Lindita leads work on sectors engagement in climate action as part of UN Climate Change wider Global Climate Action work. She led development of both Sports for Climate Action and Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and works closely with a variety of stakeholders to mobilise key actors and catalyse ambitious action towards decarbonisation. Before joining UN Climate Change, Lindita worked in public relations and coordinated projects promoting multi-stakeholder engagement in policy and sustainability. Lindita has an educational background in engineering, international relations and global energy & climate policy.

Omar is the Vice President, Industry Growth and Sustainability at the NHL. He leads initiatives focused on innovations and business strategies that are geared to address the future of hockey at the grassroots level by increasing youth hockey participation and fan avidity. He also leads NHL Green, the award-winning and globally acclaimed environmental sustainability initiative of the League.

Mitchell joined the NHL in 2012 as its first environmental sustainability director, and has led corporate social responsibility, public affairs and philanthropic efforts including management of the NHL’s Foundations. Omar holds an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, a Master of Architecture from Columbia University in the City of New York and is a lifelong Florida Gator.

Julia Pallé is a leading expert on sustainability in motorsport and the international elite sport industry. In her role at the world’s first all-electric motor racing series, Julia certified the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship net zero carbon since inception in 2020 – the first sport in the world to achieve the standard. 

While developing and implementing the sustainability strategy at Formula E, Julia has overseen a range of significant achievements that establishes Formula E’s credentials as a leader of sustainability in tier-one sport. 

Julia is also Sustainability Advisor for Extreme E and E1, respectively the all-electric SUVs series and the all-electric boat series. 

Before joining Formula E, Julia was the Sustainability Executive at Michelin Motorsport.

Oluseyi (Seyi) Smith is a retired two-time Canadian summer (London-2012) and winter (Pyeongchang-2018) Olympian in athletics and bobsleigh. His sporting career spanned 16 years and included representing Canada multiple times beyond the Olympic Games.

Outside of sport, Seyi is a professional engineer with a speciality in renewable energy electricity generation. His passion for environmental sustainability along with his love for sport led him to found Racing to Zero, a sports focused environmental sustainability consultancy. His team of retired Olympians and sustainability professionals offer sustainability education, carbon inventories and sustainability strategy support to local, regional and national sports organisations in Canada.

As a Director of Social Responsibility & Sustainability for the NBA, Annie oversees social impact platforms and partnerships across the NBA and its affiliate leagues. Annie leads NBA Green – the league’s environmental sustainability platform. Under her leadership, the NBA has implemented a tracking and mitigation program focused on reducing greenhouse gas impacts as well as environmental awareness campaigns and programs for venues, partners, teams, colleagues, and fans. Annie launched the league’s internal Green Working Group, growing to represent 29 internal departments with collaboration across all 18 of the NBA’s international offices. She led the NBA in becoming the first professional sports league in North America to sign the UN Sport For Climate Action Framework, spearheaded the NBA’s first baseline carbon footprint analysis in 2022 for scopes 1, 2, and 3, and led the public disclosure of the league’s findings. Annie frequently speaks on the NBA’s sustainability efforts at industry leadership events, including at SXSW, the UN Goals House, Sport Positive and the Carbon Newbie Summit.

Peter has been the General Manager – Facilities with the Melbourne Cricket Club since 2006, and as such is responsible for one of the world’s largest sporting stadiums, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Peter is responsible for the strategic and operational performance of the built assets at the MCG. He is also responsible for the MCC’s environmental sustainability initiatives which have led to the MCG becoming one of the world’s most sustainable stadiums.

Peter’s expertise in stadium operations has been called upon by the West Australian Government to provide operational advice during the design process for the New Perth Stadium (now Optus Stadium) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.

Peter is a founding member of the Sports Environment Alliance and its immediate past Chairperson and a past member of Deakin University Sports Management Industry Advisory Board.

Julie is an experienced sustainability professional with a particular focus on challenging strategies, management and strategic social, environmental, economic and ethical advice for a wide variety of international projects. She has led teams in several offices and oversees initiatives in other areas where innovative solutions are provided to resolve particularly challenging strategies and projects. She has worked on numerous projects abroad including in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Oceania, North America, South America and the Bahamas.

Julie has facilitated workshops and been invited as a guest speaker at international conferences and has facilitated strategic meetings with government officials, NGOs and opinion formers. She works as an existing relationship manager with UN Agencies and has a thorough understanding of how societies and their institutions, economies and environments interact to influence sustainable development and the adaptability of livelihoods and communities to both environmental and political change.

Julie has a particular focus on leading the delivery of net zero strategies within highly complex environments and organisations.

Dr. Jessica Murfree is an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration and Hyde Family Foundation Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Murfree studies the effects of climate change on sport through societal implications of climate risks and environmental disparities. Her expertise has informed organisations like UNEP, Climate Week NYC, Climate Central and Ocean Conservancy. She has presented on climate and environmental justice at Sport Positive Summit and has advised organisations including the Green Sports Alliance, Texas A&M Athletics, the Pac 12, and jr. NBA. and the Sport Positive Summit. She has contributed to sport industry conversations in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Scientific American, and The Athletic. She is a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports Honoree, and she earned Yale University’s School of Public Health Certificate in Climate Change and Health.

Tiberio is Associate Professor in Sustainability Management at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, a public University located in Pisa, Italy. His research interests range from corporate environmental management to sustainable consumption and production, from Environmental performance and LCA to circular economy. He is author of more than 60 international publications and project manager of numerous international projects funded mainly by European Commission. At Sant’Anna University he coordinates the Sport Sustainability Management research area, focused on environmental sustainability activities applied in different sports like Football, Biathlon, Athletics, Floorball, Canoeing, Sailing.

Michele is UEFA Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability, appointed in January 2021. 

He has dedicated an entire career to professional sport in several contexts, disciplines and environments. He has performed the role of CEO in sports organisations such as the Italian Football Association (FIGC), the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), professional football clubs (Parma and Lazio), basketball club (Lottomatica Roma) and volleyball clubs (Bologna, Treviso and Matera), as well as Deputy Commissioner in Italian Serie A football league. 

Between 2017 and 2020 he was UEFA Vice-president, Chairman of Club Licensing Committee and member of several UEFA Committee: Finance, Club Competition SA, Strategic Steering, Professional Football Strategic, Women. 

Author of six books on sport and football industry, he is currently a lecturer for several master’s organised by international and Italian universities.

Madeleine is a researcher, educator and advocate working at the intersection of sport and climate change. After earning her PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2020 and a postdoc in strategy at University of British Columbia, Maddy joined the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough University London where she developed the world’s first MSc in Sustainable Sport Business. She joined the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor in fall 2023.

Maddy is the founder and co-director of The Sport Ecology Group, an international consortium of academics who drive climate action in the sport sector through research and public education initiatives. Her research in sport ecology examines the impacts of climate change on the sport sector, with a focus on resilience and adaptation. She has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and several industry-facing reports that have gained global attention. Her work has been covered by the BBC, Time Magazine, ESPN, Sky Sports, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, and more. Her first book Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sports (for Bloomsbury) will publish in 2024.

A sustainability and legal professional with experience across mining, construction, transport, banking, real estate, and hospitality. Prince has held roles at AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont Mining Corporation and Barclays Bank. Currently, he’s the CEO of SUCCA Africa in Accra, Ghana, offering global management consultancy with a focus on Sustainability/ESG and human-oriented capital projects. Prince holds memberships in the Ghana Bar and Ghana Institution of Engineering. He’s a certified ISO 14001 lead auditor, GRI Trainer, and Sustainability/Climate Risk Professional (GARP). Additionally, he leads the green football project in Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA).

Mie Kajikawa FRSAMie is an award-winning social entrepreneur who provides social responsibility consulting for pro sports in Japan with experiences with the NBA and global sports. Previously she worked with Tokyo 2016 Bid after earning her Master’s in Sport Administration from Ohio University.  Through Sport For Smile, the first-ever platform in Japan harnessing the power of sport for social change, which collaborated with UN and World Bank, while receiving HEROs Award,  Mie has driven sustainability in Japanese sports and served as a BBC Green Sport Awards judge. She is also selected as a FIBA Foundation Advisory Committee Member for the 2023-2027 term.

Dr Sheila Nguyen’s 20+ years of service to our natural world- via sport- has been recognised with the Honorary Lifetime Member award from the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) and as an Australian Financial Review Top 100 Women of Influence (2019).  
  
She successfully delivered the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Sustainability Strategy as the tournament’s Head of Sustainability and is the Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of the Sports Environment Alliance, the coalition of sport and planet leaders in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand working to protect the places where we play so we can continue to do what we love-watch and play sport.

Seán is the Climate Justice Officer with Bohemians – a first in the world of football. He works with the club to design climate responses that can be both led by and empower the club’s fans and their communities. He also works as the secretariat member with responsibility for strategy with the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative – a global coalition of organisations working to secure children’s right to a safe and healthy environment.

He has supported the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in the development of authoritative guidance to States on the protection of children’s rights with respect to the environment and climate change. Previously he worked with the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, in seeking to advance climate justice within the UN system and subsequently authored The People’s Transition: Community-led Development for Climate Justice with the European Foundation for Progressive Studies and the Think Tank for Action on Social Change.

Guillermo founded and has been Director of Acting Green Forum since 2021. A specialist in marketing and sports tourism, with more than 30 years’ experience, with the concern and challenge of professionalising the sports industry mainly in the southern hemisphere and promoting the importance of sports as a platform to achieve the goals of the SDGs, and the fight against climate change working with all stakeholders from athletes to leaders.

Allen is the official Sustainability Advisor to the NBA Green program and serves as Environmental Science Advisor to the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Clippers and Major League Soccer.

Dr. Hershkowitz is widely acknowledged to have created the movement to leverage sports to promote sustainability and, as the world faces its greatest climate emergency, he serves on the Steering Committee of UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action Framework. He led the effort to create the US-based Green Sports Alliance as well as Sport and Sustainability International. He also created the environmental
program for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars telecasts, as well as the environmental program for the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Awards. In 2022 Dr. Hershkowitz was listed by Sports Business Journal among its short list of “Executives to Know in Sports Sustainability.”

Kevin is a professor at the Department of Kinesiology of National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan, R. O. C. He specialises in sports marketing, event management, and sports policy. He has been intensively involved in international multi-sport events, including the Kaohsiung World Games 2009, Taipei Deaflympics 2009, and the Taipei Universiade, and now is helping the World Master Games 2025. He and his team are also deeply passionate about environmental sustainability and committed to 
taking concrete actions to mitigate climate change.

A seasoned IT professional, Brian worked with various international organisations, including the World Organisation of the Scout Movement and the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2018, he set up The Football Foundation for Africa to help create a sustainable business model for the African football industry. As a passionate follower, he deeply understands the global football industry and is keen to see the sport improve the livelihoods of youths in Africa and globally. Brian is also the convenor of the Africa Football Business Summit. Brian is an accomplished speaker and has been featured in various local and international media.

Stefan is Managing Director at Wagner – office for CSR, marketing and communications and Marketing Initiator and 1 st Chairman of Sports for Future e.V.

After studying economics, holding positions at the T-Mobile Team (cycling) and HSV (Bundesliga Club Hamburg) as well as the HSV foundation “Der Hamburger Weg”, Stefan trained as a CSR manager and has since focused on strategy development and advice on the topic of sustainability. Stefan works with companies in the district of Vechta and in sports for Darmstadt 98, the Climate Arena, Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Osnabrück, the German Ice Hockey League, Adler Mannheim and the German Football Association, among others.

At TSG Hoffenheim he has been responsible for the corporate development department since 2017, in which sustainability is a central anchor.

Stefan founded Sports for Future in 2019 and in 2023 initiated the international non-profit platform “SPORTS20” as a framework for a fully transformed sports world.

After studies at University of Miami in Sport Administration & International Relations, Tony volunteered and interned at ATP and PGA Tour events in the U.S. and MLB International in Australia. He gained further international exposure working at multiple Olympic Games (Brazil, South Korea and Japan), collaborating with Olympic and Organising Committees. These experiences helped develop an awareness of sport’s potential for positive change, leading him to pursue a master’s in Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Now at GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, Rony works on partnerships and international relations projects to drive sustainability, climate action and nature restoration in and through golf.

Aileen is Chair of the Green Sports Alliance and Founder of 5 Tool Sports Group, certified B Corp.  Aileen has spent a career in brand strategy and market intelligence, and is a global thought leader in aligning sports revenue models and partnerships to the environmental, social and economic realities of today. 

Aileen began her career in Europe, with FIAT and Alfa Romeo, followed by a decade in technology before returning to sport. Her field of play has included the Winter Olympic Games, Tour de France, Major and Minor League Baseball, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Major League Soccer, the NHL, motorsports and multiple World Cups in alpine sports and cycling.  On the brand side, she has worked with Mercedes Benz, GM, EA Sports and Microsoft.  Aileen serves on the Boards of Equal Play FC and the Women’s Independent Soccer League (U.S.) and as an Advisor to Women in Sports Technology and the Sports Ecology Group.  On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, she was named a Sports Business Journal Gamechanger, for her pioneering work in socially and environmentally responsible sports management.

Dave is BBC Sport’s first Editorial Sustainability Lead, a role created to boost editorial coverage of environmental sport issues as well as play an active role in the BBC’s own path towards net zero and beyond. 

Prior to this role Dave was a sports journalist and producer for many years and before that politics and news. 

His main focus for BBC continues to be a journalistic one, related to sport and climate. His recent stories include exclusives on Premier League flights, the Qatar World Cup, UEFA expansion and the crisis sport faces from air and water pollution. 

Haruki is Executive Director of Green Sports Alliance Japan. In collaboration with Green Sports Alliance in North America, he founded the Japanese chapter of Green Sports Alliance with six other good-will individuals in 2018 for the purpose of rebuilding fields of sense around sports and translating them to other sectors in Japan. Prior to starting the new chapter, Haruki developed his international business development skills in a trading and investment company in Japan, Mitsubishi Corporation, and a Swiss-based trading company, Litasco.

Haruki holds a Bachelor of Economics from Kyoto University (2002) and enrolled in a doctorate course at Graduate School of Mie University, Faculty of Bioresources to research on development of green transition technologies using locally available bio-resources (2021-2024). 

With an academic background, Russell started work in the sports sector through a convoluted career path and soon realised that the sport sector had significant environmental impacts, was being impacted by environmental changes and, importantly, had an opportunity to raise awareness by using the powerful influence of sport. With this in mind, he set up BASIS, the UK’s trade body for sustainability and sport, in 2010, bringing together like-minded individuals at all levels of sport, to share ideas, experiences and strategies around sustainability. Russell is now a Senior Enterprise Fellow in the Institute of Sport Business at Loughborough University in London and course director for the MSc Sustainable Sport Business course.

Double Paralympic medallist Alexandra Rickham has been working in sustainability in the sport sector as a consultant since retiring from full time competition in 2017. She combines her academic knowledge and insight with her practical experience in competitive sport and environmental operations to focus both on changing the sports industry and its practices, and on utilising sport’s platform to inspire change. Alexandra is very passionate about diversity and inclusion and ensuring the athlete’s voice is heard on sustainability and regularly participates on panels, podcasts and other speaking opportunities on these subjects.

Meredith recently joined IUCN as Programme Leader – Sports for Nature, leading the long-term strategy and implementation of the initiative to engage sport organisations to contribute to the global goals for biodiversity. 

Meredith brings more than 15 years of experience in international sports business, sponsorship marketing, and events. She has worked on Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup and Women’s World Cup tournaments, Formula 1, Expo 2020 Dubai, and a variety of U.S. professional sports. Prior to IUCN, Meredith led the Sustainable Sport Index (SSI), a survey and benchmarking report published by APTIM, a U.S.-based environmental and sustainability services firm. 

David is a professional footballer for Wycombe Wanderers FC in EFL League 1, the first Sustainability Champion for the players union the PFA, and an ambassador for sustainability in football charity Football For Future and Planet League. 

David has used his position to promote better sustainability practices within the organisations he represents, whilst publicly calling out FIFA and UEFA for not showing the climate leadership that football needs. He was part of setting up a sustainability strategy and an EV scheme at Wycombe Wanderers, and hosting a workshop on sustainability and climate change for footballers with Football For Future.

Lindita leads work on sectors engagement in climate action as part of UN Climate Change wider Global Climate Action work. She led development of both Sports for Climate Action and Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and works closely with a variety of stakeholders to mobilise key actors and catalyse ambitious action towards decarbonisation. Before joining UN Climate Change, Lindita worked in public relations and coordinated projects promoting multi-stakeholder engagement in policy and sustainability. Lindita has an educational background in engineering, international relations and global energy & climate policy.

Omar is the Vice President, Industry Growth and Sustainability at the NHL. He leads initiatives focused on innovations and business strategies that are geared to address the future of hockey at the grassroots level by increasing youth hockey participation and fan avidity. He also leads NHL Green, the award-winning and globally acclaimed environmental sustainability initiative of the League.

Mitchell joined the NHL in 2012 as its first environmental sustainability director, and has led corporate social responsibility, public affairs and philanthropic efforts including management of the NHL’s Foundations. Omar holds an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, a Master of Architecture from Columbia University in the City of New York and is a lifelong Florida Gator.

Julia Pallé is a leading expert on sustainability in motorsport and the international elite sport industry. In her role at the world’s first all-electric motor racing series, Julia certified the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship net zero carbon since inception in 2020 – the first sport in the world to achieve the standard. 

While developing and implementing the sustainability strategy at Formula E, Julia has overseen a range of significant achievements that establishes Formula E’s credentials as a leader of sustainability in tier-one sport. 

Julia is also Sustainability Advisor for Extreme E and E1, respectively the all-electric SUVs series and the all-electric boat series. 

Before joining Formula E, Julia was the Sustainability Executive at Michelin Motorsport.

Oluseyi (Seyi) Smith is a retired two-time Canadian summer (London-2012) and winter (Pyeongchang-2018) Olympian in athletics and bobsleigh. His sporting career spanned 16 years and included representing Canada multiple times beyond the Olympic Games.

Outside of sport, Seyi is a professional engineer with a speciality in renewable energy electricity generation. His passion for environmental sustainability along with his love for sport led him to found Racing to Zero, a sports focused environmental sustainability consultancy. His team of retired Olympians and sustainability professionals offer sustainability education, carbon inventories and sustainability strategy support to local, regional and national sports organisations in Canada.

As a Director of Social Responsibility & Sustainability for the NBA, Annie oversees social impact platforms and partnerships across the NBA and its affiliate leagues. Annie leads NBA Green – the league’s environmental sustainability platform. Under her leadership, the NBA has implemented a tracking and mitigation program focused on reducing greenhouse gas impacts as well as environmental awareness campaigns and programs for venues, partners, teams, colleagues, and fans. Annie launched the league’s internal Green Working Group, growing to represent 29 internal departments with collaboration across all 18 of the NBA’s international offices. She led the NBA in becoming the first professional sports league in North America to sign the UN Sport For Climate Action Framework, spearheaded the NBA’s first baseline carbon footprint analysis in 2022 for scopes 1, 2, and 3, and led the public disclosure of the league’s findings. Annie frequently speaks on the NBA’s sustainability efforts at industry leadership events, including at SXSW, the UN Goals House, Sport Positive and the Carbon Newbie Summit.

Peter has been the General Manager – Facilities with the Melbourne Cricket Club since 2006, and as such is responsible for one of the world’s largest sporting stadiums, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Peter is responsible for the strategic and operational performance of the built assets at the MCG. He is also responsible for the MCC’s environmental sustainability initiatives which have led to the MCG becoming one of the world’s most sustainable stadiums.

Peter’s expertise in stadium operations has been called upon by the West Australian Government to provide operational advice during the design process for the New Perth Stadium (now Optus Stadium) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.

Peter is a founding member of the Sports Environment Alliance and its immediate past Chairperson and a past member of Deakin University Sports Management Industry Advisory Board.

Julie is an experienced sustainability professional with a particular focus on challenging strategies, management and strategic social, environmental, economic and ethical advice for a wide variety of international projects. She has led teams in several offices and oversees initiatives in other areas where innovative solutions are provided to resolve particularly challenging strategies and projects. She has worked on numerous projects abroad including in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Oceania, North America, South America and the Bahamas.

Julie has facilitated workshops and been invited as a guest speaker at international conferences and has facilitated strategic meetings with government officials, NGOs and opinion formers. She works as an existing relationship manager with UN Agencies and has a thorough understanding of how societies and their institutions, economies and environments interact to influence sustainable development and the adaptability of livelihoods and communities to both environmental and political change.

Julie has a particular focus on leading the delivery of net zero strategies within highly complex environments and organisations.

Dr. Jessica Murfree is an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration and Hyde Family Foundation Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Murfree studies the effects of climate change on sport through societal implications of climate risks and environmental disparities. Her expertise has informed organisations like UNEP, Climate Week NYC, Climate Central and Ocean Conservancy. She has presented on climate and environmental justice at Sport Positive Summit and has advised organisations including the Green Sports Alliance, Texas A&M Athletics, the Pac 12, and jr. NBA. and the Sport Positive Summit. She has contributed to sport industry conversations in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Scientific American, and The Athletic. She is a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports Honoree, and she earned Yale University’s School of Public Health Certificate in Climate Change and Health.

Tiberio is Associate Professor in Sustainability Management at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, a public University located in Pisa, Italy. His research interests range from corporate environmental management to sustainable consumption and production, from Environmental performance and LCA to circular economy. He is author of more than 60 international publications and project manager of numerous international projects funded mainly by European Commission. At Sant’Anna University he coordinates the Sport Sustainability Management research area, focused on environmental sustainability activities applied in different sports like Football, Biathlon, Athletics, Floorball, Canoeing, Sailing.

Michele is UEFA Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability, appointed in January 2021. 

He has dedicated an entire career to professional sport in several contexts, disciplines and environments. He has performed the role of CEO in sports organisations such as the Italian Football Association (FIGC), the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), professional football clubs (Parma and Lazio), basketball club (Lottomatica Roma) and volleyball clubs (Bologna, Treviso and Matera), as well as Deputy Commissioner in Italian Serie A football league. 

Between 2017 and 2020 he was UEFA Vice-president, Chairman of Club Licensing Committee and member of several UEFA Committee: Finance, Club Competition SA, Strategic Steering, Professional Football Strategic, Women. 

Author of six books on sport and football industry, he is currently a lecturer for several master’s organised by international and Italian universities.

Madeleine is a researcher, educator and advocate working at the intersection of sport and climate change. After earning her PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2020 and a postdoc in strategy at University of British Columbia, Maddy joined the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough University London where she developed the world’s first MSc in Sustainable Sport Business. She joined the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor in fall 2023.

Maddy is the founder and co-director of The Sport Ecology Group, an international consortium of academics who drive climate action in the sport sector through research and public education initiatives. Her research in sport ecology examines the impacts of climate change on the sport sector, with a focus on resilience and adaptation. She has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and several industry-facing reports that have gained global attention. Her work has been covered by the BBC, Time Magazine, ESPN, Sky Sports, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, and more. Her first book Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sports (for Bloomsbury) will publish in 2024.

A sustainability and legal professional with experience across mining, construction, transport, banking, real estate, and hospitality. Prince has held roles at AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont Mining Corporation and Barclays Bank. Currently, he’s the CEO of SUCCA Africa in Accra, Ghana, offering global management consultancy with a focus on Sustainability/ESG and human-oriented capital projects. Prince holds memberships in the Ghana Bar and Ghana Institution of Engineering. He’s a certified ISO 14001 lead auditor, GRI Trainer, and Sustainability/Climate Risk Professional (GARP). Additionally, he leads the green football project in Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA).

Mie Kajikawa FRSAMie is an award-winning social entrepreneur who provides social responsibility consulting for pro sports in Japan with experiences with the NBA and global sports. Previously she worked with Tokyo 2016 Bid after earning her Master’s in Sport Administration from Ohio University.  Through Sport For Smile, the first-ever platform in Japan harnessing the power of sport for social change, which collaborated with UN and World Bank, while receiving HEROs Award,  Mie has driven sustainability in Japanese sports and served as a BBC Green Sport Awards judge. She is also selected as a FIBA Foundation Advisory Committee Member for the 2023-2027 term.

Dr Sheila Nguyen’s 20+ years of service to our natural world- via sport- has been recognised with the Honorary Lifetime Member award from the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) and as an Australian Financial Review Top 100 Women of Influence (2019).  
  
She successfully delivered the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Sustainability Strategy as the tournament’s Head of Sustainability and is the Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of the Sports Environment Alliance, the coalition of sport and planet leaders in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand working to protect the places where we play so we can continue to do what we love-watch and play sport.

Seán is the Climate Justice Officer with Bohemians – a first in the world of football. He works with the club to design climate responses that can be both led by and empower the club’s fans and their communities. He also works as the secretariat member with responsibility for strategy with the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative – a global coalition of organisations working to secure children’s right to a safe and healthy environment.

He has supported the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in the development of authoritative guidance to States on the protection of children’s rights with respect to the environment and climate change. Previously he worked with the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, in seeking to advance climate justice within the UN system and subsequently authored The People’s Transition: Community-led Development for Climate Justice with the European Foundation for Progressive Studies and the Think Tank for Action on Social Change.

Guillermo founded and has been Director of Acting Green Forum since 2021. A specialist in marketing and sports tourism, with more than 30 years’ experience, with the concern and challenge of professionalising the sports industry mainly in the southern hemisphere and promoting the importance of sports as a platform to achieve the goals of the SDGs, and the fight against climate change working with all stakeholders from athletes to leaders.

Allen is the official Sustainability Advisor to the NBA Green program and serves as Environmental Science Advisor to the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Clippers and Major League Soccer.

Dr. Hershkowitz is widely acknowledged to have created the movement to leverage sports to promote sustainability and, as the world faces its greatest climate emergency, he serves on the Steering Committee of UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action Framework. He led the effort to create the US-based Green Sports Alliance as well as Sport and Sustainability International. He also created the environmental
program for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars telecasts, as well as the environmental program for the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Awards. In 2022 Dr. Hershkowitz was listed by Sports Business Journal among its short list of “Executives to Know in Sports Sustainability.”

Kevin is a professor at the Department of Kinesiology of National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan, R. O. C. He specialises in sports marketing, event management, and sports policy. He has been intensively involved in international multi-sport events, including the Kaohsiung World Games 2009, Taipei Deaflympics 2009, and the Taipei Universiade, and now is helping the World Master Games 2025. He and his team are also deeply passionate about environmental sustainability and committed to 
taking concrete actions to mitigate climate change.

A seasoned IT professional, Brian worked with various international organisations, including the World Organisation of the Scout Movement and the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2018, he set up The Football Foundation for Africa to help create a sustainable business model for the African football industry. As a passionate follower, he deeply understands the global football industry and is keen to see the sport improve the livelihoods of youths in Africa and globally. Brian is also the convenor of the Africa Football Business Summit. Brian is an accomplished speaker and has been featured in various local and international media.

Stefan is Managing Director at Wagner – office for CSR, marketing and communications and Marketing Initiator and 1 st Chairman of Sports for Future e.V.

After studying economics, holding positions at the T-Mobile Team (cycling) and HSV (Bundesliga Club Hamburg) as well as the HSV foundation “Der Hamburger Weg”, Stefan trained as a CSR manager and has since focused on strategy development and advice on the topic of sustainability. Stefan works with companies in the district of Vechta and in sports for Darmstadt 98, the Climate Arena, Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Osnabrück, the German Ice Hockey League, Adler Mannheim and the German Football Association, among others.

At TSG Hoffenheim he has been responsible for the corporate development department since 2017, in which sustainability is a central anchor.

Stefan founded Sports for Future in 2019 and in 2023 initiated the international non-profit platform “SPORTS20” as a framework for a fully transformed sports world.

After studies at University of Miami in Sport Administration & International Relations, Tony volunteered and interned at ATP and PGA Tour events in the U.S. and MLB International in Australia. He gained further international exposure working at multiple Olympic Games (Brazil, South Korea and Japan), collaborating with Olympic and Organising Committees. These experiences helped develop an awareness of sport’s potential for positive change, leading him to pursue a master’s in Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Now at GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, Rony works on partnerships and international relations projects to drive sustainability, climate action and nature restoration in and through golf.

Aileen is Chair of the Green Sports Alliance and Founder of 5 Tool Sports Group, certified B Corp.  Aileen has spent a career in brand strategy and market intelligence, and is a global thought leader in aligning sports revenue models and partnerships to the environmental, social and economic realities of today. 

Aileen began her career in Europe, with FIAT and Alfa Romeo, followed by a decade in technology before returning to sport. Her field of play has included the Winter Olympic Games, Tour de France, Major and Minor League Baseball, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Major League Soccer, the NHL, motorsports and multiple World Cups in alpine sports and cycling.  On the brand side, she has worked with Mercedes Benz, GM, EA Sports and Microsoft.  Aileen serves on the Boards of Equal Play FC and the Women’s Independent Soccer League (U.S.) and as an Advisor to Women in Sports Technology and the Sports Ecology Group.  On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, she was named a Sports Business Journal Gamechanger, for her pioneering work in socially and environmentally responsible sports management.

Dave is BBC Sport’s first Editorial Sustainability Lead, a role created to boost editorial coverage of environmental sport issues as well as play an active role in the BBC’s own path towards net zero and beyond. 

Prior to this role Dave was a sports journalist and producer for many years and before that politics and news. 

His main focus for BBC continues to be a journalistic one, related to sport and climate. His recent stories include exclusives on Premier League flights, the Qatar World Cup, UEFA expansion and the crisis sport faces from air and water pollution. 

Haruki is Executive Director of Green Sports Alliance Japan. In collaboration with Green Sports Alliance in North America, he founded the Japanese chapter of Green Sports Alliance with six other good-will individuals in 2018 for the purpose of rebuilding fields of sense around sports and translating them to other sectors in Japan. Prior to starting the new chapter, Haruki developed his international business development skills in a trading and investment company in Japan, Mitsubishi Corporation, and a Swiss-based trading company, Litasco.

Haruki holds a Bachelor of Economics from Kyoto University (2002) and enrolled in a doctorate course at Graduate School of Mie University, Faculty of Bioresources to research on development of green transition technologies using locally available bio-resources (2021-2024). 

With an academic background, Russell started work in the sports sector through a convoluted career path and soon realised that the sport sector had significant environmental impacts, was being impacted by environmental changes and, importantly, had an opportunity to raise awareness by using the powerful influence of sport. With this in mind, he set up BASIS, the UK’s trade body for sustainability and sport, in 2010, bringing together like-minded individuals at all levels of sport, to share ideas, experiences and strategies around sustainability. Russell is now a Senior Enterprise Fellow in the Institute of Sport Business at Loughborough University in London and course director for the MSc Sustainable Sport Business course.

Double Paralympic medallist Alexandra Rickham has been working in sustainability in the sport sector as a consultant since retiring from full time competition in 2017. She combines her academic knowledge and insight with her practical experience in competitive sport and environmental operations to focus both on changing the sports industry and its practices, and on utilising sport’s platform to inspire change. Alexandra is very passionate about diversity and inclusion and ensuring the athlete’s voice is heard on sustainability and regularly participates on panels, podcasts and other speaking opportunities on these subjects.

Meredith recently joined IUCN as Programme Leader – Sports for Nature, leading the long-term strategy and implementation of the initiative to engage sport organisations to contribute to the global goals for biodiversity. 

Meredith brings more than 15 years of experience in international sports business, sponsorship marketing, and events. She has worked on Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup and Women’s World Cup tournaments, Formula 1, Expo 2020 Dubai, and a variety of U.S. professional sports. Prior to IUCN, Meredith led the Sustainable Sport Index (SSI), a survey and benchmarking report published by APTIM, a U.S.-based environmental and sustainability services firm. 

David is a professional footballer for Wycombe Wanderers FC in EFL League 1, the first Sustainability Champion for the players union the PFA, and an ambassador for sustainability in football charity Football For Future and Planet League. 

David has used his position to promote better sustainability practices within the organisations he represents, whilst publicly calling out FIFA and UEFA for not showing the climate leadership that football needs. He was part of setting up a sustainability strategy and an EV scheme at Wycombe Wanderers, and hosting a workshop on sustainability and climate change for footballers with Football For Future.

Lindita leads work on sectors engagement in climate action as part of UN Climate Change wider Global Climate Action work. She led development of both Sports for Climate Action and Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and works closely with a variety of stakeholders to mobilise key actors and catalyse ambitious action towards decarbonisation. Before joining UN Climate Change, Lindita worked in public relations and coordinated projects promoting multi-stakeholder engagement in policy and sustainability. Lindita has an educational background in engineering, international relations and global energy & climate policy.

Omar is the Vice President, Industry Growth and Sustainability at the NHL. He leads initiatives focused on innovations and business strategies that are geared to address the future of hockey at the grassroots level by increasing youth hockey participation and fan avidity. He also leads NHL Green, the award-winning and globally acclaimed environmental sustainability initiative of the League.

Mitchell joined the NHL in 2012 as its first environmental sustainability director, and has led corporate social responsibility, public affairs and philanthropic efforts including management of the NHL’s Foundations. Omar holds an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, a Master of Architecture from Columbia University in the City of New York and is a lifelong Florida Gator.

Julia Pallé is a leading expert on sustainability in motorsport and the international elite sport industry. In her role at the world’s first all-electric motor racing series, Julia certified the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship net zero carbon since inception in 2020 – the first sport in the world to achieve the standard. 

While developing and implementing the sustainability strategy at Formula E, Julia has overseen a range of significant achievements that establishes Formula E’s credentials as a leader of sustainability in tier-one sport. 

Julia is also Sustainability Advisor for Extreme E and E1, respectively the all-electric SUVs series and the all-electric boat series. 

Before joining Formula E, Julia was the Sustainability Executive at Michelin Motorsport.

Oluseyi (Seyi) Smith is a retired two-time Canadian summer (London-2012) and winter (Pyeongchang-2018) Olympian in athletics and bobsleigh. His sporting career spanned 16 years and included representing Canada multiple times beyond the Olympic Games.

Outside of sport, Seyi is a professional engineer with a speciality in renewable energy electricity generation. His passion for environmental sustainability along with his love for sport led him to found Racing to Zero, a sports focused environmental sustainability consultancy. His team of retired Olympians and sustainability professionals offer sustainability education, carbon inventories and sustainability strategy support to local, regional and national sports organisations in Canada.

As a Director of Social Responsibility & Sustainability for the NBA, Annie oversees social impact platforms and partnerships across the NBA and its affiliate leagues. Annie leads NBA Green – the league’s environmental sustainability platform. Under her leadership, the NBA has implemented a tracking and mitigation program focused on reducing greenhouse gas impacts as well as environmental awareness campaigns and programs for venues, partners, teams, colleagues, and fans. Annie launched the league’s internal Green Working Group, growing to represent 29 internal departments with collaboration across all 18 of the NBA’s international offices. She led the NBA in becoming the first professional sports league in North America to sign the UN Sport For Climate Action Framework, spearheaded the NBA’s first baseline carbon footprint analysis in 2022 for scopes 1, 2, and 3, and led the public disclosure of the league’s findings. Annie frequently speaks on the NBA’s sustainability efforts at industry leadership events, including at SXSW, the UN Goals House, Sport Positive and the Carbon Newbie Summit.

Peter has been the General Manager – Facilities with the Melbourne Cricket Club since 2006, and as such is responsible for one of the world’s largest sporting stadiums, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Peter is responsible for the strategic and operational performance of the built assets at the MCG. He is also responsible for the MCC’s environmental sustainability initiatives which have led to the MCG becoming one of the world’s most sustainable stadiums.

Peter’s expertise in stadium operations has been called upon by the West Australian Government to provide operational advice during the design process for the New Perth Stadium (now Optus Stadium) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China for the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.

Peter is a founding member of the Sports Environment Alliance and its immediate past Chairperson and a past member of Deakin University Sports Management Industry Advisory Board.

Julie is an experienced sustainability professional with a particular focus on challenging strategies, management and strategic social, environmental, economic and ethical advice for a wide variety of international projects. She has led teams in several offices and oversees initiatives in other areas where innovative solutions are provided to resolve particularly challenging strategies and projects. She has worked on numerous projects abroad including in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Oceania, North America, South America and the Bahamas.

Julie has facilitated workshops and been invited as a guest speaker at international conferences and has facilitated strategic meetings with government officials, NGOs and opinion formers. She works as an existing relationship manager with UN Agencies and has a thorough understanding of how societies and their institutions, economies and environments interact to influence sustainable development and the adaptability of livelihoods and communities to both environmental and political change.

Julie has a particular focus on leading the delivery of net zero strategies within highly complex environments and organisations.

Dr. Jessica Murfree is an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration and Hyde Family Foundation Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Murfree studies the effects of climate change on sport through societal implications of climate risks and environmental disparities. Her expertise has informed organisations like UNEP, Climate Week NYC, Climate Central and Ocean Conservancy. She has presented on climate and environmental justice at Sport Positive Summit and has advised organisations including the Green Sports Alliance, Texas A&M Athletics, the Pac 12, and jr. NBA. and the Sport Positive Summit. She has contributed to sport industry conversations in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Scientific American, and The Athletic. She is a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports Honoree, and she earned Yale University’s School of Public Health Certificate in Climate Change and Health.

Tiberio is Associate Professor in Sustainability Management at Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, a public University located in Pisa, Italy. His research interests range from corporate environmental management to sustainable consumption and production, from Environmental performance and LCA to circular economy. He is author of more than 60 international publications and project manager of numerous international projects funded mainly by European Commission. At Sant’Anna University he coordinates the Sport Sustainability Management research area, focused on environmental sustainability activities applied in different sports like Football, Biathlon, Athletics, Floorball, Canoeing, Sailing.

Michele is UEFA Director of Social and Environmental Sustainability, appointed in January 2021. 

He has dedicated an entire career to professional sport in several contexts, disciplines and environments. He has performed the role of CEO in sports organisations such as the Italian Football Association (FIGC), the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), professional football clubs (Parma and Lazio), basketball club (Lottomatica Roma) and volleyball clubs (Bologna, Treviso and Matera), as well as Deputy Commissioner in Italian Serie A football league. 

Between 2017 and 2020 he was UEFA Vice-president, Chairman of Club Licensing Committee and member of several UEFA Committee: Finance, Club Competition SA, Strategic Steering, Professional Football Strategic, Women. 

Author of six books on sport and football industry, he is currently a lecturer for several master’s organised by international and Italian universities.

Madeleine is a researcher, educator and advocate working at the intersection of sport and climate change. After earning her PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2020 and a postdoc in strategy at University of British Columbia, Maddy joined the Institute for Sport Business at Loughborough University London where she developed the world’s first MSc in Sustainable Sport Business. She joined the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor in fall 2023.

Maddy is the founder and co-director of The Sport Ecology Group, an international consortium of academics who drive climate action in the sport sector through research and public education initiatives. Her research in sport ecology examines the impacts of climate change on the sport sector, with a focus on resilience and adaptation. She has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and several industry-facing reports that have gained global attention. Her work has been covered by the BBC, Time Magazine, ESPN, Sky Sports, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, and more. Her first book Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sports (for Bloomsbury) will publish in 2024.

A sustainability and legal professional with experience across mining, construction, transport, banking, real estate, and hospitality. Prince has held roles at AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont Mining Corporation and Barclays Bank. Currently, he’s the CEO of SUCCA Africa in Accra, Ghana, offering global management consultancy with a focus on Sustainability/ESG and human-oriented capital projects. Prince holds memberships in the Ghana Bar and Ghana Institution of Engineering. He’s a certified ISO 14001 lead auditor, GRI Trainer, and Sustainability/Climate Risk Professional (GARP). Additionally, he leads the green football project in Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA).

Mie Kajikawa FRSAMie is an award-winning social entrepreneur who provides social responsibility consulting for pro sports in Japan with experiences with the NBA and global sports. Previously she worked with Tokyo 2016 Bid after earning her Master’s in Sport Administration from Ohio University.  Through Sport For Smile, the first-ever platform in Japan harnessing the power of sport for social change, which collaborated with UN and World Bank, while receiving HEROs Award,  Mie has driven sustainability in Japanese sports and served as a BBC Green Sport Awards judge. She is also selected as a FIBA Foundation Advisory Committee Member for the 2023-2027 term.

Dr Sheila Nguyen’s 20+ years of service to our natural world- via sport- has been recognised with the Honorary Lifetime Member award from the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) and as an Australian Financial Review Top 100 Women of Influence (2019).  
  
She successfully delivered the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Sustainability Strategy as the tournament’s Head of Sustainability and is the Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of the Sports Environment Alliance, the coalition of sport and planet leaders in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand working to protect the places where we play so we can continue to do what we love-watch and play sport.

Seán is the Climate Justice Officer with Bohemians – a first in the world of football. He works with the club to design climate responses that can be both led by and empower the club’s fans and their communities. He also works as the secretariat member with responsibility for strategy with the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative – a global coalition of organisations working to secure children’s right to a safe and healthy environment.

He has supported the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in the development of authoritative guidance to States on the protection of children’s rights with respect to the environment and climate change. Previously he worked with the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, in seeking to advance climate justice within the UN system and subsequently authored The People’s Transition: Community-led Development for Climate Justice with the European Foundation for Progressive Studies and the Think Tank for Action on Social Change.

Guillermo founded and has been Director of Acting Green Forum since 2021. A specialist in marketing and sports tourism, with more than 30 years’ experience, with the concern and challenge of professionalising the sports industry mainly in the southern hemisphere and promoting the importance of sports as a platform to achieve the goals of the SDGs, and the fight against climate change working with all stakeholders from athletes to leaders.

Allen is the official Sustainability Advisor to the NBA Green program and serves as Environmental Science Advisor to the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Clippers and Major League Soccer.

Dr. Hershkowitz is widely acknowledged to have created the movement to leverage sports to promote sustainability and, as the world faces its greatest climate emergency, he serves on the Steering Committee of UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action Framework. He led the effort to create the US-based Green Sports Alliance as well as Sport and Sustainability International. He also created the environmental
program for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars telecasts, as well as the environmental program for the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Awards. In 2022 Dr. Hershkowitz was listed by Sports Business Journal among its short list of “Executives to Know in Sports Sustainability.”

Kevin is a professor at the Department of Kinesiology of National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan, R. O. C. He specialises in sports marketing, event management, and sports policy. He has been intensively involved in international multi-sport events, including the Kaohsiung World Games 2009, Taipei Deaflympics 2009, and the Taipei Universiade, and now is helping the World Master Games 2025. He and his team are also deeply passionate about environmental sustainability and committed to 
taking concrete actions to mitigate climate change.

A seasoned IT professional, Brian worked with various international organisations, including the World Organisation of the Scout Movement and the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2018, he set up The Football Foundation for Africa to help create a sustainable business model for the African football industry. As a passionate follower, he deeply understands the global football industry and is keen to see the sport improve the livelihoods of youths in Africa and globally. Brian is also the convenor of the Africa Football Business Summit. Brian is an accomplished speaker and has been featured in various local and international media.

Stefan is Managing Director at Wagner – office for CSR, marketing and communications and Marketing Initiator and 1 st Chairman of Sports for Future e.V.

After studying economics, holding positions at the T-Mobile Team (cycling) and HSV (Bundesliga Club Hamburg) as well as the HSV foundation “Der Hamburger Weg”, Stefan trained as a CSR manager and has since focused on strategy development and advice on the topic of sustainability. Stefan works with companies in the district of Vechta and in sports for Darmstadt 98, the Climate Arena, Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Osnabrück, the German Ice Hockey League, Adler Mannheim and the German Football Association, among others.

At TSG Hoffenheim he has been responsible for the corporate development department since 2017, in which sustainability is a central anchor.

Stefan founded Sports for Future in 2019 and in 2023 initiated the international non-profit platform “SPORTS20” as a framework for a fully transformed sports world.

After studies at University of Miami in Sport Administration & International Relations, Tony volunteered and interned at ATP and PGA Tour events in the U.S. and MLB International in Australia. He gained further international exposure working at multiple Olympic Games (Brazil, South Korea and Japan), collaborating with Olympic and Organising Committees. These experiences helped develop an awareness of sport’s potential for positive change, leading him to pursue a master’s in Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Now at GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, Rony works on partnerships and international relations projects to drive sustainability, climate action and nature restoration in and through golf.

Aileen is Chair of the Green Sports Alliance and Founder of 5 Tool Sports Group, certified B Corp.  Aileen has spent a career in brand strategy and market intelligence, and is a global thought leader in aligning sports revenue models and partnerships to the environmental, social and economic realities of today. 

Aileen began her career in Europe, with FIAT and Alfa Romeo, followed by a decade in technology before returning to sport. Her field of play has included the Winter Olympic Games, Tour de France, Major and Minor League Baseball, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Major League Soccer, the NHL, motorsports and multiple World Cups in alpine sports and cycling.  On the brand side, she has worked with Mercedes Benz, GM, EA Sports and Microsoft.  Aileen serves on the Boards of Equal Play FC and the Women’s Independent Soccer League (U.S.) and as an Advisor to Women in Sports Technology and the Sports Ecology Group.  On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, she was named a Sports Business Journal Gamechanger, for her pioneering work in socially and environmentally responsible sports management.

Dave is BBC Sport’s first Editorial Sustainability Lead, a role created to boost editorial coverage of environmental sport issues as well as play an active role in the BBC’s own path towards net zero and beyond. 

Prior to this role Dave was a sports journalist and producer for many years and before that politics and news. 

His main focus for BBC continues to be a journalistic one, related to sport and climate. His recent stories include exclusives on Premier League flights, the Qatar World Cup, UEFA expansion and the crisis sport faces from air and water pollution. 

Haruki is Executive Director of Green Sports Alliance Japan. In collaboration with Green Sports Alliance in North America, he founded the Japanese chapter of Green Sports Alliance with six other good-will individuals in 2018 for the purpose of rebuilding fields of sense around sports and translating them to other sectors in Japan. Prior to starting the new chapter, Haruki developed his international business development skills in a trading and investment company in Japan, Mitsubishi Corporation, and a Swiss-based trading company, Litasco.

Haruki holds a Bachelor of Economics from Kyoto University (2002) and enrolled in a doctorate course at Graduate School of Mie University, Faculty of Bioresources to research on development of green transition technologies using locally available bio-resources (2021-2024). 

With an academic background, Russell started work in the sports sector through a convoluted career path and soon realised that the sport sector had significant environmental impacts, was being impacted by environmental changes and, importantly, had an opportunity to raise awareness by using the powerful influence of sport. With this in mind, he set up BASIS, the UK’s trade body for sustainability and sport, in 2010, bringing together like-minded individuals at all levels of sport, to share ideas, experiences and strategies around sustainability. Russell is now a Senior Enterprise Fellow in the Institute of Sport Business at Loughborough University in London and course director for the MSc Sustainable Sport Business course.

Double Paralympic medallist Alexandra Rickham has been working in sustainability in the sport sector as a consultant since retiring from full time competition in 2017. She combines her academic knowledge and insight with her practical experience in competitive sport and environmental operations to focus both on changing the sports industry and its practices, and on utilising sport’s platform to inspire change. Alexandra is very passionate about diversity and inclusion and ensuring the athlete’s voice is heard on sustainability and regularly participates on panels, podcasts and other speaking opportunities on these subjects.

Meredith recently joined IUCN as Programme Leader – Sports for Nature, leading the long-term strategy and implementation of the initiative to engage sport organisations to contribute to the global goals for biodiversity. 

Meredith brings more than 15 years of experience in international sports business, sponsorship marketing, and events. She has worked on Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup and Women’s World Cup tournaments, Formula 1, Expo 2020 Dubai, and a variety of U.S. professional sports. Prior to IUCN, Meredith led the Sustainable Sport Index (SSI), a survey and benchmarking report published by APTIM, a U.S.-based environmental and sustainability services firm. 

David is a professional footballer for Wycombe Wanderers FC in EFL League 1, the first Sustainability Champion for the players union the PFA, and an ambassador for sustainability in football charity Football For Future and Planet League. 

David has used his position to promote better sustainability practices within the organisations he represents, whilst publicly calling out FIFA and UEFA for not showing the climate leadership that football needs. He was part of setting up a sustainability strategy and an EV scheme at Wycombe Wanderers, and hosting a workshop on sustainability and climate change for footballers with Football For Future.