Tackle It Together 2: Championing the people making sport more sustainable

The climate and nature crisis are no longer a distant threat for the sporting world. From heat stress to extreme weather events and pollution, escalating environmental impacts are having very real effects on how we play sports and exercise today. 

Some examples from this year alone include:

• Extreme heat impacting the Australian Open with the tournament reaching temperatures near 40°C.

  
  

• At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics, rising temperatures and rapid snowmelt created slushy, dangerous conditions, disrupting schedules and raising serious safety concerns for athletes.

  
  

• Runners at the 2026 Los Angeles Marathon were told they could ‘finish’ at mile 18 and still receive a finisher medal because of dangerous heat.

  
  

• The Tour de France may have to be moved to a cooler month of the year, instead of the traditional July, for the first time in the event's history because of extreme heat.

It is more important than ever for organisations, athletes, and fans to work together to stop climate change in order to protect communities, the natural world, and the sports that we love.

This article is the second installment in our new series called ‘Tackle It Together’ which will highlight positive, inspiring stories where the world of sport is actively addressing climate change and showcasing how sport can both adapt to and help mitigate the climate crisis and be a force for good.

Follow us on Instagram for more positive news stories and climate inspiration.

1. Principality Stadium goes green with 3,000 solar panels on its roof

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has spent around £1m putting more than 3,000 solar panels on the roof of the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, describing it as a "win-win" for fans.

The WRU said the installation, which is the largest of its kind at any sports stadium in the UK, would save between £300,000 and £400,000 on energy bills every year and generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 50 match days.

Find out more on the BBC website.

2. The Melbourne project turning used tennis balls into shoes

Australians use about 10 million tennis balls a year, with many ending up in landfill. To help combat this problem, a new recycling initiative in Melbourne, Ludis, is turning used tennis balls into footwear.

The idea involves collecting used balls, shredding those balls and turning the material into rubber shoe soles. Ludis received a $50,000 grant by Sustainability Victoria to help grow the program and thirty Victorian tennis clubs are now involved with the initiative.

Find out more on the ABC News website.

3. Basketball meets environmental action

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Basketball Federation recently launched Climate Hoops, an initiative that transformed basketball courts in Park Hill and Georgetown into spaces for both play and environmental learning.

Participants learnt about strategies to reduce the impact of climate change, spent time cleaning their neighborhoods, schools, and basketball courts, and national players and coaches joined sessions to mentor participants on basketball skills and teamwork, showing that learning the game and protecting the environment could go hand in hand.

Find out more on the Sport and Development website.

4. Turning rugby into a force for climate action

Rugby sevens player Kevin Wekesa is using sport to drive climate action in Kenya. In 2024, he founded Play Green, a sustainability initiative that champions environmental action across sport. 

Through tree planting and nature restoration, reducing plastic waste, promoting recycling, educating communities and encouraging eco-friendly travel at every game, Wekesa is showing how athletes can lead practical, collective action. 

For example, he led the Kenyan men’s and women’s national sevens teams to use reusable water bottles, saving approximately 1,000 plastic bottles every week.

Find out more on The Guardian website.

5. Winners of Sustainability in Sport Fund announced

Three members of the Welsh Sports Association have been awarded grants, and two further members have been partly funded, from the Sustainability in Sport Fund, enabling the launch of initiatives which will drive lasting environmental change within the sport and leisure sector in Wales. 

Malpas Cricket Club’s project will conserve up to 150,000 litres of water annually by capturing and reusing rainwater through smart, sensor‑based irrigation, Cardiff City FC Community Foundation will challenge Year 6 pupils to design an eco‑friendly “Stadium of the Future” and the Safer Blue Spaces Wales project by Triathlon Cymru, Swim Wales, and Bangor University will create evidence to improve water safety policy and long‑term blue-space resilience across Wales.

Find out more on the Welsh Sports Association website.

6. The LTA Pledgeball League is back for 2026 

After first launching in 2023, the LTA Pledgeball League is back for 2026, calling on venues, players and coaches to make pledges that reduce environmental impact and help safeguard the future of tennis and padel.

The league will run across four rounds from June to September, giving venues multiple opportunities to climb the leaderboard. Each pledge contributes to a venue’s overall score, with league tables tracking progress and celebrating those leading the way.

Find out more on the LTA website.

7. The athlete jumping for the planet

For every centimetre New Zealand high jumper Hamish Kerr jumps in 2026, he will donate NZD 1 (USD 0.6) to some of the world’s most impactful climate organisations. Over the course of the season, the defending Olympic champion is aiming to clear at least 5,000cm in total. 

Hamish’s pledge, which you can join, is part of the new athlete-driven climate movement “Sport One, Carbon Zero”, established by IOC Athletes’ Commission member Marcus Daniell and IOC Climate Action Award winner Hugo Inglis through their non-profit organisation High Impact Athletes.   

Find out more on the Olympics website.

8. Football based climate and financial literacy festival for youth

The ASA Foundation, in partnership with Allianz through the MoveNow program, organised a football-based Climate and Financial Literacy Festival for youth with disabilities in Jakarta.

The inclusive football activities, combined with interactive workshops on climate awareness and circular economy, allowed students to learn essential life skills, and showcased the importance of inclusive education and the power of sport as a tool for social change.

Find out more on the Sport and Development website.

9. West Worthing Club wins national award for sustainability

West Worthing Club has been named the national winner of the Lawn Tennis Association’s inaugural Protect Where We Play Award 2026, which recognises tennis and padel venues across Britain for environmental responsibility and sustainability.

The award was presented at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton by adventurer and environmental advocate Bear Grylls.

Find out more on the LTA website.

10. Support for Rugby League communities through 'Try for Tomorrow’

Rugby League has received over £1.5 million from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, to help the Rugby League communities across the country to reduce the impact of human activity on the climate through 'Try for Tomorrow’.

This social impact programme will help tackle climate change through dedicated and action-filled educational sessions on food, energy, transport, waste, nature and water delivered to 200 schools.

Find out more on the Rugby League website.

By Eveline Vouillemin ©