, but I do have a conscience about the impact that can have on the environment.”

McIlroy, who has reportedly been offsetting his tournament travel-related greenhouse gas emissions for four years ahead of this launch, added “I think we can all play our part in some way or another.”

Experts say offsetting isn’t a substitution for decarbonisation. In the current touring model, travel is an unavoidable part of the game for professional golfers.

The European Tour group are “doubling down on efforts to help mitigate these emissions” says head of sustainability, Maria Grandinetti-Milton. In addition to the player travel tracker, and a fan travel emissions tracker launched earlier this year, the group uses onset investments to drive awareness, supports carbon reduction across the sport as a whole and at individual events, through local community-based ecosystem restoration projects.

Other golfers have reacted to the launch of the player travel emissions tracker. Winner of the 2021 Spanish Open, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, says he has become more aware of his environmental impact and says “I will join the Tour’s initiative, because I think it’s the right thing to do.” He thinks athletes have the power to drive positive change for the environment, “we are many of the younger generation’s role-models, so you always want to lead by example.”

PGA TOUR and DP World Tour winner Dylan Frittelli added, “if the public see that, maybe they will follow along too with their travel.” He went on, “we’re being seen by people, so if we can put in little bits of information to help the environment and masses of people see that, it can only help.”

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Olympic Medalists Champion The Environment During Paris 2024

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Paris 2024 Olympians have already brought us memorable moments on and off the field of play. Two athletes got engaged to be married at the Olympic Village ahead of the Opening Ceremony, and USA Women’s Rugby Sevens bronze medalist Ilona Maher has become a social media viral sensation for her body positive and “behind the scenes” relatable content. Olympic athletes and medalists are also using their visibility and platforms to raise awareness for the environment, climate crisis and nature.

Rayssa Leal

Brazilian skateboarding prodigy, 16 year old Rayssa Leal won a bronze medal on 28 July for skateboarding in Paris. As well as being her nation’s sweetheart as the youngest-ever Olympic medalist at age 13 in Tokyo, Leal grew up near the Amazon rainforest and has witnessed its destruction first-hand.

For Paris 2024, Leal collaborated with the International Olympic Committee to compete on a specially designed skateboard to raise awareness about the importance of protecting nature, featuring macaws, her favourite species from the Amazon. Speaking about this recently, she said, “Humanity can only be healthy if we preserve nature – the quality of water, air and the environment. With the Olympic Games, I have a unique opportunity to share the importance of preserving the natural world.”

Alena Olsen

USA Women’s Rugby Sevens player Alena Olsen, who helped her team take a historic bronze medal, the USA’s first medal ever in the sport, is a self-proclaimed ecoathlete. However, it was her parents that underlined her care for the environment during Team USA games against Japan and Brazil. Olsen’s parents, Marissa and Olie wore bee antennaeto the game. “They’re making a really beautiful homage to how much I care about the environment and climate action,” Alena said.

For Earth Day in April, the USA Women’s Sevens team visited a local bee sanctuary to learn about the importance of bees to our ecosystem.

Imogen Grant

“Everyone in sport loves an underdog, and at the moment that’s all of us fighting against climate change,” women’s lightweight double sculls Paris 2024 gold medalist rower, Imogen Grant, told UN Climate Change in a video released Wednesday during the Games.

“In sport we always talk about these crazy, scary, huge goals, but we always split them down into smaller steps and action that we can take each day.” Grant is vegan and passionate about sustainability, as an Ambassador for the The Rivers Trust in the UK she has highlighted the need to clean up the pollution in waterways, and by sharing her experiences competing in extreme heat.

Before The Games

Athletes who qualified for Paris 2024 were championing environmental causes before the Games began. Earlier in July, twenty-two Paris hopefuls, including Nigerian shot-putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and American swimmer Jamal Hill, were part of a cohort of over 100 athletes who penned an open letter to CEOs of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. They asked for Paris 2024 to be used “as a launchpad for introducing more reuse at future Olympic Games and other sporting events.”

In June, more Paris-bound athletes wrote an open letter urging the International Olympic Committee to replace their sponsor Toyota with a “more technologically advanced, more transparent, and much lower emissions mobility partner.”

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