Empowering Climate Leadership: Transforming Sustainability in Sports

From moderating the Sports for Nature event at Paris 2024 to designing tailored training for Climate Action Officers in the OCEAN Project, our impactful programs accelerate climate action, foster collaboration, and inspire environmental stewardship.

Industry: Sports

I’ve had the honor to work with the International Olympic Committee on several occasions, three of which are highlighted in this case study:

  1. Moderating a Sports for Nature event in Paris 2024;

  2. Creating a tailored leadership development program for the OCEAN Project;

  3. Speaking at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne at the first-ever Athlete Town Hall.

I. Sports for Nature at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Sports for Nature is a joint initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations Environment Program (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.

My role in moderating the event, which hosted Olympic champions, representatives from the IOC and the French Ministry of Sports, as well as many leading National Olympic Committees and international sports federations, exemplifies the synergy between leadership coaching and sustainability, building on my expertise in driving cultural and operational shifts for climate action across sectors.

  • Trust and openness: Going into the event, I knew that creating trust was paramount to a successful outcome. Connecting over shared values, many new organizations reached out to Sports for Nature about becoming signatories of the framework.

  • Empowering through storytelling: By eliciting transformative stories, participants were able to inspire the audience to envision themselves and their organizations as environmental advocates.

Legacy of Paris 2024: The Games demonstrated how sports can pioneer sustainable practices, offering a blueprint for future events. Moderating the event underscored the transformative power of combining leadership coaching with sustainability. It reaffirmed my commitment to empowering leaders to champion climate action, leveraging sports as a global platform for change.

See more detailed information about the content of the Sports for Nature event in Paris, and visit the Sports for Nature’s blog.

II. The OCEAN Project - Tailored Leadership Development Program for Climate Action Officers

In collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the European National Olympic Committees, Lina and the coaches from Climate Executive Coaching, designed and delivered a leadership training program tailored for the Climate Action Officers (CAOs) of the OCEAN Project. This initiative supported 18 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), together with representatives from the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), in their ambitious journey toward carbon neutrality, addressing unique challenges while fostering a collaborative and action-driven community.

Challenges
The CAOs, tasked with implementing sustainability initiatives, faced significant obstacles:

  1. Resource Constraints: Limited budgets and insufficient tools.

  2. Leadership Barriers: Lack of executive buy-in and decision-making authority.

  3. Cultural Resistance: Skepticism and misinformation within organizations.

  4. Isolation: Limited peer networks for support and best practices sharing.

Program Design
The four-week program consisted of live online sessions, individual coaching, and peer-learning opportunities. It was structured into four distinct modules:

I - Leading for Sustainability in Sport

  • Skills: Resilience, decision-making, ownership across the value chain.

  • Tools: Scope 1, 2, & 3 emissions frameworks, decision-making strategies.

II - Change Management Skills

  • Skills: Conflict resolution, stakeholder engagement, communication strategies.

  • Tools: Techniques for fostering community and generating buy-in.

III - Culture Change and Storytelling

  • Skills: Building inclusivity, emotional intelligence, and influence.

  • Tools: Storytelling techniques using the Hero’s Journey framework and neuroscience insights.

IV - Sustainability Strategy and Partnerships

  • Skills: Partner engagement, navigating challenges, and business acumen.

  • Tools: Triple Bottom Line framework and tailored stakeholder plans.

The program featured dynamic, interactive learning through real-world case studies, hands-on exercises, and personalized feedback. Leveraging my extensive network, I brought in expert speakers from UN Climate Change, Salesforce, IOC Sustainability, and the International Hockey Federation to provide valuable insights. A key outcome was empowering Climate Action Officers to connect with the global sustainability movement, offering them vital support and renewed confidence in their mission.

“The training provided by Lina and her team ticked all the boxes: connection between participants, a sense of belonging to the project’s objectives, and confidence building for leading climate action.”
— Eva Rebmann, Deputy Director of the European Olympic Committees EU Office

III. IOC Athlete Town Hall

The first IOC Athlete Town Hall was held at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was broadcasted to Olympians and Paralympians all around the world, with the IOC President, Thomas Bach, making a special address.

With the goal of engaging Olympians and Paralympians, Lina delivered a 15-minute presentation and participated in multiple panels on topics ranging from transitioning from sports to business, creating purpose, and finding opportunities to serve.

Lina’s Reflections:

With the IOC President, Thomas Bach, signing the Olympic wall at the headquarters in Lausanne and receiving my Olympian Certificate.

Photo © IOC / Christophe Moratal

Working with the IOC has been an extraordinary journey, merging my passions for sports and sustainability with the immense potential of the Olympic movement to drive meaningful change. Collaborating with global leaders and change-makers has reinforced my belief in the power of collective action and the influence of sports to create a more sustainable future.

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