How can we create a link between school sport and climate action? This year’s European School Sport Day (ESSD) is set to lead by example with its focus topic “Going Green in Sport”, an awareness-raising campaign that will culminate in the 8th edition of the international event on 30 September 2022.

Previous editions of European School Sport Day have zoomed in on current health, wellbeing and societal themes such as volunteering, healthy nutrition, self-esteem and mental health, and active space design, with key messages being delivered in schools in over 40 countries worldwide. #ESSD2022 will explore how schools can deliver green, eco-friendly and sustainable sporting events. School staff and event organisers are invited to think of activities that focus on connections between physical activity, the environment and climate change. 

Registration is now open for schools to take part – click here to register an event.

In one sentence, ESSD 2022 is driven by the recognition that we are all responsible for our environment and the planet we live on. The 2022 edition of the event will promote the key message: “keep our spaces for physical activity clean!”

“We want to leverage the power of sports to drive meaningful impact and advance social engagement, especially among young people,” Gábor Balogh, the President of European School Sport Day co-founder and lead coordinator the Hungarian School Sport Federation, says. 

“We all play our part in pollution and efforts are being made everywhere to eliminate it and to reduce our ecological footprints. But for change to happen, everyone has to take action. With ESSD 2022 we aim to increase the number of pupils who regularly engage in sport and physical activity while also amplifying the importance of taking responsibility for our environment, as success cannot be achieved by government policies alone. ESSD 2022 will therefore promote taking a holistic approach by involving students, teachers and local community in awareness-raising and proactive initiatives.”

The combination between physical and sustainability has already been piloted at previous editions of European School Sport Day by partner BG Be Active Association. BG Be Active started a campaign at schools in Bulgaria to encourage recycling and reduce littering through physical activity and is continuing this work in 2022, both in a responsible event project called Sport Without Waste and with a toolkit dedicated to the focus topic for ESSD 2022: Going Green in Sport. 

This brand new toolkit is coming soon, and will feature practical ideas for activities and active transport for school children for inspiration to celebrate European School Sport Day 2022 and to promote climate-friendly habits all year round.

Take action this European School Sport Day to make your school and your environment a better place – register an event here.

ISCA is the lead communications partner for European School Sport Day, Visit the official website here.