Sports for People and Planet 2026

Schneider Electric’s collaboration with the Boston Marathon to measure and reduce its carbon footprint;123 and Safaricom’s targeted support for growth in the number of athletes with disabilities through sponsorship of events such as Deaf Athletics and the Paralympics in Kenya.124 Beyond brand exposure, sponsor partnerships can also play a critical role in advancing the corporate sponsor’s own environmental and workforce well-being strategies. Through its partnership with The Ocean Race, Volvo leveraged the organization’s scientific expertise to support its mangrove conservation and restoration targets, strengthening its broader biodiversity strategy and enabling the launch of two new coastal health initiatives through the Volvo For Life Fund.125 Similarly, Allianz, as an Olympic and Paralympic sponsor, has used its partnerships to connect employees with elite athletes through athlete-led workouts and engagement sessions, promoting resilience, stress management and mental well-being.126 2Mobilize investment partnerships across the capital ecosystem The capital ecosystem supporting sport is becoming increasingly diverse, encompassing governments, private investors, philanthropies, multilateral institutions and development finance organizations. This diversity presents significant opportunities to scale innovative financing models that deliver both financial and societal returns. Coordinated mobilization across the capital stack can unlock funding for sport assets and programmes that promote participation, inclusion, infrastructure development and environmental sustainability. Innovative financing approaches, such as blended models that combine concessional capital, public funding, private investment and philanthropic contributions, help de-risk projects, improve bankability and attract larger pools of capital. These models are especially impactful in emerging markets, where access to capital is limited but social and infrastructure needs are greatest. Developing robust project pipelines spanning participatory sport, youth development and community wellness ensures that investment flows to areas with measurable social impact. Beyond blended finance, sport assets can also function as vehicles for coordinated, complementary action among financial actors, enabling diverse stakeholders to pursue aligned priorities while creating shared value. For example, investors can partner with philanthropic organizations to pilot reforestation initiatives within sport precincts, advancing shared biodiversity and community engagement objectives while simultaneously strengthening the asset’s long-term resilience and environmental performance. The co-funded development of Athletic Club’s San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao illustrates how shared investment structures can balance commercial imperatives with community benefit. Participation from the Basque government and Biscay provincial council ensured that the facility incorporated broader social value within a sport asset, including public swimming pools, a gym and wellness spaces.127 Similarly, the Global Sport Impact Fund, launched at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, illustrates how coordinated investment platforms can mobilize large-scale capital, bringing together public development banks and sport governing bodies to unlock $10 billion by 2030 for inclusive, sustainable and community-led sport infrastructure.128 To scale these models effectively, investment partnerships must be reinforced by robust governance frameworks that ensure equitable distribution of revenues, transparency and long- term accountability. Strengthening governance mechanisms and enhancing investor confidence through rigorous impact measurement and reporting systems are critical to sustaining trust and attracting continued capital. Spain’s LaLiga129 governance model demonstrates how regulatory intervention can align capital with development outcomes, requiring clubs to allocate 70% of received funds towards growth initiatives, €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) of CVC Capital Partners’ €2.0 billion ($2.3 billion) investment being directed to youth facilities and renewable energy installations, among other initiatives.130 Beyond professional sport, participatory sport, sport media innovation and sports tourism remain undercapitalized despite their vital role in expanding access and strengthening local economies. Unlocking their potential requires tailored investment structures, targeted technical assistance and coordinated policy support aligned with long-term community impact. Sport assets can function as vehicles for coordinated action, enabling diverse financial actors to pursue aligned priorities while creating shared value. Sports for People and Planet 33