About>Environmental Sustainability

Environmental Sustainability

Defined as “The ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet’s natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the wellbeing of current and future generations”.

Active Partners Trust’s Commitment to Environmental Sustainability:

Our Statement:

Together with our partners, we are working to address inequality and empower everyone to be active in a way that works forthem. This shared vision is set out in Making Our Move and guides our approach to the climate emergency, the journey to netzero, and tackling the biodiversity crisis in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Our commitment aligns with Sport England’s EveryMove Strategy and is our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goalsprimarily 6, 10, 11,12, 13, 14, 15 and 17.

Low-income households, older people, marginalised communities, children, and those with disabilities and long-term healthconditions are the most vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events. These are the same audiences that alreadyparticipate less in sport and physical activity. This is why environmental sustainability is not an add on to our work, it is how weaim to work, in all we do, to ensure that the people who are most affected are supported to move more and benefit from thepositive opportunities physical activity can bring. This graphic from Sport England’s Every Move Strategy illustrates this well.

As an organisation we will take internal action to improve our ownenvironmental performance, contributing to wider net zero ambitions andstrengthening the resilience of local ecosystems. We will share ourambitions and learning. We will use our collective influence to driveprogress across the system and support our partners to make meaningful,sustainable changes too

We recognise the deep connection between moving more, climate change and environmental sustainability. This connectioncan be really positive. Moving more — particularly outdoors — not only connects us more to nature but can also help reduce ourcarbon footprint by encouraging sustainable travel, reducing energy use, and lessening our dependence on services andproducts to stay healthy.

It can, however, also have a negative impact on the environment and on climate change. We often travel by car to take part;facilities demand resources to build and energy to run; kit and equipment is often disposable, plastic-based, or frequentlyreplaced; and single-use plastic bottles continue to harm ecosystems and contribute to pollution. At the same time, sport andphysical activity are increasingly affected by the escalating climate emergency — through extreme heat, flooding, and morefrequent severe weather events that disrupt participation and damage natural and built environments.

Urgent and decisive action is required. It is essential that, in all our aims and activities, we consider sustainable, low carbon,and biodiversity positive solutions — minimising environmental impact, supporting ecological recovery, and encouragingbehaviours that help protect the planet for current and future generations

Our role is to:

Take internal action to improve our own environmental performance and to openly share our journey and learning with partners.

Work to ensure partners understand how they can play their part, have the capability to contribute to the collective vision: torealise a positive and regenerative physical activity sector.

Use our collective influence to drive progress across the system and to work with people and communities to encourage peopleto move more, enhance biodiversity and reduce emissions.

We will produce an action plan which provides further detail about how this will be delivered and how success will be measured through a combination of metrics and narrative that reflect our organisational approach to reducing our environmental impacts. This will be reviewed in 2028.

APT’s Action Plan

Glossary of terms

Biodiversity

The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular place. Biodiversity is essential for planetary and societal health; we rely on it to survive. ‘Biodiversity loss’ is the decline or disappearance of species.

Carbon Footprint

An annual inventory of an organisation’s greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions.

Net Zero

(according to the Science-Based Targets Initiative, Net-Zero Standard) emissions reductions of 90–95%, balancing the residual 5–10% emissions with carbon removals.

Circular Economy

An alternative to our current ‘linear’ materials and waste system(take-waste-dispose). In a circular economy waste is substantially reduced and materials are circulated throughout the economy at their highest value and utility.

Climate Justice

According to Climate Just UK, climate justice relates to concerns about the inequitable outcomes for different people and places associated with vulnerability to climate impacts and the fairness of policy and practice responses to address climate change and its consequences.

Climate Resilience

The ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous events or disturbances related to climate change (e.g. floods, extreme weather).Includes adaptation to climate change, resilience to adverse climate events, and community climate preparedness.

Nature Recovery

The protection and restoration of wildlife-rich habitats. Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are anew way of prioritising nature needs on a more local and focused level.

Just Transition

A ‘just transition’ for the sport and physical activity sector means transitioning to a low-carbon economy in a way that’s fair to everyone, and where the benefits are shared widely.

Carbon Neutral

Achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out.

Regenerative

A regenerative approach goes beyond ‘sustainability’ (doing less bad) to having a net positive impact on the environment and society; approaches that are truly beneficial for humans and restorative for nature.

Carbon Offsets (and insets)

Refers to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or an increase in carbon storage (within own supply chain) that is used to compensate for emissions that occur elsewhere.

*As defined by Sport England’s Every Move Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan- May 2024

Active Environments

Environmental Sustainability is closely linked with the Active Environment work that we do.

Active Environments are green, blue and urban (grey) spaces where people can be active. We aim to ensure that these spaces are walkable by being safe, accessible, stimulating and connected to nature.

More about Active Environment