The initiative, convened by High Impact Athletes (HIA) and informed by climate researchers Giving Green, aims to move athletes from silence to action by supporting high-impact, systemic climate solutions across aviation, energy and infrastructure—three sectors responsible for the vast majority of sport’s emissions.

Breaking the ‘Hypocrisy Trap’

The high-carbon nature of elite sport—dependent on global travel, energy-intensive venues, and resource-heavy infrastructure—has often made athletes wary of speaking out. As Olympic medallist and HIA Co-Founder Marcus Daniell explains, that silence hides the strength of athlete concern:

“The hypocrisy trap was the classic. Care about it, but if I do anything about it or speak up, then I’m going to get lambasted on social media. It’s easier and better for me to stay silent on this.”

Daniell says climate was initially “by far the least popular” cause area within HIA’s philanthropic model—not because athletes didn’t care, but because they felt stuck without credible pathways to act. Sport One, Carbon Zero aims to remove that barrier.

Targeting the Real Emissions of Sport

Working with Giving Green, HIA mapped the largest sources of carbon within sport—aviation, energy use and cement/steel used for infrastructure—and identified leading organisations capable of driving systemic change.

“The lane that we play in is trying to find the highest-impact levers. Is there a set of solutions that we can support that directly address the emissions from sport, the emissions from being an athlete?” says Daniell.

The fund directs investment into organisations that influence policy, unlock innovation and accelerate technology adoption, rather than relying solely on traditional offsets. Researchers suggest that these approaches can avert emissions at roughly $1 per tonne of CO₂e, making them significantly more effective than offset-based models.

Performance Pledges and a New Revenue Model

More than 100 athletes have already joined the programme, many tying contributions to performance. Golfer Ryan Fox donates $1,000 for every bogey-free round, while beach volleyball star Melissa Humana-Paredes pledged $10 for every successful dig during the World Championships—a story with built-in engagement potential for commentators and fans.

“All of these little ways that athletes are tying performance to helping the planet is really cool,” says Daniell. “It’s a positive narrative moment in sport that also has a real outcome for the planet.”

The initiative is also developing partnership models with international sports federations to create milestone-based sponsorship activations that bring in commercial revenue without touching athlete contributions.

“Every IF wants new revenue. This is an opportunity to credibly do something for the climate, while creating a win-win-win – a win for the climate, a win for federations and a win for brand partners.”

A Growing Movement With Global Potential

The ambition is to build a global coalition of athletes, sports organisations and sponsors committing to measurable climate action. If 1,000 professional athletes pledged 1% of their income, the fund estimates it could generate more than $15 million each year, supporting major aviation policy reforms, renewable energy acceleration and infrastructure decarbonisation.

“Rather than playing defence with offsets, athletes can now do what we love to do—play offence and win,” says co-founder Hugo Inglis. “Together we can show that the same mindset that drives elite sport—high performance, data-driven choices, innovation—can drive climate impact too.”

A Platform for Leadership, Not Sacrifice

Daniell stresses that this is not an anti-travel movement, flight is fundamental to global sport.

“Flights aren’t going to stop. So, if that’s the case, what can we do about it? We acknowledge the footprint and then invest in solutions that make the system better.”

The message is clear: athletes don’t need to choose between sport and sustainability—they can use their platform to influence change more powerful than individual behaviour shifts alone.

Turning Zero Into a Victory

In sport, zero often signals failure—no points, no wins, no progress. Sport One, Carbon Zero reframes zero as a new kind of success: emissions reduced, actions amplified, barriers removed.

The initiative is already gaining strong interest from International Federations, with conversations underway with a variety of sports. HIA is now seeking collaboration with sustainability leaders inside those organisations and brand partners aligned with long-term systemic change.

Only the Beginning

Sport One, Carbon Zero represents one of the most forward-looking athlete-led climate initiatives to emerge in world sport—ambitious, collaborative and designed to scale. With athletes among the most trusted voices in society, their ability to influence public perception and policy could reshape sport’s climate future.

Dan Stein, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of Giving Green, concluded : “We are thrilled to partner with HIA to empower climate-conscious athletes with a vehicle to make a genuine climate impact that fuels systemic solutions and builds toward a decarbonised future, rather than ‘offsetting’ the past.

The movement is only just beginning.