Move For The Planet in May with Adidas to Raise Money for Climate Change Initiatives

Move For The Planet – a global initiative from adidas harnessing collective movement to create collective impact – is set to return, with adidas calling on all athletes at every level across the world to track their physical activity across a variety of sports to raise money for projects in areas impacted by heat waves, flooding, and other extreme weather conditions.

Extreme weather conditions are having an increasing impact on the places people play and practice sport, from the neighbourhood pitches to global sports venues.

For example, research by the UN estimates that approximately half of former Winter Olympic host cities will likely be unable to host future games in the same timeframe.

More ways to move in 2024

In 2023, over a million people took part in the first year of Move For The Planet, with the leading activities for minutes recorded including running (63.1%), walking (17.9%) and cycling (9.2%).

This year, adidas has expanded the initiative to include over 100 sports including Football, Kayaking, Jump Rope, Powerlifting and many more.

Move to create real world change

In 2024, for every ten minutes of movement logged on the adidas Running App between 10 – 22 May, adidas will donate €1 – up to a total of €1.5 million.

These funds will be used to help create real world change, through education on sustainability and the enhancement of facilities to make them more resilient against extreme weather conditions.

Ashley Czarnowski, Senior Director, Global Purpose Marketing at adidas said: “We’re excited to build on the success of the first year of Move for The Planet, which brought together a community of over one million people across the world.

This year, people can record movement in over 100 sports and we are expanding the impact of the programme to include a new set of projects and initiatives. Whether it’s taking part at the grassroots or competing at the highest level, we all have a deep connection to the places we play. Together we can unite as a global sporting community to help some of those places, by making sports facilities more resilient to extreme weather conditions and providing education on sustainability.”

Working towards a Common Goal

Common Goal is a global impact movement that aims to shift society towards a more sustainable and equitable future through sport – who unite Community organisations, athletes, clubs, brands and other stakeholders to collaborate towards the wellbeing of our people and planet.

Olivia Baston-Pitt, Senior Impact Sponsorship Manager at Common Goal said: “We’re thrilled that the Move For The Planet initiative is back for a second year. The success of last year meant we were able to increase the accessibility of sport for individuals who haven’t always had that privilege.

Take the Cancha Violeta sports space in San Pedro Xalostoc, Mexico, where we were able to support the installation of a brand-new multi-sport pitch and a drainage programme that collects water for the neighbouring grass pitch and garden.

Alongside Common Goal, adidas will also support UN Climate Change – Sports for Climate Action to develop a series of training modules for sports and NGOs operating in the nexus of sport and development.

The UN Climate Change is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. The partnership is centred on using sport to educate and engage communities on climate-related topics and sustainable practices.

The funds created by Move For The Planet will go towards creating publicly-accessible training materials, and hosting training sessions with networks of NGOs and other organisations to enable them to transform communities in the service of future for sport on a thriving planet.

For more information on how to join in or for more on the initiative itself, please visit www.adidas.co.za.