Climate tech isn’t investing in sport sponsorship – but here’s why it should

Isabella Bertold is going on an adventure to show there’s a different way for athletes to communicate about sustainability and the importance of nature. The Canadian sailor and cyclist is preparing for an expedition that will take her by boat from the UK to Norway, and then across the Norwegian fjords by bike, joined by a handful of other intrepid explorers.She shares her belief that the most powerful sustainability stories are told through raw, visceral experiences that show athletes in direct contact with the elements. In this episode, Isabella discusses the tension between sustainability and performance in sport, the value of strong partnerships, her time leading the Canadian Women’s America’s Cup team, her role with Canada SailGP and what sailing can learn from cycling when it comes to building partnerships and supporting women’s sport.

Most climate tech startups aren’t investing in sport sponsorship – yet. Many see it as too expensive, misaligned with their values, or unable to deliver on goals like awareness and adoption. But one company is breaking the mould. Svante, a carbon capture startup from British Columbia, has teamed up with Speed Skating Canada on ‘Save the Ice’, a campaign that removes carbon every time someone shares their video. For Canada’s most decorated Olympic sport, climate change isn’t abstract, it’s existential. In this episode, we learn more from Svante and Speed Skating Canada about their partnership, and why more climate tech companies should think about getting involved in sport.

In this episode, Nicola Barr talks about her work with FrontRunners — the athlete-led climate movement co-founded by Emma and David Pocock. She shares how the group mobilised more than 150 athletes to support the 'Duty of Care' campaign, calling for a law that would require politicians to consider climate impacts on young people.We also talk about the origins of the movement during the Black Summer bushfires, why athlete voices still matter, and how FrontRunners is now helping under-resourced sports organisations take action behind the scenes.

A recent newsletter explored the idea that athlete investors – those backing climate tech and renewables – might ultimately hold more sway in the sustainability space than athlete advocates. But this follow-up podcast conversation with US rower Christine Cavallo serves as a powerful reminder that influence comes in many forms. Even without financial investment, athletes who are knowledgeable and committed can play a crucial role in the climate transition.Christine brings a unique perspective, having experienced sustainability through the lenses of elite sport, academia, public policy and now the private sector in her role at the UN Global Compact. She argues that business holds the key to meaningful progress on climate and environmental justice – and that sport could be a powerful testing ground for scaling new technologies, if it chooses to embrace that role. The episode is a wide-ranging and thought-provoking listen.

Sport-related travel may only account for an estimated 1.5% of global carbon emissions, but its impact is significant – particularly in regions already affected by mass tourism and environmental stress. In this episode, we explore how sports organisations can engage with regenerative tourism, a model focused on restoring ecosystems, supporting local communities and improving resilience.Our guest is Ana Agostinho, sustainability lead at Westbrook Racing, part of the E1 electric powerboat series. She discusses how sports events could align with regenerative development goals and help shape more sustainable travel experiences – through initiatives like rewilding, cultural exchange and stronger partnerships with host destinations.

In this podcast episode, Eve Joseph, head of social impact and sustainability and a former Microsoft leader, shares insights on what sport can learn from the tech industry’s approach to sustainability.The conversation delves into the transformative role of data, highlighting why democratising access to information is essential for understanding and mitigating the environmental risks faced by athletes, event hosts and the wider sports ecosystem.Eve also discusses the mission and achievements of the Clean Water Sports Alliance, shedding light on its progress and future plans to address critical environmental challenges.

When we think about the climate risks and consequences facing sport, we often think about elite sporting competition?But what about sport for good organisations and grassroots sport clubs? There’s not much of a focus on them even though, in most cases, they are even more vulnerable. However, Football For Future and Common Goal have teamed up to develop the Fields of Change Handbook, an environmental sustainability resource for sport for good organisations.In this episode, we speak Elliot Arthur-Worsop, founder of Football For Future, Jérémy Houssin, environmental lead at Common Goal, Sophie Junge Pedersen, Denmark and Inter Milan midfielder, and Greg Preston, the head of football for the Indochina Starfish Foundation in Cambodia, to find out more about the handbook, and how it can support learning and resilience in the sport for good community.

Sustainability, in some quarters of the sports industry, is viewed as a cost rather than investment.But what if climate action could actually be an opportunity to diversity income streams for sports organisations?That's a concept put forward by Jamie Farndale in this episode of the podcast, where he reflects on his research that suggests affinity with sport can support the take-up of low-carbon technologies and behaviours.The former captain of the Scotland rugby sevens team and current GM of club development and sustainability for Hong Kong China Rugby tells the sports industry how they can make it happen.

How can a “non-essential” sector like sport justify its existence on a planet with finite resources?It was a question posed by Damian Foxall, sustainability manager of the 11th Hour Racing Team, during episode 96 of the podcast that we try to unpack.Foxall reflects on a successful 2023, in which his team was crowned champions of The Ocean Race. At the end of the season, it also produced a sustainability report full of achievements and case studies.In addition, Kristen Fulmer, head of sustainability at Oak View Group (operator of the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle), lifts the lid on the organisation’s GOAL sustainability platform and explains how she plans to bring sustainability to a new generation of sports analytics students.

As we head into another COP, two major things remain unclear for our industry: on a macro level, what climate trajectory will we find ourselves on once all is said and done in two weeks? And, at a sector level, what role is sport expected to play to keep this trajectory as low as possible?COP28 is a key talking point in episode 95 of the podcast as we talk to SailGP’s Fiona Morgan about its Race for the Future takeover in Dubai. Russell Seymour of BASIS talks about the new Game Changer II report, which lays bare the extent to which climate change is playing havoc with British sport.Cricket, which features heavily in Games Changers, is also a focus of the episode, with Kathy Gibbs of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) talking through its new Environmental Sustainability Plan.