Active Sussex backs new Environmental Sustainability Commitment

Active Sussex has signed up to the new Environmental Sustainability Commitment created by the Active Partnerships National Organisation.

The commitment, which all 43 Active Partnerships in England have backed, was created with input from representatives from across the network – also known as the Climate Crew. 

It will be embedded in Active Partnerships’ work to help everyone lead active lives and enjoy the benefits of sport, physical activity, and movement.

The network recognises the people who face the most significant inequality are most impacted by climate change and biodiversity loss, and as always, tackling these inequalities is at the top of its agenda.

Collectively, the Active Partnerships network is committing to unlocking the sector, strengthening the network and enabling each organisation to help combat climate change. 

It will focus on five key elements:

• Embedding Environmental Sustainability
• Joining the movement against climate change
• Designing and promoting more Active Environments
• Advocating for improved access to quality blue and green spaces
• Addressing inequality

The network’s Climate Crew Chair, David Gent, also CEO of Active Humber, said: “Despite the information that continues to be shared on climate change on a daily basis, as a society, we often choose to ignore it and not commit to do anything about it. 

“As a network, we are now clearly demonstrating our commitment to doing what we can to tackle this huge issue.

“This is not a new strategy, as we have Sport England’s Every Move Strategy, which was launched earlier this year, to guide the sector, but this is a commitment for us all to act now, and it brings to life what we intend to do and where we think we can have the biggest impact.”

The commitment was launched to the network at a connection event held late last year. As a panellist at that event, Sport England Chair Chris Boardman, who led his organisation’s launch of the Every Move Strategy earlier this year, took the opportunity to share his thoughts on the commitment.

Chris said: “The commitment has the potential to be country changing, especially as the Active Partnerships is a network of 1,000 people, so that is a lot of voices providing their support.

“Those of us that work in sport and physical activity are also embedded in communities and we are connected to more than 75,000 clubs, so when this sector decides to commit to something in this way, we can shine a light on what is and isn’t happening, and we can create a pressure for change. 

“Our commitment to tackling climate change needs to become an intrinsic part of everything we do.”

Because every local area is different, each Active Partnership must create its own local plan to implement the Environmental Sustainability Commitment.

Active Sussex has already started this process, and more information can be found on the website here: www.activesussex.org/about-us/environmental-social-governance/

Anthony Statham, the interim CEO at Active Sussex, said: “In Sussex, we are passionate about how we can work with our partners to ensure environmental sustainability is at the forefront of decisions made regarding physical activity.

“Research has shown that climate change impacts those already facing inequalities the most, and as our work is focused on making sure we break down barriers and help get everyone moving more across Sussex, making sure environmental sustainability is at the heart of everything we do is essential.”

You can read the full Environmental Sustainability Commitment now.