Inaugural Sport Positive Awards recognise initiatives that promote climate and biodiversity

A diverse group of organisations and individuals including the World Surf League, Starboard, Kicking for Nature, Liverpool FC and Australian academic Dr Sheila Nyungen having been recognised at the inaugural Sport Positive Awards.

Presented earlier this week in London alongside BBC Green Sport Awards 2024, the Sport Positive Awards program aims to celebrate, uplift and raise awareness of organisations and individuals who are leading the charge on using the power of sport to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises and environmental/climate justice.

Award categories include: Transformation, Climate Impact Reduction, Community Initiative, Education and Training, Purpose-led Partnership, Biodiversity Project, Sustainable and Responsible Procurement, Next Generation Trailblazer, Regional Leaders, Campaign of the Year, Story of the Year, Report of the Year, Research Paper of the Year and Inspired Innovation.

Biodiversity Project Award - WSL One Ocean initiative
Among the winners, the World Surf League (WSL) One Ocean initiative secured the Biodiversity Project Award.

Showcasing a transformative impact in biodiversity, since January 2023, WSL, in partnership with Shiseido and YETI, has led significant projects including coral restoration in French Polynesia, native plant restoration in Hawaii, and river clean-ups in Brazil and El Salvador. Working with local partners like Coral Gardeners, Surfrider Foundation, Conservation International, and the North Shore Community Land Trust, these efforts have yielded impressive results: over 100,000 corals planted, 45,374 hectares restored, and 2 tons of plastic removed from rivers. Additionally, 1,635 volunteers have engaged in these projects, and 3,041 youths have been educated, contributing to a 225% increase in engagement.

The award recognised WSL’s innovative approach, integrating creative techniques and community involvement, sets new standards in environmental stewardship.

The Sport Positive Awards judges noted “by documenting and sharing insights through case studies, WSL offers valuable knowledge to the global conservation community.

“This commitment to long-term sustainability, along with alignment with international frameworks like UN Sports for Climate Action and the UN Ocean Decade, ensures a lasting legacy and exemplifies the power of collaboration in driving meaningful environmental change.”

Inspired Innovation Award - Guppyfriend
Mindful of issues resulting from the use of microplastic - an important component of synthetic sport surfaces - in a pilot project with German Bundesliga football club VfL Wolfsburg, Guppyfriend designed 70 stainless steel mesh filters for gullies and drains to prevent microplastics from synthetic infill-material and synthetic grass-blades from entering soil and water systems.

In an assessment by the DFL (German Football League) and DFB (German Football Association) the Guppyfriend solutions were evaluated and highly recommended to other clubs.

Regional Leader (Oceania) - Dr Sheila Nguyen
Australian Dr Sheila Nguyen’s more than 20 years of professional life in serving the natural world via sport were recognised.

For her work, Dr Nguyen has been given the Honorary Lifetime Member award from the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) and recognised as an Australian Financial Review Top 100 Women of Influence (2019). She has contributed to research, SXSW 2024 & 2023, TEDx, COP21 in Paris (2015), and many other global sport and sustainability forums.

Dr Nguyen sits on a number of boards and advisory committees including as a member of both the technical and revision committees for ISO 20121: 2012 Event Sustainability Management Systems, and recently served as a judge for both the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) Awards 2023 and SailGP’s Impact League Awards 2024.

She successfully delivered the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Sustainability Strategy as the tournament’s Head of Sustainability, and is the co-founder and an NED of the Sports Environment Alliance, a coalition of sport leaders in Australia and New Zealand.

Click here for more information on the 2024 Sport Positive Awards.

Images: The inaugural Sport Positive Awards saw the WSL's One Ocean initiative secure the Biodiversity Project Award (top) and Dr Sheila Nguyen named Regional Leader -Oceania (below).