BMC joins the UN’s Sports for Nature initiative

News
27 Awst
3 min read

The BMC is pleased to announce our membership of Sports for Nature (S4N) - the first mountaineering organisation to do so. S4N enables and encourages sporting bodies to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration, an initiative that aligns completely with the BMC’s values, including our ongoing access and conservation work, aims for net-zero emissions by 2040 and new Climate & Sustainability Action Plan.

The BMC joins 75 more S4N signatories, including Paris 2024, World Triathlon, England Golf, England Squash, the World Surf League, World Rugby, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), The Ocean Race, the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) and the International Canoe Federation (ICF).

BMC Policy & Campaigns Officer Dr. Cath Flitcroft says, “With the urgency to protect the natural landscapes we love to walk and climb in now greater than ever, as part of the sports community, the BMC is proud to lead by example and join Sports for Nature. Together, through commitment and actions, sporting organisations worldwide will become a formidable force in protecting and restoring the natural world.”

The need to act now is summed up perfectly by Elizabeth Mrema, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UNEP Deputy Executive Director. She says, “Without nature, sport has nowhere to play. Whether it is the landscapes to compete in, the equipment that you play with, the ocean you sail in or the water you swim in — all is provided with the support of nature.”

How the BMC is addressing the four key principles of S4N:

  1. Nature protection - BMC Climate & Sustainability Action Plan and net-zero emissions aim for 2040
  1. Nature restoration - BMC’s Access & Conservation Trust Mend Our Mountains and The Climate Project campaigns
  1. Green procurement - BMC purchase, maintenance and rewilding of eight climbing crags across England and Wales
  1. Education and communications - BMC Green Guides, Respect Series and conservation news articles on social media, website and mail shots
BMC volunteers hike up to a Get Stuck In footpath repair site as part of the Mend Our Mountains campaign

More about the Sports for Nature initiative

Sports for Nature (S4N) is a joint initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy.

It aims to deliver transformative action for nature across sports, by 2030 and beyond, enabling sports to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration. It provides a game plan for sports — at all levels — to accelerate and inspire others to take action for nature.

Dona Bertarelli herself is an accomplished sailor and IUCN Patron of Nature. She says, “Sport awakens emotions and serves as a powerful platform to share core values with fans, athletes, and future generations. Imagine the immense potential sport holds to lead efforts in nature conservation. With its unique capacity to inspire and drive change, the sports community bears a significant responsibility to protect the health of the nature it so deeply relies on.”

BMC volunteers on a Get Stuck In footpath repair event as part of the Mend Our Mountains campaign

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