PROTECTING THE FUTURE OF SPORT
High performance sport inspires millions.
But the environments it depends on; safe places to train, predictable seasons and healthy ecosystems are under pressure.
Climate change and ecological decline are no longer future risks. They are already affecting athletes, events and performance.
Climate change is disrupting training, competition and athlete wellbeing.
Extreme heat, flooding and poor air and water quality are performance issues.
If global temperatures rise beyond 1.5oC, half of all former Winter Olympic and Paralympic hosts would no longer be able to stage the Games.
THIS IS FOR THE
For years, net zero has been the focus.
It remains essential, but on its own, it isn't enough.
We are setting a new ambition:
To move beyond net zero and achieve a Net Positive Environmental Impact by 2040 - leaving the environment in a measurably better state through the way we operate, the choices we make, and the influence we have.
Net positive means:
Shifting from minimising harm to maximising benefit
Focusing on outcomes people can see and feel
Treating sustainability as a performance edge, not a compliance exercise
Athletes spend much more time outside than the average person.
We're directly interacting with the water, the wind, the weather, the heat as well.
When that becomes extreme, it affects me more than the normal person.
Imogen Grant, Olympic Champion Rower
Around 75% of athletes already report that climate change is affecting their training and their performance.
So, when we think about the environment, we should think about it as another factor affecting performance.
Sophie Du Sautoy
Director of Strategy and Business Enabling, UK Sport
TURNING AMBITION INTO ACTION
Nature and place
Improving biodiversity and creating habitats around venues and events - leaving lasting, positive legacies in the places sport happens.
Influence at scale
Using the reach of events and athletes to mobilise millions of fans to act - turning small choices into meaningful collective impact.
Circularity
Reducing waste before it happens by extending the life of kit, merchandise and event infrastructure - saving emissions, resources and money.
We've already made strong progress across our operations and the wider system.
PROGRESS SINCE 2023
50%
Reduction in Scope 3 travel emissions
80%
reduction in domestic flights
89%
drop in IT emissions
30
NGBs supported through the award winning Sustainability Accelerator Programme
If this is successful, we're going to see sports positively contributing to nature and the environments within which it operates.
Sophie Du Sautoy, Director of Strategy and Business Services, UK Sport.
OUR STRATEGY
2026-2030
Our three priorites for the next phase:
Operations
Define, measure and embed net positive across the high performance system. We will:
- Publish a national Net Positive Environmental Impact Framework
- Strengthen measurement, reporting and governance
- Be a net zero organisation by 2030 as a foundation for net positive progress
Partners
Collaborate and align across the sporting system. We will:
- Set shared sustainability expectations with the Home Nations
- Require annual sustainability reporting from funded National Governing Bodies
- Support collaboration on big system challenges like travel, kit and procurement
Platform
Use sport's visibility to accelerate change. We will:
- Embed sustainability through the full lifecycle of major events
- Support athletes to use their voices and platforms
- Engage fans through campaigns that connect sport and environmental action
UK Sport cannot achieve a Net Positive Environmental Impact on its own.
Real progress depends on:
- Shared standards
- Joined up governance
- Practical support and learning across the system
We will continue to bring together National Governing Bodies, event organisers, athletes and partners through collaboration, including the Sport Environment and Climate Coalition.
The full strategy sets out our long term vision, detailed actions and how success will be measured.
Read the strategy
It’s important to us that this document is accessible for everyone, if you can’t access it please get it touch with digital@uksport.gov.uk.
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