<h1 style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-size:32px">Sports + Climate</span></strong></h1><p><strong> </strong></p><h1><span style="font-size:24px"><strong>Challenge background</strong></span></h1><p>Global warming is placing our planet and future generations at risk. Meeting the scale of the challenge requires action by all sectors, including the sport sector to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Around the world, governments, cities and businesses are taking bold climate action, leading the way towards a healthier and more sustainable future. By employing solutions to global warming each of us will be improving and contributing to public health, promoting social justice, preserving natural resources, creating reliable sources of energy and contributing to society and the global economy. </p><p> </p><p>Businesses are now looking to respond to the challenges of climate action in tangible ways. Companies are committing to renewable energy and energy productivity. They are setting concrete targets in line with the climate science. And cross-sectoral business initiatives are recognizing and addressing the climate impacts of supply chains and resource use on agriculture, land use, transport and water. Collectively climate action by non-state actors can provide building blocks for 21st century businesses models and for delivering the scale needed to transform economies. Yet, there is a broad recognition that more ambitious and effective climate action from all levels of government, the private sector and civil society is needed now to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst effects of climate change.</p><p> </p><p>Sports organizations can display climate leadership by engaging actively and collectively in the climate neutrality journey, in turn helping to differentiate from competitors, build brand reputation and engage their sports personnel, employees and members on environmental issues.</p><p> </p><p>This can be achieved by taking responsibility for their climate footprint, helping global ambition step-up and incentivizing action beyond sports to take meaningful and transformative climate action.  </p><p> </p><p>Impacts of climate change vary greatly from region to region and from sport to sport, however some of the most challenging impacts include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Damage to playing surfaces due to extreme temperatures, extended periods of drought, flooding, and/or pest species extending their natural range</li><li>Damage to buildings and other infrastructure due to violent storms</li><li>Coastal erosion and sea level rise directly affecting sport properties in seaside areas</li><li>Warmer winters and lack of natural snow threatening ski resorts at lower altitudes</li><li>Unseasonal rainfall forcing cancellation or abandonment of sport matches</li><li>Heat waves forcing changes to timing of sport events</li><li>Increased injuries to players from heat exhaustion and impact injuries from harder playing surfaces</li><li>More potentially harmful algal blooms limiting direct contact outdoor water sports</li><li>Sub-standard fan experience where high temperatures create potential health risks and detract from the enjoyment of the event</li><li>Climate adaption measures being required in the design of new or refurbished sport venues</li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><p>All these impacts have potentially significant financial repercussions in addition to their physical and logistical impacts.</p><p> </p><p>UN Climate Action and participants in the Sports for Climate Action Initiative are committing to adhere to the following five principles:</p><ul><li>Principle 1: Undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility;</li><li>Principle 2: Reduce overall climate impact;</li><li>Principle 3: Educate for climate action;</li><li>Principle 4: Promote sustainable and responsible consumption;</li><li>Principle 5: Advocate for climate action through communication.</li></ul><p> </p><h1><span style="font-size:24px"><strong>Challenge description</strong></span></h1><p>How can the latest technologies such as experience management solutions, digital platforms, analytics, intelligent technologies such as machine learning, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and geospatial data and software be harnessed to promote new solutions addressing UN Global Goals #13 – Climate Action and the five principles of the Sports for Climate Action Initiative, for example by:</p><ul><li>Visual mapping – using earth observation data, climate data, geographic data and demographic data to visualize areas that are under stress from climate change so that sports organizations can focus investments for the highest impact to address sports-related issues from climate change;</li><li>Early warning systems – how could technology become an enabler for government agencies, research institutions and industry to address the gap between information and action in reducing and responding to climate risks in the most vulnerable communities, so that millions of people could be covered with new or improved Early Warning Systems including new heat wave warning systems;</li><li>Community and impact platform - creating a platform to (1) showcase sports related climate action champions, their innovative solutions and the public-private partnerships that support them, and (2) quantify the benefits and effectiveness of sports related climate actions;</li><li>and other solutions.</li></ul>