Changing the rules of the game with WWF France

I realised that the more I do for sustainability, the freer I feel and the better I perform. I think athletes have an adventurous spirit. We shouldn’t be scolding them – just making them more aware. For me personally, I used to set little challenges for my teammates, like taking a shower within three minutes, using reusable water bottles or trying to achieve zero waste. And it worked! Of course, we have to be patient, but there has been a real shift in mindsets, especially among the new generation of athletes who are particularly aware of these issues. As athletes, we can be ambassadors. Let’s set an example. Every little step counts!

There are definitely obstacles, but there also is a real sense of collective engagement. Our goals are ambitious but we are seeing a transformation; public and private bodies are organising ahead of the Paris 2024 Games and large numbers of start-ups are currently being set up within the circular economy and the Social and Solidarity Economy. Lots of solutions are being put forward. Everything is moving very quickly. Now, we need to implement these solutions, further strengthen them and make them more long­‑term.

What connects Paris 2024 and the WWF is our shared perspectives and analyses. The sporting movement and sports activities, like all human activities, cannot exempt themselves from the environmental and ecological transition that we all need. A large part of the sporting world has started to take an interest in the consequences – how will we be able to ski when there is no snow left? How can we do water sports when there is too much pollution? Sport has a footprint – not only a carbon footprint, but also in terms of pollution and biodiversity. Sport must learn to minimise its footprint. We have already started working with stakeholders, because that is how we operate. WWF France will perform its role by bringing the stakeholders together, because we need this ecological transition as quickly as possible. We need to look at how we can make that happen!

During the bid phase, we worked with Paris 2024 to look at what actions we could take in France to make these not only the greenest, but also pioneering Games, to make real changes and accelerate the transformation. Today, Paris 2024 has decided to support our programme for the environmental transition in sport. We know that this is not just a one off promise for this event, but a sincere commitment.
The power of the Paris 2024 Games will allow us to accelerate these changes in the world of sport so that they will gradually become so natural that we will wonder how we managed before.

Environmental organisations are sometimes criticised for preaching to the choir. Through sport and the Paris 2024 Games, we can address the widest audience possible, because sport brings the whole world together. One in two French people take part in sport and many others watch events in person or on TV. Everyone can get on board for this transition. And the transition is first and foremost a mental one. It is not that complicated or expensive. We can change practices by getting everyone involved.