Sports has always been about escapism. Forgetting the outside world and being in a safe place to watch or play the sport you love.
Recently though, sports has been more vocal about social issues such as equality and diversity.
In a time when the climate emergency is at the front of many conversations, is it time sports took more responsibility in this area?
Claudia MacDonald, England and London Wasps rugby union player certainly thinks so.
‘I think I had always been interested in sustainability, but I definitely started to learn more about it at university….In my final year, I wrote my dissertation on Fair Trade, because I was really interested in the motivation behind buying Fair Trade products.’
Claudia went on to set up a website called ‘Let’s Talk 1%’ to try and create awareness of the little things that you can change.
She says:
‘In my mind, if you don’t know about the changes you can make, or it seems like a really foreign concept, then you’re not going to make those little changes…if people are unsure and feel like they don’t even know where to start, then they’ll turn their back and carry on doing what they’re doing.’
Claudia is leading by example and showing her fans and followers (and hopefully teammates) that if we all make small changes to our lives, over a period of time we can make a significant change.
She goes on to say that it is athletes’ responsibility to be asking questions:
‘Is sport sustainable? What changes can we make in the sports industry to help the environment? What can athletes and sports fans do to help?’
You can read more about Claudia MacDonald and her sustainable changes in a full interview carried out by Coreen Grant entitled ‘Sustainability and Sport: An Interview with Claudia MacDonald’.
Follow Claudia on Instagram @claud_macdonald.
‘Claudia has touched on exactly what we believe at Play It Green. Lots of small simple changes will lead to big changes over time. Sport is hugely influential and can play a key role in helping more people become sustainable. We have a unique and exciting offer for the sports sector that help everyone from the club to the planet. Congratulations to Claudia MacDonald for being a sustainability champion and role model ’
Chris Thair – CEO Play It Green.
If you want to have an instant impact through tree planting and take a gentle journey through weekly tips to a more sustainable future, you can join Play It Green by clicking the button below. Do your good deed for today, and tomorrow!
