News
British Equestrian delivers a road map towards a sustainable future
- Written By: British Equestrian
- Published: Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:48
Today (20 December) British Equestrian has launched its environmental sustainability strategy in conjunction with leading sport and culture sustainability specialists White Griffin. This comprehensive plan outlines the federation’s priorities, how change can be delivered and goals to take us to 2030. Inspired by the environmental sustainability commitments of funding partners UK Sport and Sport England, the strategy not only addresses British Equestrian’s own operations but also provides a federation-wide blueprint to support its member bodies in driving sustainable practices.
British Equestrian’s environmental journey began two years ago when a partnership with Horse Sport Ireland was announced to work alongside White Griffin for a research project to determine baselines for each organisation. A year later, in December 2023, British Equestrian’s Environmental Sustainability Vision Document was released alongside the Sustainability Report Summary.
For the past 12 months British Equestrian and our Environmental Working Group, which consists of representatives from member bodies, has been working alongside White Griffin to produce a strategy.
Chief Executive of British Equestrian Jim Eyre commented; “As stewards of both horses and the natural world, the equestrian community has a unique and vital role to play in protecting the environment. This strategy is our commitment to leading by example and is a call to action for all equestrians to come together and embrace sustainable practices. By safeguarding the landscapes we use and the ecosystems that support our passion, we not only ensure a future for our sport but also contribute to the global effort to combat climate change.”
The strategy’s overarching mission: work to embed environmental sustainability into our thoughts, decisions and actions to ensure that nature always has a seat at our table. We commit to driving equestrianism towards having a net positive impact on the environment, being stewards of the land is our duty and our legacy.
The environmental sustainability strategic priorities are:
Lead and inspire - ensure that our own operations demonstrate continuous improvement, including reducing emissions and consumption of resources and improving waste management systems. We will report on our progress and share best practice collaboratively.
We will work with our World Class Programme athletes to support them, both in progressing towards a sustainable future, and inspiring the broader industry to do the same. We will involve all aspects of our federation, including our youth organisations, to ensure their voice and input is valued and heard, and to help them in preparing for the future.
Focus on the achievable - focus on projects that can be achieved at scale and will benefit the lives of equestrians in the short term first. We will endeavour to support every part of the federation to make small and manageable changes, which will have a big impact when combined.
Educate and inform – work with our member bodies to create an education programme, which will ensure that all individuals and businesses understand the risks, challenges and opportunities of environmental sustainability in equestrianism.
Create meaningful partnerships – seek to create partnerships with organisations and businesses that share our vision and can add value to our projects. We will reach out to other industries that interconnect with our own, including sport, agriculture and education, to ensure that we are making use of existing knowledge and experience.
Communicate regularly - we will communicate our progress throughout the process, providing insights into changes happening both inside and outside of the sector, celebrating achievements and acknowledging work to be done.
Influence and lobby - drive positive change within the sector by recognising individuals and businesses who are adopting responsible environmental practices. We will ensure that all parts of the federation are supported, tailoring information to each business and individuals’ needs.
Ruth Dancer, Director at White Griffin added; “It’s been a privilege to work on this significant project, bringing together 19 different equestrian bodies in the name of the environment. This strategy represents real collaboration in action and is a testament to the importance of uniting for the natural world.”
View British Equestrian’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy here.
