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British Triathlon Going Green

British Triathlon going Green is a win for all as they push to become ever more environmentally friendly. On World Earth Day (22 April 2021) British Triathlon and the three home nations launched a Sustainability Commission to drive the sport forward with the aim to keep sustainability at the heart of everything they do.  

The Federation set out to look for 11 candidates to make up the Commission from the environmental sustainability and triathlon community that have relevant expertise to drive the sport forward in its desire to be more sustainable across the board including limiting the impact the sport has on the natural environment it relies so heavily upon. 

Those appointments were made earlier this year and the new  British Triathlon Sustainability Commission met last week for the first time to begin reviewing sustainability in triathlon ahead of creating their agenda in 2022. 

The objectives that the commission has committed to working towards are: 

  • To facilitate the formulation of British Triathlon’s sustainability policy/agenda 
  • To identify which aspects of sustainability are most relevant to the sport and confirm the definition of sustainability which will underpin the strategy 
  • To provide expertise and technical guidance to support a science-based approach 
  • To share best practice and standards from across the industry 
  • To identify the areas to control, manage and influence across the sport 
  • To advise on the development of transparent, robust monitoring and reporting 

British Triathlon Sustainability Commission:  

Supported by British Triathlons Director of Partnerships, Commercial and External Affairs Ben Cummings and Will Evans, Head of Clubs and Regions, the commission is made up of eleven individuals, volunteering their expertise from a range of environmental sustainability and triathlon backgrounds and are as follows:

  • Steve Varley (Chair): Steve is the EY Global Vice Chair – Sustainability, leading EY’s climate change and sustainability agenda globally 
  • Jenny Ekelund (Vice-Chair): Jenny is a sustainability practitioner with 18 years’ experience in collaborative working across the private, non-profit and education sectors 
  • Andy Jordan: Andy is Professor of Environmental Policy in the Tyndall Centre for climate change research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia 
  • Andy Tourell: Andy is a certified sustainability consultant (IEMA Certificate in Environmental Management) and has over 12 years of global event management 
  • Dan Reading: Dan is currently Head of Sustainability at Right Formula having recently moved from the international federation, World Sailing, where he was also Head of Sustainability 
  • Helen MacVicker: Helen is an ecologist with a PhD in ecotoxicology and 20 years working experience with Defra (Department for Environment) and public body Natural England 
  • Laura Siddall: Laura is a professional triathlete with a passion for sustainability and has led partnerships between the sport and Soles4Souls to keep trainers and kit out of landfill by giving them a second life, and also helping to fight poverty 
  • Louisa Holbrook: Louisa is Head of Sustainability at Brompton Bicycle, the UK’s largest bicycle manufacturer 
  • Nigel Kendrick: Nigel is the co-founder and co-owner of Always Aim High Events who have striven to be at the forefront of sustainable and positive environmental improvement 
  • Riikka Rakic: Riikka currently serves as the Head of Sustainability at the International Biathlon Union where she is also managing the implementation of the IBU’s strategic plan 
  • Saul Moorhouse: Saul has a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry. He has worked for bp for eight years, most recently in a role focussed at business transformation across digital, agility, and sustainability 

Full bios of the commission can be found on the British Triathlon website or by clicking on the link below.

BRITISH TRIATHLON SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION