Driving Sustainable Change in Hockey: Exploring FIH's Commitment to a Greener Future.

Welcome to "Pre-Zero Sports Talk," where we dive deep into the intersection of sports, innovation, and sustainability.

In this groundbreaking episode, we are privileged to engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Jon Wyatt, the Sport & Sustainability Director of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Join us for our first-ever interview with an international sporting governing body as we uncover FIH's remarkable sustainability journey.

In this enlightening discussion, Jon shares his insights into FIH's sustainability strategy, offering a comprehensive understanding of their challenges and initiatives to reduce hockey's environmental footprint. 

Discover how FIH is revolutionising the world of artificial turf, making it more eco-friendly while maintaining high-performance standards. Jon explains their use of renewable materials, including plastic derived from sugar cane, and their dedication to reducing water usage.

Throughout the episode, we explore the intricacies of measuring the carbon footprint within teams and throughout the season. Jon provides valuable insights into the complexities and accessibility of this process, shedding light on its significance for driving sustainable change in hockey.

As we delve into the topic, Jon explains the safety considerations surrounding plastic grass turf and the steps FIH has taken to address potential risks associated with its manufacturing. Gain a deeper understanding of the measures in place to ensure the well-being of players and the environment.

Join us as we highlight the numerous benefits of embracing sustainability for athletes and teams. Jon shares inspiring examples of initiatives that foster sustainable behaviours on and off the field, empowering athletes to become passionate sustainability ambassadors within their communities.

We also explore FIH's governance role in driving sustainable change and its collaborations with international sporting bodies and stakeholders. Discover the importance of sustainable policies, regulations, and guidelines in securing the long-term sustainability of hockey.

Prepare to be inspired as we unveil FIH's remarkable journey towards a greener future in hockey. Throughout this episode, Jon's expertise and dedication shine, providing a unique perspective on how FIH is making a measurable impact on reducing hockey's environmental footprint.

Join us on this captivating exploration of FIH's sustainability endeavours and discover how they shape this beloved sport's sustainable landscape. It's time to witness the strategies, achievements, and ongoing efforts driving sustainable change in hockey.

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Transcript

Sid: 0:04

Welcome to the Pre-Zero Sports Talk Podcast Show, your home for open, straightforward, and thrilling conversations on the latest happenings in the world of sports. Leading the charge for carbon neutral sports will bring you the most exciting and engaging discussions on the airwaves. In this episode, we are delighted to have Jon Wyatt, a former England and Great Britain, Olympic hockey player, and current sports and sustainability director of the International Hockey Federation F.I.H. Driven by his passion for hockey and a desire to contribute to a sports global development. Jon joined the F.I.H as their Sports Director. He later took on the crucial role of leading and developing Hockey´s Global Sustainability Strategy, focusing on minimizing the sport's environmental impact and fostering positive experiences for all involved. As the Sport and Sustainability Director, Jon is dedicated to ensuring hockey's growth and success while promoting sustainability and implementing strategies that align with the F.I.H's vision for a brighter future. Join us as we delve into Jon's remarkable journey as a player, he's insight and his pivotal role in driving sustainability within the sport of hockey. Don't miss this enlightening conversation with the true hockey enthusiast and advocate for the sustainable future.

1:20

I´am your host, Sid

Sid: 1:21

Bensalah, and this is the"Pre-Zero Sports Talk", the podcast where we explore the fascinating intersection of Sports, Events, Innovation, and Sustainability. But before we delve into the world of sustainability with F.I.H. Let's take a moment to appreciate the sports of hockey itself. For those who may need to become more familiar, hockey is a thrilling sport played by athletes around the globe. It's combined skills, agility, teamwork, and fierce competition, captivating fans with its fast paced action and exciting gameplay. In today's show, we will explore the various aspects of sustainability within F.I.H from their sustainability strategy and key challenges to the benefits for athletes, and teams, governance, and future policies, and the effectiveness of climate frameworks in sports. We will also explore into F.I.H´s recent announcement of joining the UN framework convention for climate changes, sports for climate action framework. A significant step in the sustainability journey. We will discuss this framework impact on reducing the sports industry, carbon footprint and how F.I.H plans to leverage their involvement, to make a measurable difference. Welcome, Jon, it's a pleasure to have you on the show.

Jon: 2:41

Thank you Sid. It's it's great to be here and I'm looking forward to our discussion.

Sid: 2:44

Before we delve into sustainability within the F.I.H, let's start by giving our listeners a glimpse into the world of hockey. How would you describe this thrilling sport?

Jon: 2:55

Clearly I'm biased, but for me it's one of the greatest sports. I've been lucky enough to play since I was about two years old, and, we have matches taking place from juniors, seniors, and all the way up. In fact, our oldest age group is over 80. 80 plus. So it's a sport you can play for your entire life. It's a fast sport. It's an exciting sport. It's a skillful sport. and for those who don't know anything about hockey, it's played on a, a pitch which is approximately a hundred meters by 45 meters wide. two goals, 11 players on each team, and we are almost exactly 50-50 gender equal around the world. So we have as many. Boys as girls, as many women, as men. And that's true of our athletes. It's true of our officials and true of all participants within our sport. So we really are a sport which is open for everybody, from cradle to grave, as we say. and for all genders, all sexual orientations, all countries, all religions, everyone is welcoming hockey.

Sid: 3:53

Excellent. How did F.I.H develop an implement It's sustainability strategy? What were the challenges faced?

Jon: 3:59

It's a long story. From my personal point of view, I joined the F.I.H five years ago, as the sport director, and after the first 18 months or so, it became apparent that, we didn't have a coordinated global sustainability strategy for hockey. And we were getting asked about that from two sides. Firstly, from the athletes of all, ages, and all around the world were starting to ask us questions about what we were doing to ensure our sport was as sustainable as possible. So if you like, there was a groundswell of questioning coming from below. but at the same time, the I.O.C, the International Olympic Committee were increasing the importance of sustainability and how they assessed sports and how they wanted to ensure that we as the Olympic family of sports were all contributing to a more sustainable future for our world. So there was a sort of piner movement. There was a groundswell of opinion and questioning, and there was then this pressure from one of our major stakeholders to ask us what we were doing. So those two things started to lead me to have many conversations internally within the F.I.H, but also within hockey around the world. I'm fortunate enough to be able to have good conversations with athletes, with coaches, with umpires and volunteers from all around the world, and we started to look at what we do and what we could do, in terms of sustainability. The really good news was we discovered lots of good stories that happened at a local level in different parts of the world, but that we didn't have a coordinated plan or a coordinated strategy that everyone was working towards. Which clearly is gonna be the best way to have as big an impact as possible as we can as a sport. So I undertook a piece of work internally. I led a working group with, executive board approval, and we started to talk to different people around the world. We talked to our suppliers and partners as well as our fans and our participants, and that led to the development of our global sustainability strategy for hockey. We then launched that at our biannual annual, congress, at the end of 2022. So the end of last year. so if you like formally, we've had a strategy for the last six months, but we've been working on it for longer than that clearly. as part of the strategy launch, we launched a number of case studies of examples of good practice that was happening in different parts of the world, and by promoting those best practice stories and encouraging others to. to follow those to contribute with the good work that they're doing around the world, then we're starting to get, more and more activity, and more and more coordinated activity. But it's not been easy for sure, there are, always different pressures on all businesses and everyone who starts to look at sustainability because, maybe there are commercial pressures to do certain things. maybe there are participation pressures to do certain things and we have to try and balance all of those to make good decisions and the right decisions that are sustainable, but don't ignore the commercial and the participation reality of what we're actually trying to retrieve as a sport, which as the International Federation is to try and encourage and make it as easy as possible for as many people to play hockey. Anywhere in the world as they possibly can. I started my personal hockey journey. I started age two on a natural grass pitch using a small wooden hockey stick with a leather hockey ball, and today we play on artificial turf, so a plastic pitch. We use plastic carbon fiber hockey sticks, and we use plastic hockey balls. So from a, purely looking at it through an environmental sustainability lens, the sport is, in a worse place than it was 40 years ago. But clearly there are many positive benefits that have happened in that evolution. and you can't turn the back on turn, turn the clock back on technology, as we all know. being able to play on artificial turf means that when it rains and it gets muddy on the natural grass and you'd have to stop playing, you can keep playing. So there's a health and a welfare athlete, welfare benefit to that. being able to use plastic sticks and plastic balls means that the skill level and the excitement and the pace of the game has really improved. So we have many more players and fans than we did 40 years ago. So it's all a balance, right? and we're always trying to, yeah, leave a smaller footprint on the planet as we possibly can, but by the same token, encourages many people as possible to pick up a hockey stick and play hockey for the first time.

Sid: 8:28

Yeah. You mentioned earlier that you've been looking for best practices. Are these best practices mainly focused on the hockey sport? Or have you also explored best practices from other disciplines, sports, or other industries?

Jon: 8:42

Yeah, it's both actually Sid. So probably. Yeah, so there, there are probably three areas that, that we've looked at one is within hockey and, best practices from existing from within the world of hockey. the second, and one of the benefits of being based here in Lausanne in Switzerland, which is where many of the International Sports Federations are based, is that we have an opportunity to meet at forums, at working sessions with our equivalents from the other sports, and so there can be a sharing of best practice. Clearly, there are many sports who have made some really positive steps, towards their environmental sustainability. whether that's around, clean season initiatives with sailing or surfing and those water sports. So there's learnings that we can take from other sports. And then probably the third area of best is from our suppliers and partners, so our commercial suppliers and partners. Because there is, there has been, probably more of an awareness and they are imperative for the commercial business community to act sustainably for longer than there has for sport, and I think all of sport would admit that maybe, we are a bit behind in terms of other industry sectors, and so we have met with and talked to many of our commercial suppliers to understand what they do and what we can learn from them and how they've gone about it. So there's those sort of three different areas I guess we are trying to learn from and share practices amongst one's within hockey, one's within sport, and particularly within Olympic sports, and then the other is from business and industry and commercial suppliers that we have.

Sid: 10:14

And can you share one example of the F.I.H sustainability initiative, and the impact on reducing your sports environmental impact?

Jon: 10:23

Yeah, sure. So probably our highest profile and best case study if you like, is in the. the facility, so the pitch, the artificial turf that we now play hockey on at the top level. The first Olympic Games where artificial turf was used was back in 1976. there are still many hockey maxes that take place on natural grass around the world. But increasingly, at, particularly at the highest level, artificial turf has been the norm and it's been the best way play the fastest and best type of hockey. And probably for its first. 30, 40 years of evolution of artificial turf. the evolution was about improving the speed and the performance of the turf to make the game as exciting as possible. And it's probably only in the last 10 to 15 years that this, lens of environmental sustainability started to get applied to the materials and the processes that were used to manufacture this turf. So there, there are two, two parts to that. One is, What is the turf actually made of? So what are the plastics and the fibers that are used to make that turf? And then the second one, which for non hockey players might seem real strange, but in order for the ball to travel as well as it can, as quickly as it can for the athletes to be able to move around as safely and as quickly as possible for the sport. We actually spray water onto our plastic turf. you have a slightly strange, if you haven't seen hockey before, a plastic pitch, which is being watered totally normal for natural grass, but a bit strange if you haven't seen it before. clearly, if thousands of liters of water being sprayed onto a plastic pitch is not an environmentally sustainable to do. So over the last two Olympics, so if we go back from London, actually in 2012, We have worked with our manufacturers and our partners, Polytan, who provide our Olympic turfs to, look at the plastic that is used to produce the turf firstly, and then secondly, to look at reducing the amount of water that is required in order for the turf to still perform at the level that we need it to, for its sport, but to do so in a less, damaging way to the environment. So if we look at London to Rio, to Tokyo, and then we look forward to next year in Paris. The plastic that is used to create the turf has become increasingly a plastic that is actually a side product to the sugar cane industry, it's actually grown. It's a, because the, without getting too technical, the and chemical, but the polymer that is used actually can be created from sugar cane.

Sid: 12:50

Okay.

Jon: 12:50

So it can be regrown. So in Tokyo, 60% of the plastic used for that pitch was actually from re-growable sugar cane, and in Paris it will be 80%. So we were increasingly becoming a more re- growable, renewable, plastic that we're using for the pitch. The second thing then on the water is that from Rio to Tokyo, we reduce the amount of water by 60% that is needed on the pitch, in order for the pitch to participate, to play well. We're gonna reduce that again by a further 20% for Paris. And then we've already declared that Paris will be the last Olympic games where we need to water the pitch at all. So from Los Angeles and onwards, we will have a completely dry surface, which then a lot of innovation, a lot of technology, a lot of chemistry that needs to go into that to produce a surface that doesn't have high friction, and it enables the game to play as we want it to play, but doesn't require water. So a really positive evolution and a demonstration of how we've used sort of the balancing of what we need from a hockey point of view with some real industrial chemistry to improve the carbon footprint, of the turf that we use. And in fact, in Paris, because of the manufacturing process that is now being used for that turf, the Paris turf will be the first Carbon Zero turf used in, in an Olympic hockey field. and that's because of the renewable energy that is used to actually in the manufacturing plant. a really positive evolution.

Sid: 14:13

Before that Jon, let's talk about the plastic grass turf from a safety perspective. There may be concerns regarding the presence of chemicals and substances used in its manufacturing. How safe are these materials. Are there any potential toxicity, risks associated with them?.

Jon: 14:29

No, they're not toxic and they all have to comply with International Safety Standards as to the manufacturing processes. and this is probably an example of where the industry is we're ahead of the sports industry, and so no, those artificial surfaces are all very safe. there are some surfaces that are not used for hockey, but other artificial surfaces where maybe there are, some safety issues. Some of the surfaces that use a little rubber crumb that is part of the infill on the surface. We don't use that in hockey fortunately. no, we are, it's a very safe plastic that is used.

Sid: 15:01

Okay. And how often do you replace the turf?

Jon: 15:04

Yeah, good question. a typical turf will last for between eight and 10 years. So it'll be re, a new turf will be laid.

Sid: 15:11

And this is regardless the number of games or fixtures played on the turf

Jon: 15:16

It, that's what makes it depend on whether it's eight years or 10 years or in some cases even slightly more than that. So it will be about the performance of the turf and how the turf is playing. but again, go back a few decades and at the end of the life of that turf, it would be rolled up and disposed of, it probably a landfill. Whereas now the technology is available to then recycle that turf, not necessarily to make another turf because there is a shock pad that is linked to it as well, but maybe to chop it up into small, much smaller plastic. And then use that for, in some cases in stadium seating, in other cases, actually the shock pad that can go under the next carpet. So again, that's where the industry is able to help us, to recycle and reuse, some of the materials at the end of the life.

Sid: 16:03

And as a governing body, is there an approval process or specific criteria for defining which turfs are allowed or not for use within the sport?

Jon: 16:12

Yeah, absolutely. So we, like a number of other sports, have what we call our quality program. and that is to ensure exactly that the turfs, but also the balls, the goals, the sticks are other quality that are safe. They are manufactured in appropriate ways, we're not using, old fashioned processes that may be bad for the planet or maybe bad for social reasons as well. And then there is a level of quality to ensure that pitch is both manufactured, but also then, laid. So actually, put, rolled out and then fixed properly, and so we will both assess the quality of the, of our manufacturing processes, of our partners and of the actual quality of the product itself. But then once it is laid and we actually have a hockey field, then we'll go and assess that and test that. And it's only if it passes our pretty high level of tests that it will be certified and for international matches and high level domestic matches to take place that the, they have to do so on a pitch that is certified. So it's a similar system to what is used in football, in rugby, and in many other sports. Yeah.

Sid: 17:14

Yeah, that's great to hear. As you mentioned, the Paris Olympics will be the first event where you will have carbon neutral turf. This is a significant step towards sustainability and reducing the sports Carbon footprint

Jon: 17:27

Absolutely. Yeah. No, it's a really, we're really pleased with that as a sort of forward movement in this area. and it'll be the first, that's carbon neutral. It'll be the last that's watered. So in Los Angeles it'll be carbon neutral and it'll be dry. so each time we're looking to move forward.

Sid: 17:40

Yeah. That's impressive, Jon, so just to clarify this practice of using carbon neutral turf will be implemented uniformly across all all Clubs and Teams affiliated with the National Federations within the International Hockey Federation. It's a unified effort to promote sustainability throughout the sport.

Jon: 17:59

Yeah, so this is where you get into the balance between what is doing the right thing for the planet and sustainably, which clearly we want to do, but also doing the right thing to ensure that you are encouraging hockey to be played. And At the top level, absolutely all of our turfs will have to be certified as you've just described, as you get lower down into, more club level or grassroots, then, maybe there are turfs that are used that are appropriate for school level play or for club level play, but it doesn't make sense for them to have to invest in the testing to get'em tested to prove that they are of a certain level that you could play an international match on, because there's never gonna be an international match on them. So we have different levels within our quality program. and there are certainly, many, fields laid around the world that as long as they comply with the local sort of safety and health and safety requirements, they're not tested in addition for their. For their hockey performance because it's just not appropriate. And all that would do would be to increase the cost, increase the barrier, and probably mean that you wouldn't have the facilities to play hockey. and therefore you've, as an international sporting governing body, you've come up with a rule which might make sense at the top level, but it is reducing the number of players who can enjoy your sport at the lower levels. So again, there, there is that balance, but it's certainly what we want everyone to do, but we won't be enforcing it at a lower level.

Sid: 19:14

Good. How do you measure and assess the climate impact of Hockey? Are there specific methodologies or metrics used to evaluate the sport's environmental footprint?

Jon: 19:24

Yeah, so we are, we are in the middle of a project, with the IOC actually. Deloitte, the I.O.Cs top partner, as part of their relationship with the ioc, but also the broader Olympic family, of which we are one as an International Federation. they are providing their expertise because assessing the carbon footprint of an industry is something that they do across many industries all around the world, and they have some real expertise in it. So we are working with them right now. I'm in the middle of a project with them to assess the F.I.H's carbon footprint. we're baselining based on last year, and then we'll be setting targets and putting in place an action plan for each year going forwards. We'll be measuring each year using the same methodology to show how we can reduce our, our carbon footprint, and then how we can mitigate and offset the carbon footprint that we have because clearly we will have a carbon footprint. We're doing that for the F.I.H and for the F.I.H tournaments and competitions and events. Once we've done that this year, then next year we'll be rolling that out till we have five continental hockey federations that we then work with and they run competitions within each of the five continents around the world that we use. And then in the future, we'll be then rolling that out to our national federations. the bodies that organize hockey at a domestic level, So this is not something we're going to be able to solve overnight. And also the 26 of us based here in Lausanne who work for the F.I.H, our carbon footprint is a very small amount of the total carbon footprint for the whole of the hockey family around the world. But if we can set the best practice as the International Governing Body, and then we can get our Continental and then our National Federations to, to follow that strategy. then we can have a really significant impact with the millions of players of hockey all around the world.

Sid: 21:04

Certainly! Jon, for the benefit of our listeners, please explain the process of measuring the carbon footprint within teams and to what the season. Is it the straightforward or a complex process? Is it an expensive endeavor or more affordable for teams to undertake?

Jon: 21:19

It. So it's a very complicated process. as I say, working with Deloitte is great because they have some experience, and best practice from working with other industries. There are the obvious areas. So everyone is a very familiar and aware of the carbon footprint of any flights that they take, of course, commuting to work, whether you drive to work, whether you cycle in, whether you, take a train, a bus, whatever. But then there's the energy that you use, the, for the energy, for electricity, for the heating of the building. every product that you buy or sell as a business has a carbon footprint from its manufacturing process, from its transport. Clearly as an International Sport, one of the things that we do is we organize events between International Country Nation Teams, so you know, without any international travel, then we wouldn't have any international sport. So there has to be some international travel. But how can we organize our events so that our events themselves are conscious of their carbon footprint, are conscious of their waste management, are conscious of how much water or single use plastic that they use. How can we make sure that our teams are conscious of their carbon footprint and how can they minimize that and then offsets any comfort footprint that they do have. So they're, it's a very, Complicated process, with standard methodology for sure. But the biggest challenge that we found, and I think this is probably true of most industries and businesses who try to measure their carbon footprint, is what is the scope, what is the boundary that you then agree that is our carbon footprint, but outside of that we are not responsible for it. So as an example, we as an International Hockey Federation, if we choose to hold our World Cup in Dubai, that is our choice. Then every team has to fly to Dubai. The footprint may be different If we chose to hold our World Cup in Paris, that might be better. It might be worse, but then also, the facilities that are used, are they new builds or are they using existing facilities? What is the energy that is used to produce them and manufacturing those, any of those new facilities? So it's a very multi-layered, complicated, calculation, but by identifying and agreeing what the scope is, using standard best practice, and then measuring it consistently year on year, we can demonstrate how we will be reducing. Our carbon footprint in time, whether the, whether the exact number of tons of carbon monoxide is exactly correct, is for me less important than if we can demonstrate that using the same methodology year and year, we are reducing by 10, 20% every year. that, that demonstrates we're having a positive impact, even if the absolute number is the number that could be slightly debated.

Sid: 24:05

Okay. When it comes to awarding the annual world championship within your Federation, are there specific criteria related to sustainability that potential local host must other to, or demonstrate that they can meet?

Jon: 24:17

Yeah. and that's probably an example of, our, the way that we, choose where we're gonna place our world championships and all of our events is we hold an open bidding process for all of our qualified teams or all of our nations to, to. Bid to host our events, and there's a whole range of criteria. Everything from. the quality of the surface, the quality, the number of changing rooms, the number of hotel rooms for the teams, all of that. but also the carbon footprint of the venue, the people, the volunteers, so there's a whole range of areas, but there are commercial areas, there are participation areas, there are sustainability areas, but I think what we can say is that the importance of sustainability and of sustainability metrics is increasing and has increased a lot over, over recent years, and not just environmental as well. And that's probably one of my big learnings going through this whole process of developing a sustainability strategy. Sustainability to many people is simply about the environment, but the truth is that actually sustainability is much broader than that. There is social sustainability, there is financial or governance, sustainability, and all of these things need to be factored in. If we want to be an inclusive sports that is open to all, then that's more than simply what is our carbon footprint, that's making sure that there is equal opportunity for everyone. Wherever they're from to participate in our sport. And that we have models of competition and of participation that is financially sustainable for people. There's no point having an amazing system that costs 10 times more than the system that exists today because people just won't be able to afford it. So yeah, many different, many different things need to be balanced.

Sid: 25:51

Yeah. And how about the topic of sustainability within your national authorities? Do you receive, let's say submission, specifically targeting. Sustainable practices and actions. With the national authorities?

Jon: 26:03

Yeah, I'd say it really varies. there are certain parts of the world, there are certain countries where, the message has really hit home around environmental sustainability in particular. there are others that maybe don't feel yet, as advanced. and that's not a hockey thing, that's a, countrywide social thing. One of the, coming back to what I said earlier about learning from other sports, some of the sports that are probably most advanced in their environmental sustainability plans, the Winter Sports, and that's for obvious reasons, right? without snow, It's difficult to have a Downhill Ski Race or, so they are probably more advanced in the environmental sustainability area than many of the summer sports, and there are parts of the world, as I say, for us with the, with our initiative to reduce the water that we use on our pitches. that's really important in many parts of the world where there is. regular droughts and wasting water when there's not enough water for the local population to drink is clearly just not an option. in areas where it's, maybe a little cooler and a little wetter, then maybe that message of why is it important to not water your pitch? Because we don't really have a water our pitch cuz it's always raining, So it depends on the climate, depends on the country, depends on the the government in those countries, as to how high a priority it is. But for sure, there are an increasing number of countries where we get questions, but also we get examples of great work that's been done.

Sid: 27:26

And how does embracing sustainable practices contribute to players and teams, wellbeing, performance, and overall experiences?

Jon: 27:35

I think if, particularly looking at the younger generation and we are a sport like most sports are, that are predominantly played by the under thirties, the younger generations are more and more aware of the environment, and of the impact that what they do has on the environment. And so I think, whether it's a real positive, if you feel like what you are doing is not having too big an impact on the environment or not, I think if you have a big impact on your environment, that's a very negative thing. So reducing the negatives is definitely a good thing to do. So yeah, we are increasingly. Increasingly getting examples of youth teams and younger teams in clubs in all parts of the world who are really the driving force behind improving the environmental sustainability of hockey in their area or in their club, or even in their country. Even if it's something as simple as, collecting the waste and having a having a day where they all volunteer and they all go round and clear up, the environment in and around their hockey club. we had some great examples from some countries in Asia where there's a lot of beaches, where the hockey communities were going down to their local beach to, to clean up the beaches and remove all of the plastic waste. Even though hockey. Doesn't feel like it's, has a close association to the ocean. Many communities who play hockey do. And looking at things like the UN's Clean Seas program, actually, that's a really positive thing to do for all sports, regardless of where you are. And, so yeah, we, I think we are getting. We are getting more and more positive stories and we're getting more and more, athletes, particularly the our elite athletes as well, who feel they want to use their voice, their platform, and the, the, through social media and just through the fact that they are well known within hockey. if they are doing positive and good things for the environment and they are talking about that, then you know, they are the role models.

Sid: 29:27

As a governing body. How do you promote sustainable practices and initiatives among top athletes in the sport, encouraging them to raise awareness within the communities.

Jon: 29:37

For sure. We definitely do. but I think it's one of those things that is it needs to come, we need to provide the opportunities, but then it has to be done on a voluntary basis. Yeah, if you force someone to, to support something that they don't necessarily feel passionately about, then they're never gonna be as believable as an advocate. But what we have done is we've said to all of our countries and teams, if you have some athletes who are particularly passionate about certain areas of sustainability, please tell us and please promote that and please talk about that, and there are many, that, particularly probably in the two areas of both environmental sustainability but also social inclusivity. And particularly around the L.G.B.T.Q community. as I say, hockey is a very inclusive sport, played by both men and women. and we have some very, vocal and positively vocal, athletes at the very top level who talk a lot about the importance of inclusivity, and the things that we can do to make our sport even more inclusive, to maintain that, that gender equality at all levels of our sport. So it's about finding athletes. It's about giving our athletes the opportunity, but the opportunity to talk and passionately talk about the things that they care about. Not to say to them, you have to talk about X, Y, and Z, just because that's important to us.

Sid: 30:52

Yeah. How does the governance play a role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of hockey?.

Jon: 30:59

Well, a, as the International Federation, that's exactly what we do. We can set the strategy, we can, put in place the rules and regulations and the governance and to check, that things are being done the way that we'd like them to be done. But ultimately we are dependent on the millions of hockey players around the world and the people who organize the matches at club level, all the way up to international level to implement the things that we are setting and saying are important. As I said earlier, we are 26 people based in Lausanne. we don't have direct influence over the millions of people who play hockey. So yeah, what we can do is set the plan, the direction, the strategy. we can then put in place governance and measures and regulations that, that ensure or try and measure and check that what is being done is what we want to be done. So it, it's obviously very important just like it is for us to follow what the I.O.C and the broader Olympic movement want to do. And obviously, a, as all sustainability strategies are, ours is very much linked to and follows the UN sustainable development goals, and follows the I.O.C strategy because, You know that those are universally agreed, at governmental level globally. So of course, anything that we do must be aligned to those. So what we've tried to do with our strategy is produce a plan, produce a, a direction for our sport, that's aligned with the I.O.C that's aligned with the UN, so that no one can disagree with it, I've yet to present our strategy and for anyone to put their hand up and disagree with it. The challenge is to go from heads nodding in agreement to action, and that's always the challenge in this field for sure.

Sid: 32:33

And Jon, in your opinion, do the sports for climate action framework enforced by the IOC under the UN sustainability and climate framework, genuinely contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the sports industry.

Jon: 32:46

Absolutely. and we have all those of us who've signed up to it have all committed to reducing our carbon footprint as a sport by, 50% by 2030, and then through reduction, mitigation and offsetting to become carbon neutral by 2040. do we have a role to play? Absolutely. Is that the right? is that the right framework? I believe it is. and if we are all able to achieve what we've signed up to try and achieve, then without question, that will have a huge impact. and so the sports industry should be rightly proud of achieving that if we achieve it. I think as we've seen from, a governmental level, there's one thing making commitments and there's another thing to actually achieving them. So that's gonna be the proof in the pudding. But if you don't make the commitment, you never achieve it. So let's make the commitments and then do everything we can to achieve them.

Sid: 33:33

Good. Jon, I think it's time for the lightning questions if you're ready.

Jon: 33:38

Please.

Sid: 33:39

Okay. What inspired you to champion sustainability in sports?

Jon: 33:43

my children,

Sid: 33:44

Same. Absolutely the same. How do you incorporate sustainable habits into your everyday life outside your role at the F.I.H?

Jon: 33:53

so I drive an electric car. Or I cycle in when I come into the office. we are in the process at home at the moment, actually, of putting in solar panels, or increasing the number of solar panels. We've got some, but we're increasing them. and also putting in a geothermal heat pump, rather than the wood burning stove that we have in our house when we bought it a year ago. I think probably the work that I do here has raised my personal awareness and my personal desire to do my own thing. I believe strongly that if you're gonna ask people to do something, then you need to do that yourself. so trying to put in place those things for my personal, in my personal life, I've definitely been influenced by the work I've done in this area in my professional life.

Sid: 34:30

What's your perspective on the future of sustainable sports?

Jon: 34:33

that's a huge question, which I'll try and answer quickly. it is not an option, it's an imperative. And if we're not sustainable, if you look at the definition of sustainability at a really basic level in the, in language, then it is something that can continue. And if we do not ensure that our sports are sustainable, then they will not continue. They will die. And that's the hard reality of it. It's true of all businesses as well, if you're not sustainable, but by definition that means that you don't survive.

Sid: 35:05

Yeah. What is the one thing you wish everyone knew about sustainability?

Jon: 35:11

That it is broader than simply carbon footprint. So I think, I've had many conversations here internally and around the world of hockey and sports where the starting point when you mentioned sustainability is the assumption is you are only talking about reducing or offsetting your carbon footprint. And the truth is that, being truly sustainable and being truly, able to leave a smaller footprint on the planet as possible for sure, but also be inclusive and fair and equal to everybody, and to find commercial and financial models that are sustainable and that can be continued. All of that is, is vital for a sport or any business to continue to survive in today's society.

Sid: 35:57

What book, movie or documentary your command for people on sustainability?

Jon: 36:02

I read the daily Sustainability report, with it, which is a sports industry, sustainable best practice. and that as an example just gives you the breadth and range of things that are both going on, but also that, that are encompassed by sustainability. so from a personal and professional perspective, that is probably my, my go-to, when it comes to making sure that I stay up to date.

Sid: 36:25

Can you share one piece of good advice for the listeners on any topic?

Jon: 36:30

Let's stick to sustainability cuz that's the topic of this, of this podcast. But I think, every little helps, right? So every small thing that you do, even at a personal level, taking one less journey by a flight or car and taking one more, one more journey by walk by foot or cycling, makes a difference. And if everyone in hockey, in my case or in sport more generally, or even around the world, If everyone did one small thing, then collectively it would make a massive difference. So I think, it's sometimes easy to feel that me as one of 9 billion people around the world is, can't really have an impact. But if I do my thing and everyone else does a little bit themselves, then we could truly make a huge difference to humanity.

Sid: 37:15

Thank you so much, Jon, for sharing your valuable insights and participating in this"Pre-Zero Sports Talk" episode. We greatly appreciate your contribution and look forward to witnessing the continued progress and success of the International Hockey Federation sustainability endeavors. Thank you once again for your time and expertise.

Jon: 37:34

Thank you, Sid. It's been a pleasure. Great to talk to you.

Sid: 37:36

In this episode, we had the privilege of engaging in an enlightening discussion with Jon Wyatt, the Sports and Sustainability Director of the International Hockey Federation"F.I.H". We explored F.I.H's commitment to driving sustainable changes in the hockey world. Jon shared valuable insights into F.I.H's sustainability strategy, highlighting key challenges and initiatives to reduce hockey's environmental footprint. One notable initiative discussed was the transformation of artificial turf used in the sport. Jon explained that historically, the focus was on improving speed and performance. But in the last decade, F.I.H began considering the environmental sustainability of the materials and manufacturing processes. The standout example of F.I.H´s sustainability efforts lies within the territory of turf collaborating with manufacturers and partners. F.I.H has made a significant stride in using more environmentally friendly materials and reducing water usage. For instance, they have transitioned to utilizing plastic derived from sugar cane, a renewable source in turf production. Furthermore, they have successfully decreased the water required for the turf achieving a 60% reduction between the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games. The ultimate goal is to reach a hundred percent dry surface for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games, eliminating the need for watering. The discussion also shed the light on F.I.H´s governance role in driving sustainable change. Their collaborations with international sporting bodies and stakeholders, and the importance of sustainable policies, regulations, and guidelines. We examine the effectiveness of the sports for climate action framework and how FIH. Plans to leverage its involvement to make a measurable impact on reducing Hockey's Environmental Impact. Jons' insights and expertise demonstrated the positive evolution and tangible results that F.I.H has achieved in their sustainability journey. As we wrap up this episode. It's evident that F.I.H is at the forefront of sustainability in the sports industry. Jon Wyatt's passion and dedication to championing sustainability within hockey we're genuinely inspiring. F.I.H is setting an example for other sports organizations through their strategic initiatives. We encourage listeners to explore F.I.H sustainability journey and initiatives, recognizing the power of sustainability to enhance the sports of hockey, benefit athletes and teams, and contribute to a greener future. If you enjoy our podcast and today's episode, we would greatly appreciate your support and spreading the word. Please download, subscribe, and leave a comment on your preferred platform. We also welcome suggestions for topics you would like us to cover in upcoming episodes. Thank you for joining our show today. Stay tuned for more engaging, open, and thrilling conversations. We wish you a wonderful summer holiday.