Sustainability/04/22/2025

World Earth Day 2025: 30 Expert Voices on the Future of Sustainability in Sports

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Every year on April 22, World Earth Day calls for global environmental awareness. World Earth Day is more than a call to protect the planet – it’s a call to action for everyone, including the sports industry, to play their part in creating a sustainable future. From production to performance, sustainability is no longer a buzzword, but a strategic business priority. Want to know where the industry is heading? We’ve collected insights, strategies, and bold statements from 30 experts who shared their take on sustainability at ISPO Munich.

At ISPO 2024, experts laid the groundwork for this conversation and this year we want to build on that momentum. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the movement. Save the date and join us at ISPO 2025 from 30. NOV. - 02. DEC., where the future of sports is sustainable.

Author: Marlene Mackinger

Why Sustainability Matters More Than Ever in the Sports Industry

Athletes, consumers, and regulators alike are pushing for more transparency, circular systems, and real action on climate impact. Yet, navigating the path forward is complex: rising costs, stricter regulations, and intricate supply chains all present serious hurdles. But these challenges also spark innovation. Long-term success now depends on sustainable strategy – and those who adapt, lead.

That’s why ISPO wants to provide the platform where the industry aligns, offering strategic guidance, cross-sector insights, and the momentum needed to turn sustainability from ambition into action.

Where Ideas for a Greener Sports Industry Come Together

As a holistic platform for the global sports industry, ISPO 2025 is the place where sustainability turns into strategy. We bring together brands, innovators, material experts, and thought leaders – to network, share ideas, and co-create solutions that are not just green, but game-changing. In line with the Earth Day mission, ISPO 2025 puts sustainability front and center: across every touchpoint of the event, you’ll discover new technologies, sustainable materials, and business models that shape the future of sports. From cutting-edge materials in the Material Lab and actionable insights at the Sustainability Solutions to future-focused talks on the Green Stage, the event offers practical tools and inspiration for driving real change. If you're driving innovation yourself, you can even submit your product or idea for one of the various ISPO Awards – and gain international recognition.

Sustainability with ISPO – Topics, Formats, Solutions

ISPO brings together all the players - sports brands, manufacturers, technology providers, material suppliers, scientists and consultants - and creates the space in which real sustainability solutions are created.

Learn more

Insights from 30 Experts: The Road Ahead for Sustainability in Sports

At ISPO 2024, the conversation around sustainability was already in full swing. From practical advice to visionary thinking, these 30 voices from industry leaders, innovators, and experts revealed what’s driving the shift in the sports sector. Their insights cover the latest trends, the challenges ahead, and actionable strategies to help businesses thrive in this evolving landscape. Dive into their perspectives to learn how your business can not only keep up with sustainability demands but also lead the charge for a greener, more sustainable future in sports.

"The Green Deal will help all of us. I will offer you some facts. 100 billion items of clothing are produced each year. 92 million tons end up in landfill. This fashion industry, our industry, is responsible for 10 percent of the global pollution. This makes us the world's second largest industrial polluter after aviation. Thank God there is a Green Deal."

Gregor Kischel

"We offer solutions that extend the lifetime of garments. And we do this for brands and retailers. So we either repair, we renew or refurbish clothing. Before we think about recycling, we think about the reuse phase. Because if we can keep garments in the market longer, then instead of recycling it, it's better. It's less resource-intensive."

Paul Kerssens

"We still need to be very mindful of our footprint. We know that we have an impact on the world and we want that impact to be positive. We want to bring that health and happiness to people's lives. At the same time, be very mindful of what is happening in our supply chain, be very mindful of our carbon footprint."

Anne Larilathi

"And we believe that normal polyester takes forever. It will just stay there in the environment and go into our food chain. So how can we protect ourselves? By reviewing all the technologies available from the market, we firmly believe that it's almost impossible for us to clean up from the environment or to stop generating the microplastics through the existing available technologies. So why not make synthetic fibers or materials also biodegradable just like nitrofiber."

Helen Weng

"Honest sustainability communication needs to be in a way balanced. So you cannot only tell the positive stories, you also need to tell basically which targets you have maybe not hit or which problems you are working on but have not been able to solve yet. I think that is what honest communication needs to be, not only cherry-picking and hey we did a great thing here or there, also the failures. You cannot only talk about some social aspect or some CSR aspect and then you do not publish your CO2 emissions for example, that does not fly."

Stefan Seidel

"In the apparel industry, we're still over 60 million tons of virgin plastic used every year. It's a really big percentage of the plastic production. Brands that are thinking about future-proofing their supply chain and looking ahead, they're not basing it on one single-bullet solution. They're looking at a portfolio of solutions. One single company like ours could not provide all the solutions that the industry needs. Saving the planet is not competitive."

David Stover

"We can't ignore climate change and how it's going to impact the sports we love. It's already affecting your consumers, your suppliers and your staff in the extreme weather we're seeing each year. Eco-anxiety is especially strong among younger generations. Climate change has massive consequences for the health and opportunities of children and young people, but they have little power to limit its harm."

Rory McAlister

"You have to become more measurable now. You need to put systems in place now to have the information that's going to feed the product passport. And then once we understand the format of what the digital product passport looks like, at least you're in a better position than most organizations. And I think that's the first step, you know, is to become more measurable and that's the only answer we have right now."

Steve Carmody

"I think sustainability was always a bit voluntary. A lot of brands or companies did it because they felt like they want to do it. But sustainability is not only to be compliant. Sustainability is something you need to do beyond compliance. So that's the definition for us at least, to do more than just meeting the legislations. And now it's time to actually do something."

Saskia Bloch

"If we don't change the world, we're not going to have a business model. How does change happen? It always starts from the bottom up. So if we as businesses want to change the world, we have to start from our communities."

Beth Thoren

"We're doing a lot of collecting trash and I think it's an easy entrance to open a mind for other topics which come after it, because collecting trash is super easy. Everybody can do it everywhere and then you can put on some more information, you can do workshops on biodiversity, about the woods, about the mountains, about the rivers, about everything you want to deliver to the people. So for me this whole cleanup movement is an entrance to more."

Christian Simon Böhm

"But it's better to do something than do nothing. So I think for us, you know, for me personally, for us as a business as well, it's great that there are other bio-based stories out there, maybe using different feedstocks. We need to collaborate. None of us can do this on our own. So if there are more offerings, then we can make the changes that we're already a little bit late in making in terms of helping to mitigate climate change."

Simon Whitmarsh-Knight

"And at last, most important is to build up the trust in this supply chain. I think everybody sitting here is trying to find out a trustworthy solution. It's not just introducing a concept, but we need to make it happen by working together. This is what we deeply believe inside."

Ivan Yip

"The best product that is made is the one that is not made actually. As a consumer we have to reduce our conception and as brands we have to rethink the way we're selling products. Even if it's not super good for my business but this is what I hope truly."

Francois Delauny

"Try to reduce your negative impact. The main challenge in sports is around transport. The second big pillar is about designing your equipment. Then the part of vegetarianism is quite specific to athletes. I wouldn't recommend athletes to shift directly to vegetarianism. And then my final thing about reducing your impact is really to be transparent."

Matthieu Witvoet

"Quite a variety of things we are doing research on and it's all basically dedicated to new bio-based materials because in the end we would like to phase out crude oil-based materials like polyester, polyamide and so forth and the hazardous and harmful chemicals. So textiles have quite a variety of let's say huge challenges and we try to solve this with new bio-based materials and therefore regionally we need new materials as well. So good reasons to do research."

Nicole Espey

"And so partnering up with others who are already doing the work to learn from them or bringing together those at the top with those from the bottom is also an important ingredient here. Leadership starts with you. If each one of you picked a dot, do one thing. Every day ask yourself when you get up, what's my dot for today? I'm going to do one thing."

Hunter Lovins

"I work with materials and in my perspective it's basically the question of energy and how brands and how suppliers are able to reduce their environmental footprint."

Oscar Darle

"I think it's a really important topic in outdoor sports or in sports generally, because it's so many brands who produce so many items and we don't need new items like every season but have to focus on how to bring the old items to a new season. I think that's the point."

Stefanie Ramb

"The environment gives us so much strength when we're out and about, to enjoy the beauty of nature and the earth. We won't have that anymore if we can't protect it. That's why I think it's important that outdoor brands, or generally brands, companies, have to make a big contribution to this."

Stefanie Dabrowski

"Sports brands are all about going out, being active, and enjoying nature. Without sustainability, we’re limiting the places we love. It needs to be at the core of every company."

Taija Sailio

"It’s inspiring to see how different brands approach design and sustainability. ISPO plays a crucial role in connecting those ideas."

Ken Castellano

"Sustainability is becoming the driving force. It’s good that pressure is growing — it pushes brands to act."

Yasmin Bray

"Having a sustainability label is the new normal. If you don’t, you’re already behind. It’s not too late to start, but it’s time to move forward."

Henry Canton

"Sustainability isn’t just about avoiding risk — it’s a huge opportunity. The companies that go all in are also the ones seeing the most growth."

Larissa Skarke

"Our athletes love investing in sustainability. They want to shape the future and give something back. It’s easy to start — just begin in your own community."

Marion Reichel

"Sustainability shouldn’t stand alone — it should be embedded in everything. From healthcare to logistics, real impact comes from connecting the dots."

Jiskia Reis

"The industry is maturing. It’s not just about sustainable products anymore — now it's about the full picture, including packaging and beyond."

Christian Skoglund

"Topics like circularity and life-cycle analysis show how deep the challenges go. But there's real energy and willingness to tackle them — together."

Denis Dietrich

"Sustainability is non-negotiable. The European Green Deal proves that. There’s no business in Europe that can exist without it."

Cira Riedel

Be Part of the Change – At ISPO 2025 and Beyond

The insights from these 30 experts make one thing crystal clear: the future of the sports industry depends on bold action, honest collaboration, and forward-thinking solutions. World Earth Day is a powerful reminder – but the real work happens every day, in every decision we make. Whether you're a brand innovator, supply chain strategist, material pioneer, or simply passionate about shaping a greener future, ISPO 2025 is your platform to lead, connect, and create impact. Bring your ideas, share your story, and maybe even take home an ISPO Award for your efforts.

Save the date: 30. NOV. – 02. DEC. 2025.

Zwei Personen im Verkaufsgespräch auf einem Stand der ISPO Munich

ISPO 2025

The sports and outdoor industry is on the move - and we are moving with it. ISPO Munich will move closer to the needs of the international sports business community. More space for exchange, clear structures and real encounters - that's what awaits you from 30. NOV. - 02. DEC. 2025.
Be there - we look forward to exchanging ideas with you!

Click here to go to ISPO Munich

Author: Marlene Mackinger

Topics in this article

Sustainability