The climate crisis has been, and will remain, a strategic priority for brands, particularly with COP27 high on the news agenda. Despite this prominence, the UN has warned that time is running out, and the need for small measures has passed.

Whilst sustainability remains a core focus for businesses across the globe, the increase in purpose has seen a meteoric rise across all elements of the triple bottom line, sparking a somewhat surprising shift in brand action over the past year.

Brand projects which champion diversity and inclusion (D&I) have been a huge focus over the past 12 months, growing at a faster rate across the board than many other areas such as sustainability. This isn’t to say that D&I has overtaken sustainability, but as we are able to see from the 2022 Laureus Sport for Good Index, we are witnessing a substantial increase.

The Laureus Sport for Good Index is a global list of the brands which use sport to tackle key challenges within society and the environment. While measures continue to be taken by brands to decrease their emissions and shrink their ecological footprint dominated the inaugural 2021 Index, this year’s edition demonstrates a vast increase in brands treating each element of the triple bottom line equitably.  

The 2022 Index includes global giants Nike, Visa, Microsoft and Google. Also making the list are EA Sports, Patagonia, Lego and Nissan, along with niche brands Hylo Athletics and sunglasses manufacturer SunGod.

Whilst this year’s Index places D&I front and centre in terms of brand projects, there can be no doubt that nearly all of the companies listed in the Index are continuing to make improvements within their own business practices by reducing emissions and introducing greater sustainability or circularity into their supply chains.

It’s clear that the increase in more holistic purpose across the triple bottom line is the fundamental reason behind the shift towards projects which prioritise diversity and inclusion. There is the need to redress a balance. Our access to people, community and physical activity were all in limited supply during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Various studies across the globe have linked the lockdowns with decreases in mobility and physical activity. What’s also common across these studies is the parallel increase in sedentary activity. Recommended exercise levels for children also fell below guidelines in the wake of the pandemic. Physical activity habits are formed young and although Sport England reports a partial recovery in activity levels, these have stalled for young adults aged 16-34, continuing a downward trend which started before Covid.

Brands are appearing to prioritise purpose-led projects aimed, especially, at encouraging under-represented groups to participate in sport or physical activity which can boost both physical and mental health. Campaigns which use sport for good also have the additional benefit of helping different communities to regroup and reconnect after the isolation of two years of lockdowns. The long-term consequences of the pandemic are yet to be known, but the need to engage different groups into activity, especially underserved communities, women and girls and people with disabilities, has perhaps never been more important.

Taking a deeper dive into analysing the shift in project focus, the reason why environmental issues are taking less of a leading role in this year’s Index could be due to challenges across the sustainability agenda that are presenting roadblocks for many brands.

In the last year, consumer confidence in some companies’ environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) claims have been severely knocked by a wave of greenwashing claims against brands. Within the UK, regulatory bodies have been ramping up enforcement against misleading claims for the environmental sustainability of products, especially within the fashion retail and food and beverage sectors. There are also proposals to add ‘greenwashing’ to the list of blacklisted practices by the European Commission.

Some younger brands on the Index, as well as profit-for-planet brand Patagonia, have put recycling, repair and circular economy practices at heart of their brand strategy. More established brands may have more work to do making the changes needed and taking the time to ensure they can evidence all their sustainability claims.

Not only do they face enforcement action if they fail to back up what they say but they could also face damage to their reputations and lose loyal customers. Increasing their efforts on delivering purpose-led projects around diversity and inclusion may seem a sensible move while they are concentrating on strengthening their accountability around sustainability.

Now that we are seeing greater equality across the tiple bottom line, with D&I shining this last year, what might 2023 bring? At the beginning of 2022, hopes were high that increasing vaccination rates, a loosening of restrictions and a rise in consumer confidence would finally lead to growth and a return to normality. But these hopes were dashed in February with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Today, the war rages on, with devastating consequences for Ukrainians and communities thousands of miles beyond the country’s borders.

It's likely, that, whilst sustainability and D&I will remain front and centre, we will learn more about the initiatives and programmes that brands are using to help Ukrainians and support refugees in the 2023 Index. Closer to home, we might also see initiatives aimed at helping address the cost of living crisis as energy, fuel and food prices continue to rocket as a result of the prolonged invasion.

With COP27 taking place this month, sustainability will once again be topping the news agenda. We may also see brand initiatives which work across both these pressing global issues. Within the 2022 Index, we have already seen an uptick in brands which are recycling, or reselling used kit or clothing, and expect more of this from brands in 2023. As the cost-of-living crisis continues, this would not only save consumers money, but will also preserve more of the Earth’s precious resources.

 The full 2022 Laureus Sport For Good Index is available here.