British Naturalist, Steve Backshall, joins Pedal for Paris with Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman, Chair of Sport England, has embarked on an epic eight-day bike ride from Manchester to Paris, to encourage action against climate change and shine a light on the inspirational people and innovative projects that are putting the environment first.
Steve Backshall MBE, British naturalist and explorer, and multiple Olympic medalist and UK Sport Chair, Katherine Grainger, joined Chris Boardman for the fifth leg of the Sport England’s Pedal for Paris bike ride. Pedal for Paris aims to encourage action against climate change and highlight the people and projects putting the environment first to benefit the next generation of budding young athletes and sport stars.
Boardman, Backshall and Grainger are pictured at Caversham Lakes, alongside wife Helen Glover, as family and friends gathered there to bid farewell to the Olympic and Paralympic rowing teams heading to Paris.
This comes as new research highlights how much sport and physical activity means to children, and the impact climate change is already having on the future generation of sportsmen and women.
Over half (53%) of children cite climate change as a major factor influencing outdoor sport participation.
Half of children believe more sports clubs will have to close down due to extreme weather.
82% of children consider playing outdoor sports one of their favourite activities.
68% of children would feel very upset if unable to play outdoor sports.
Half of children would feel very lonely without access to outdoor sports.
62% of children would like to see sports stars championing efforts to tackle climate change and named sports stars like Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and Jude Bellingham as those they would like to see doing this.
Sport England Chair, Chris Boardman said: "From ferocious heatwaves becoming more frequent, making it harder for children to simply run around outside, to tens of thousands of grassroots sports fixtures being cancelled every year due to severely flooded surfaces, climate change is already impacting our ability to play sports.
"Without action, we will lose even more opportunities to be active, to look after our health and to play with our friends, so we have a duty to act now to protect these things that we love.
"We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change, and the last generation that can do something about it, not acting is not an option."
Steve Backshall, British naturalist and explorer, added: "As a parent, it deeply worries me to see the impact of extreme weather on children's outdoor sports. Playing outside is not just about fun; it's about building friendships and staying healthy. When games are cancelled due to heatwaves or floods, it’s more than just a missed opportunity—it affects our children’s wellbeing too. My children love playing sports outside, and it’s heartbreaking to think that climate change is threatening these precious moments. We must act now to ensure they can continue to enjoy the activities they love, safely and sustainably."
UK Sport Chair, Dame Katherine Grainger, said: "The effects of climate change are being felt globally and locally, from facilities, tracks, and pitches being flooded to extreme heat impacting training camps and competitions.
"We must use our voice, influence and the platform of high-performance sport to advocate for action on environmental sustainability and inspire others to act. By working together, we can all help to protect the planet, allowing future generations to enjoy the benefits of sport."
In response to these challenges, Sport England is urging organisations to sign its Going for Green pledge, committing to environmentally-friendly practices. The pledge, already signed by over 80 organisations, including The Football Association, England Athletics and Paddle UK, focuses on:
Reducing energy and water usage; Promoting sustainable transportation; Minimising single-use plastics; Increasing recycling and reuse of sports equipment; Enhancing activities that nurture nature and wildlife.
This initiative follows the launch of Sport England's Every Move strategy, backed by a £45 million investment to help clubs and organisations take action against climate change. As part of this strategy, all 130 of Sport England's funded partners will be required to develop credible environmental strategies and delivery plans by March 2027.
For more information on available funding and how to apply, grassroots clubs and organisations can visit the Sport England website.
Submitted by Sport England
