- Biden, Harris mark Oct. 7 with call for Mideast peace
- Dupont set for Toulouse return after post-Olympic holiday
- French rugby bosses tighten discipline after nightmare Argentina tour
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street slips
- Visitors to get rare view of Rome's Trevi Fountain
- Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane
- Man City and Premier League both claim victory in legal case
- Deschamps delight as 'light back on' for Pogba after doping ban
- Biden, Harris urge Mideast peace on Oct. 7 anniversary
- Neeskens, tough midfielder in Cruyff's Ajax and Dutch teams
- UN warns world's water cycle becoming ever more erratic
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street retreats
- Ex-Dutch football star Johan Neeskens dies
- Man Utd battling to improve fortunes, says Evans
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
- Hurricane Milton strengthens fast, threatens Mexico, Florida
- Tunisia's President Saied set for landslide election win
- Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'
- Trump to open second golf course at Scotland resort in summer 2025
- Super-sub Jhon Duran rewarded with new Aston Villa deal
- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
RBGPF | -1.97% | 58.94 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.12% | 24.784 | $ | |
NGG | -1.23% | 65.69 | $ | |
SCS | -0.49% | 12.907 | $ | |
RYCEF | -1.45% | 6.88 | $ | |
RIO | -0.17% | 69.58 | $ | |
GSK | 0.08% | 38.85 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.17% | 24.657 | $ | |
VOD | 0.41% | 9.7 | $ | |
RELX | -0.59% | 46.02 | $ | |
BCC | 0.76% | 139.97 | $ | |
JRI | -0.23% | 13.25 | $ | |
BCE | -0.58% | 33.515 | $ | |
BP | 0.86% | 33.165 | $ | |
AZN | -0.41% | 77.15 | $ | |
BTI | -0.18% | 35.225 | $ |
World athletics chief Coe blasts 'greenwashing' by politicians
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has criticised politicians for "greenwashing exercises" but said sport can play a key role in tackling climate change during an event at Wimbledon.
Coe was speaking at the Environment Positive Panel on Thursday alongside other sports stars including former England football captain Gary Lineker and retired Norwegian golfer Suzann Pettersen.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Coe, who led London's successful bid for the 2012 Games, said: "Sport has the ability to shine a spotlight on things that ministers and politicians just won't touch."
He added: "There can be a continuity through sport and a continued expression of pressure in this space because we're not sitting there thinking about the next four-year electoral cycle.
"And, I'm sorry, COP28 (the UN climate change conference later this year), all of them, these are greenwashing exercises."
The British former middle-distance star said three-quarters of elite track and field athletes had reported that climate change had already impacted their training and competition programmes.
He highlighted soaring temperatures at the US Olympic trials in Oregon in 2021.
"We're in the position where probably we're going to have to move at some stage all our road endurance events from the world championships or even an Olympic Games to another time of the year," he said.
He added: "We have made a decision that in future we probably won't take our championships into landscapes where air quality falls below a threshold and actually, if I'm being a little closer to home, that would include London."
Coe admitted that balancing human rights and climate change issues would become a greater challenge in the coming decades, with energy-rich states such as Saudi Arabia and 2022 World Cup host Qatar playing a more prominent role.
Lineker, who chaired the panel, said football could do much more to adopt greener practices.
He said: "There is so much travel involved, so many flights. A lot of footballers and football teams take private jets everywhere.... I think private jets should be banned."
"Every sport has got to try and do their best but ultimately we know that governments need to take a bigger hand in these things," he added.
- Wimbledon protests -
The panellists were asked about their reaction to on-court protests at Wimbledon on Wednesday by Just Stop Oil demonstrators.
"I don't really agree with their actions but I understand where they are coming from," said Petersen, who is captain of the European Solheim Cup team.
Coe urged campaign groups to work with sport to fight for change.
"Don't think of us as competitors, think of us as potential collaborators here, use us. Come on board and allow the amplification that our athletes and our federations can give to this," he said.
"My message would be 'Come and be part of this with us'. Help us shape this."
O.Karlsson--AMWN