This journey has been guided by our 7 Sustainable Pillars of Sport—Partnerships, Participation, People, Planet, Power, Profile, and Prosperity—a framework that we have developed to help the industry describe its sustainable actions in a purely sporting context, a context that needs to sit at the heart of a sports organisation, not on the periphery as we so often see, but as a core organisational operating model.

Across the year, one message kept surfacing from all the features and articles we covered: sustainability is no longer a side project. It is fast becoming a core test of credibility, competence and future-readiness — as Nasser Majali, Secretary General of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association, stated at the Host City Conference in Glasgow: “Sustainability… it’s the new scoreboard. People will judge events not by the opening ceremony, but how it was produced and delivered and what it left behind as a legacy.”

Yet our own work — now analysing the sustainability maturity and impact of 5,000+ sports organisations through the GSS Impact Assessment Programme — shows that progress remains uneven and often unmeasured, with many systemic gaps holding the industry back.

GSS Review 2026

The following features framed the discussion this year, accompanied by key quotes from the leaders driving the conversation. We are hugely indebted to their contributions:

January 2025

• What is sustainability in a sporting context?

“If you can understand sport and sustainability, you can understand sustainability in most sectors.” – Caroline Townley, CEO, Causal Spark

·      ‘Purpose’ at heart of sport’s future – report

“The time for incremental steps has passed. Fans are demanding action, businesses are seeking purpose-led partnerships, and sports organisations that fail to act risk being left behind.” – Dr Susie Tomson, Global Head of Insight & Impact, Think Beyond

·      How important is preserving glaciers for sport?

“The accelerating pace of glacier melting has highlighted the critical need for immediate action and joint efforts, and I truly believe that only through collaboration will we be able to address this urgent challenge effectively.” – Susanna Sieff, Sustainability Director at the International Ski Federation (FIS)

February 2025

·      IBU sets new governance, education benchmarks

“Integrity, governance, and sustainability are the three underlying principles that underpin everything we do at the IBU, and it is rewarding to see this is being recognised.” – Olle Dahlin, President, IBU

·      Swedish winter sports aim to lift engagement above 10%

“As snow-dependent enthusiasts, we want to take responsibility and drive change by being mindful of our own footprint and by acting as advocates for sustainability using our platforms,” – Elisabeth Egnell, Head of Development, Swedish Ski Association

·      Can Cricket for Climate change the conversation?

“There are pockets of activity, people are beginning to get started, but there is a long way to go.”- Joanne Bowen, Chief Executive Officer, Cricket for Climate

·      Sport and entertainment unite against climate change

“Sustainability efforts at sports venues have been incredible, but they’ve rarely been part of the fan experience. We’re changing that. We want fans to see themselves in this movement and understand how their collective actions can make a real impact.” – Jenna DiPaolo, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Ocean Conservancy

March 2025

·      GHG Emissions Tranparency: Arsenal vs. Tottenham

“It’s great to see top clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham becoming increasingly transparent about their carbon footprint and taking meaningful action. However, comparing carbon footprints across different organisations can be quite challenging.” – Richard Davis, CEO, 51toCarbonZero 

·      Kirsty Coventry Elected IOC President

“We must ensure the Olympic Movement leads by example. This means embracing sustainability not just in words, but in action — from our venues to our values.” – Kirsty Coventry, President-Elect, International Olympic Committee

·      Scoring for Sustainability: The Johan Cruijff ArenA 

“Eventually we want all our events to run on a Net Zero basis,” – Pelle de Laaf, Manager of Finance & Reporting, Johan Cruijff ArenA.

April 2025

·      Under Pressure: Governance Crisis in Premiership Rugby

“The sport has huge potential, but it needs to stop repeating the same mistakes and start thinking like a unified, modern business.” – Alex Cadwallader, Director at Leonard Curtis and former Newcastle player

·      UK Sport Leads World-First Sustainability Programme

“We’ve seen a real journey from sports not knowing what sustainability meant for them to now treating it as a core strategic objective, and often, as a commercial opportunity rather than just a compliance requirement.” – Jo Dobson, Useful Projects

·      Liverpool FC’s The Red Way

“This is not about ticking boxes. Sustainability is a core part of who we are and how we plan for the future.” – Rishi Jain, Director of Impact, Liverpool Football Club

May 2025

·      Denmark’s Sustainable Events Strategy

“Fans expect action, not slogans. They want to see recycling bins, sustainable transport options, reduced plastic use, real initiatives that reflect their own values.” – Hanne Sejer, Deputy Chief Executive, Sport Event Denmark

·      Winter’s Wake-Up Call: Nordic Sustainability Arena

“We stand here and express our love for snow, and our fear of losing it. Please don’t just write a beautifully worded LinkedIn post. Let today’s knowledge and emotions lead to action.” – Björn Sandström, Swedish Cross-Country Skier

·      UEFA Respect Forum 2025: A Call for Action 

“Sustainability is about concrete action. It’s not just strategy—it’s part of our licensing requirements, our competition frameworks, our events and our culture. This isn’t a one-off event. It’s a turning point in how we shape our sport—together, and with purpose.” – Michele Uva, Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability, UEFA

·      More Than a Game: Denmark’s Handball Championship 

“We won’t save the planet by sorting waste one night, but we might inspire thousands of people to do it every night at home. That’s the real impact.” – Camilla Louise Bevensee, Sustainability Lead, Danish Handball Federation.

·      J.League Landmark Sustainability Report

“The J.League aims not only to be a source of entertainment, but also a platform for change. Through collaboration with local governments, businesses, supporters, and educational institutions, we strive to create a sustainable society through football.” – Yoshikazu Nonomura, Chairman, J.League

June 2025

·      Arsenal-Liverpool-Tottenham Achieve ‘Developed’ Status 

“There is often a disconnect between club and foundation which are run as almost completely separate entities. Many fans think that the work in the community is run by the clubs when it is in fact the foundation, or trust, that provides the local engagement” – Dr Mark Doidge, Reader in the Sociology of Sport at Loughborough University

·      2025 FISU World Conference: A Bold Vision 

“The main goal of the conference is to highlight urgent needs in university sport—both ecologically and socially. It’s not just about performance anymore. Sport in universities must be a platform to promote sustainability, mental health and inclusive values—not only on campus, but beyond it.” – Sarah Beck, Manager, FISU World Conference

July 2025

·      FIA and DHL Forge Landmark Partnership 

“Our climate is changing, and sport absolutely must respond to these changes in our climate. Sport is an incredible platform to advocate for climate action”. – Dr Walker J. Ross, Lecturer in Sport Management, University of Edinburgh and Director, Sport Ecology Group

·      Suzuka Circuit Ambitious 2030 Net-Zero Goal

“We are trying to enhance our initiatives, year by year, and we believe that we are able to increase [them] more and more and improve international awareness. We hope the world is listening.” – Hiroshi Kitora, Sustainability Manager, Honda Mobilityland

·      More Than a Game: WNBA Leading the Charge 

“Being an All-Star captain is an incredible honour for me and I’m especially proud that I can use this moment to help protect our sport and our planet for the next generation by playing at the WNBA All-Star’s first fully reusable game,” – Napheesa Collier, Team Ocean Captain and captain of one of the All-Star teams

·      World Athletic’s report shows major step forward 

“We knew from experience and discussions with organisers that sustainability planning and reporting does require an allocation of additional time, resources and expertise. And we know that poses organisational challenges across our events, which will need time to change. This is why I am both grateful and appreciative of the efforts of these first 102 events from 36 countries that began their sustainability reporting process in 2024. It’s a start our entire sport can be proud of”. – Sebastian Coe, President, World Athletics

·     YALI Sport Africa: Healing Scars of War 

“The southwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon have been in conflict for the past seven years, and in a lot of trouble [there has been] radicalization among young people. We have for the past three years, chosen the path of sport to bring young people together to mitigate radicalism”. – Martin Tiku, a humanitarian worker and treasurer for YALI Sport Africa

August 2025

·      Sport’s Climate Blind Spot?  Human Rights Risk 

“Whilst there’s a lot of very important sustainability activity happening in sport, the immediate human dimension of this is perhaps being forgotten in the drive to meet quantitative targets,” – Lucy Amis, Special Advisor, CSHR

·      Driving Change: DHL’s Race Towards Sustainable Future 

“When I started, the top three logistics priorities were: 1) eliminate risk, 2) reduce cost, 3) everything else. Today, sustainability is number two, right after risk. That’s a massive change.” – Paul Fowler, Head of DHL Global Motorsport Logistics, DHL Global Forwarding

·      Breaking the Ice: CHL’s Sustainable Jersey 

“Having all teams and game officials wear jerseys made from 100% recycled materials, and offering the same for fans, marks a significant milestone in our long-term sustainability strategy. We believe that by integrating sustainability in our daily work and doing, we can inspire positive change and lead by example”. – Jörgen Lindgren, President, Champions Hockey League

·      Sonia Haboub: Redefining the Purpose of Running

“If I can leave behind a spark that helps someone believe in themselves a little more or chase a dream they thought was too far, then that will be the truest victory of all”. – Sonia Haboub, Global Endurance Athlete, PhD Professor and CEO, Global Race Connect

·      Setting a New Standard: World Sailing Pivots to ‘Impact’

“For some people… they always go to environmental first, as opposed to thinking about sustainability in a holistic sense. So that’s why we said, ‘Do you know what? Let’s go to impact.’ It’s a much better word. It’s actually something people understand more”. – Alexandra Rickham, Director of Sustainability, World Sailing

·      From Recycling to Rivalries: Planet League &Ball Arena 

“Over the past two seasons, our partnership with Planet League and Ball Arena has shown the incredible impact sports fans can have when they rally behind sustainability. Building on that success, we’re excited to introduce new ways for fans to take action, have fun, and help advance a world free from waste.” – Mike Kelley, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ball Corporation

September 2025

·      Henry Wanyoike — A Vision Beyond Sight

“I lost my sight, but I gained a vision.” – Henry Wanyoike, Athlete, Olympian, World Champion, World Record Holder, Environmentalist, Philanthropist, Advocate and Mentor.

·      Sports’ GHG emissions — Good Intent, Urgent Need 

“The survey makes clear that without strong leadership and resources, progress on sustainability will stall. Setting clear fossil-free goals and standing by them requires courage from the top – and in snow sports, this leadership is more urgent than ever.” – Titti Rodling, Project Manager, Nordic Sustainability Arena/World Cup Åre

·      POW Europe Links Brand Advocacy To Mobility

“Many partners still think advocacy is ‘just signing a petition’. Our goal is to demystify Brussels and ‘break that bubble’ with tangible examples of what it means to do advocacy.” – Gillian Rosh, Education & Advocacy Strategic Lead, POW Europe

·      Climate Tech Innovation Meets Sport

“You can’t pass or fail sustainability, but you can constantly improve,” – Alex Smith, CEO, FuturePlus

October 2025

·     Air Aware Labs: Racing Towards Clean Air

“Even a moderate…increase in particulate matter on the day of a race can slow a marathon runner by 25 to 32 seconds,” – Louise Thomas, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Air Aware Labs

·      Cricket for Climate Secures Landmark AUS$50m 

“I’m really excited to see the support from the Federal Government. It’s going to make a big difference for so many local sporting clubs across the country, meaning more play, fewer cancellations, and stronger communities. Sports clubs are the heartbeat of many Australian communities”. – Pat Cummins, Founder, Cricket for Climate

·      Sport at a Crossroads: Is it a Health or Entertainment?

“Health isn’t actually something that we really focus on, despite promoting activity all the time. Sport is, fundamentally, a ‘health product’ that it has failed to market.” – Mike Laflin, CEO & Founder, Global Sustainable Sport

·      A New Dawn for European Football: EFC Rebrands

“We shouldn’t be afraid of change. Football is now in the middle of our name and our logo, but we are doing more than just changing the name and the brand. Football is what we love and what we do every day. We will never stop working for the collective interests of all our members, and the development of club football as a whole”. – Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Chairman, European Football Clubs (EFC)

·      A New Benchmark: IIHF Worlds Champion Social.

“We learned that social sustainability holds significant value in major sporting events. Large global events provide an exceptional platform to inform, educate, and inspire new habits.” – Majken Skræddergaard Urup, Head of Sustainability for the Danish host city, Herning.

·      Rocket Arena launches ‘REGreen’ 

“Rocket Arena takes great pride in the progress we’ve made toward our sustainability mission. We’ve invested in major facility upgrades, built meaningful partnerships and continue to create positive impacts for our team members and the community. Our team is working to integrate sustainability across all areas of Rock Entertainment Group – from environmental services and procurement to fan experiences and partnership strategies. We look forward to continuing to drive meaningful change in our neighbourhood and throughout Northeast Ohio.” – Danielle Doza, Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Services at the Cleveland Cavaliers

November 2025

·      Kit Revolution: Tackling Sport’s Cost and Waste Crisis

“No one should be priced out of sport because of kit… We’re helping people see that reusing kit isn’t second best — it’s a powerful act of inclusion and sustainability.” – Claire Moffat, Founder, Kit Revolution

·      More Than a Game: Women’s EURO Sets New Standard 

“UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 demonstrated that sustainability can be integrated into every aspect of a major sporting event,” – Michele Uva, Executive Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability, UEFA

·      Second Nature Sisters: Adding Spice to Sustainability

“We were having the same conversations with the same people. It was clear we needed to bring more amazing women together and add a little spice to things – and so we decided to create something ourselves and start a community for women.” – Jess Silva, Co-founder, Second Nature Sisters & Carbon Jacked, and TV Presenter

·      London Marathon Group: Redefines its Social Role 

“We don’t call ourselves an events organisation now because we are a social impact company, and the way we do that is through organising events to create the funds that then goes to the foundation … what we had never done before was to tell that story in its entirety… If people don’t know about the work of the Foundation, that absolutely illustrates why we need to do this report.” – Kate Chapman, Head of Sustainability, London Marathon Events

·      Malmö FF: Driving Sustainability Leadership 

“We’re a small club in European football, but we have proven you can do serious sustainability work with limited resources if you have access to people, consistency and a clear focus from leadership.” – Magdalena Nour, Head of Sustainability, Malmö FF

·      US Sports Tourism: Sustainability on the Agenda 

“It’s really important that there’s a balanced view of economic, environmental and social impact… sport has not been good at measuring the broader outcomes.” – Janis Burke, Chief of International Sport & Strategy, Sports ETA

December 2025

·      Final Whistle is Blowing: The Climate & Nature Match

“We might be a small country, but we are a great country… But the world will be lost by a lot of good people doing nothing. So, we need action. Hope comes from action.” – Chris Packham CBE, English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author

·      The New Scoreboard: Major Events Driving Sustainability

“We are reshaping what a global event can be. The future isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing better. Sustainable first, community-centred, and built to last.” – Phil Batty, CEO, Glasgow 2026

·      Maidaansaaf Initiative: Beyond the Boundary

“We are genuinely passionate about the environment, and that commitment carries through into our work in sport. That belief is what helps translate systems and processes into real impact on the ground.” – Shailly Gupta, Senior Manager – CSR & Sustainability, Coca‑Cola India

·      Playing for the Planet:  Sport Protecting Natural World

“Enjoying the moment while protecting what makes it special is a message that really resonates with sport. Great events and nature protection should never be in conflict.” – Emanuel Boscardin, Programme Officer, Sports for Nature at IUCN

GSS Network

If you are not yet a member of the GSS Network then connect to the network today and gain access to the above features and over 1,600 unique sport and sustainability articles and over 300 industry profiles. Be part of the global sport and sustainability movement and help drive sustainability through sport and support the work that GSS does by becoming a member of the network.

Register your interest in the GSS Network here

Conclusion: Looking to 2026

We would like to thank everyone for taking the time to share their amazing stories and for their tremendous achievements in 2025. Despite the progress, our initial analysis of over 5,000 sports organisations reveals significant gaps hindering progress. We will be sharing these findings as we launch the GSS Impact Assessment Programme in 2026.

We look forward to continuing our work with you in 2026. If we have not yet featured your journey, we invite you to engage with our network and share your stories next year. Together, we can ensure that sport remains a force for good in a changing, challenging world.

The GSS Team

For more information on the GSS Network or the GSS  Impact Assessment Programme, please contact info@gssport.com