Shortlisted candidates

Sustainable Travel Award

Supported by Airbnb

Recognises innovative action and advocacy to travel more sustainably within the sports calendar. Athletes, IFs and NOCs have showcased remarkable efforts in this field, exploring sustainable travel options and raising awareness about the importance of reducing carbon emissions.  

This category is for athletes (Olympians and Paralympians), IFs and NOCs.

Prize:

  • Airbnb travel credit towards travel related to the regular sporting calendar
  • IF Award – USD 20k Airbnb Travel Grant to fund accommodation expenses.
  • NOC Award – USD 20k Airbnb Travel Grant to fund accommodation expenses.
  • Athlete Award – USD 7.5k Airbnb Travel Grant to fund accommodation expenses.
Marton Kekesi, Alpine Skiing, Hungary

For recognising the impact of his travel schedule and taking steps to reduce his carbon footprint, including by car sharing, travelling by electric vehicles and choosing accommodation as close as possible to his event venue.

Athlete category

Marcus Mepstead, Fencing, Great Britain

For advocating climate action through an Environmental Sustainability Athlete Group and for his work as an Ambassador for the Trees for the Future charity.

Athlete category

Katie Tannenbaum, Skeleton, US Virgin Islands

For strategically planning her competition schedule to minimise travel emissions and ensuring fewer people travel from race to race.

Athlete category

Marion Thénault, Freestyle Skiing, Canada

For working to calculate, reduce and compensate her carbon emissions, and for raising awareness through her work with the non-profit Protect Our Winters Canada.

Athlete category

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)

For developing the UCI Bike City label, which supports and rewards cities and regions for hosting major UCI cycling events and investing in infrastructure and programmes to promote cycling amongst their wider population.

IF category

World Rugby

For implementing a number of initiatives to reduce travel impacts and support its climate action objectives, including by combining previously separate men’s and women's events at the Sevens World Series.

IF category

World Sailing

For identifying travel and transport as one of its main focus areas for carbon emissions reduction, with priorities including reduced organisational travel and new policies for promoting the use of public transport by staff.

IF category

Spanish Olympic Committee

For promoting sustainable mobility by using electric and hybrid vehicles from Worldwide Olympic Partner Toyota, and prioritising the use of trains for domestic staff travel.

NOC category

Swiss Olympic

For promoting sustainable travel during the 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival by ensuring the Swiss delegation travelled together via coach and minibus rather than flying.

NOC category

Innovation Award

Supported by Deloitte

Collaborating to accelerate the reduction of emissions by IFs, NOCs and athletes that use innovation and education to create more sustainable futures.

This category is for athletes (Olympians and Paralympians), IFs and NOCs.

Prize:

  • IFs and NOCs: Acceleration laboratory to scale their sustainability initiative and increase climate action impact.
  • Athletes: Tuition of up to USD 5k for an academic course on sustainability and leadership to support advancing their climate action.
Benjamin Blankenship, Athletics, USA

For establishing the Endless Mileage Project, which plants trees for every American miler who breaks 4 minutes (men) and 4:30 min (women) in the event, and which redistributes used sports clothing and equipment to local schools.

Athlete category

Marie-Claude Molnar, Para Cycling, Canada

For encouraging elite and grassroots athletes to consider the environmental impact of their sporting equipment and urging equipment manufacturers and suppliers to measure the environmental impacts of their product lines.

Athlete category

Paloma Schmidt Gutierrez, Sailing, Peru

For her work with the organising committee of the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) European Championships in Andora, Italy, to introduce a range of measures to reduce waste.

Athlete category

Lina Taylor, Beach Volleyball, Bulgaria

For launching a non-profit organisation called Climate Executive Coaching, which supports climate and sustainability leaders through science-based training and solution-focused professional coaching.

Athlete category

International Biathlon Union (IBU)

For helping local organising committees of IBU events measure and manage their carbon emissions, including by developing a tailor-made event CO2 footprint calculation tool.

IF category

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)

For launching the UCI Climate Action Charter, which unites cycling stakeholders to reduce the sport’s emissions, advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and advocate more everyday cycling.

IF category

World Rugby

For implementing in partnership with the South African Rugby Union and CRDC “The Bag that Builds” – an innovative initiative involving the collection of waste generated by fans, athletes and operations staff during the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 for conversion into an eco-aggregate used for the construction of social housing in the event’s host nation, South Africa.

IF category

World Sailing

For leading the establishment of the Carbon Fibre Circular Alliance (CFCA) to promote the use of recycled carbon fibre in equipment for sailing and other sports.

IF category

Brazilian Olympic Committee

For moving to more energy-efficient headquarters, introducing remote working for employees, and modifying its training centre to reduce energy consumption.

NOC category

Colombian Olympic Committee

For launching a pilot initiative to reduce carbon emissions at the National Sea and Beach Games held in Tolú (Coveñas) in 2021, which is being rolled out at other sporting events in the country.

NOC category

Spanish Olympic Committee

For working to develop a climate mitigation programme using seagrass and marine reforestation, following the successful launch of the Spanish Olympic Forest.

NOC category

Swiss Olympic

For launching the Swiss Olympic Climate Fund – an innovative carbon mitigation scheme for the Swiss sporting system.

NOC category

Athlete Advocacy Award

Supported by P&G

Highlights the endeavours of athletes who actively engage people and communities in the fight against climate change. Shortlisted athletes are recognized for leveraging their platforms to serve as advocates, inspiring others and promoting sustainable practices that contribute to a greener world.

Celebrating commitment to citizenship with a specific focus on climate advocacy aimed at getting people and communities to take action. 

This category is for Paris 2024 hopefuls (Olympians and Paralympians).

Prize:

  • Paris 2024 hopefuls – P&G ambassadorship and additional recognition beyond ‘Athlete For Good’, USD $24k towards a charity of their choice, and storytelling about them and the cause(s) they care about.
Benjamin Blankenship - Athletics, USA

For promoting sustainability through the establishment of the Endless Mileage Project, which plants trees for every American miler who breaks 4 minutes (men) and 4:30 min (women) in the event and redistributes used sports clothing and equipment to local schools.

James Farndale, Rugby Sevens, Great Britain

For his work with Athletes of the World – a non-profit that inspires athletes to become climate leaders. As a spokesperson for the cause, he has engaged in panels, participated in podcasts and used his platform to educate others.

Marcus Mepstead, Fencing, Great Britain

For driving the development of fencing equipment made from recycled ocean plastic to help raise awareness of sustainable practices, and for advocating climate action through his role as an ambassador for Trees for the Future and as a member of an Environmental Sustainability Athlete Group.

Oliver Scholfield, Field Hockey, Canada

For his work with Racing to Zero, which aims to equip grassroots sports events and organisations with the tools and knowledge they need to adopt sustainable practices.