The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) has launched its first-ever Sustainability Strategy and Policy under the theme ‘Play Green, Live Clean; It’s in Our Nature.’ The initiative outlines a vision to position sport as a catalyst for environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and sustainable development across Barbados, while also setting the BOA apart as a regional leader in embedding sustainability into the heart of sport.
Developed in consultation with athletes, sport leaders, environmental experts, and community stakeholders, the strategy aligns with both the International Olympic Committee’s sustainability commitments and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It establishes clear priorities, targets, and action plans for the next five years, ensuring that the Olympic Movement in Barbados actively contributes to a greener and more inclusive future.
Complementing the five-year strategy, the BOA also launched its Athlete Sustainability Ambassador Programme to amplify its message and showcase the powerful role of sport in driving change. Six Athlete Ambassadors were introduced during the official launch, which was fittingly held on June 5, World Environment Day, at the Barbados Olympic Centre. The inaugural ambassadors are Chelsea Tuach (Surfing), Adrian Maynard (Wrestling), Kayla Renwick and Matthew Wright (Triathlon), and Martyn Forde and Terrence Haynes (Swimming).
During her welcome remarks, BOA President Sandra Osborne announced plans to recruit additional ambassadors as the strategy is rolled out. Underscoring the pressing need for the sporting community to confront today’s environmental challenges, Osborne reminded attendees that sport and nature share a deeply interdependent relationship, with the land, beaches, and water providing environments for many sports. Yet, she said, climate change now threatens those very environments through resource depletion, rising temperatures, and declining air and water quality.
“Today marks the formal start of our commitment to use the powerful tool that sport is to raise awareness, inspire action, drive innovation and encourage sustainable behaviour. The strategy seeks to explain how we plan to address some of the most pressing sustainability issues facing the BOA and our community of partners,” she said, adding, “We have decided to engage in preservation activities leading to behaviour change aimed at contributing to greater climate resilience. After all, our athletes are dependent on us to leave them with a better and brighter world in which to compete.”
Dr. Sasha Sutherland, the BOA’s Sustainability Lead and architect of the strategy, echoed President Osborne’s message. She stressed that sports organisations can demonstrate climate leadership by embracing meaningful and transformative climate and nature actions. Through the BOA’s strategy and policy, she said, the organisation will lend its voice to education, advocacy, and collaborative action, while working under the guiding principles of the Sports for Climate Action and Sports for Nature international frameworks. Notably, she said the BOA is the first Caribbean National Olympic Committee to sign on to the Sports for Nature initiative.
Dr. Sutherland outlined several practical measures already underway at the BOA, including reducing plastic use, cutting back on paper printing, increasing the use of virtual meetings to minimise travel-related emissions, and collaborating with environmentally conscious partners. Additionally, she explained that a sustainability component has been added to the BOA’s sports administration course to equip sports leaders with the knowledge and tools to integrate sustainable practices into their federations.
The launch also garnered strong support from key partners. Shelly Ann Hee Chung, Director of IGT Antilles (Barbados Lottery), a major BOA sponsor, commended the BOA for “placing Barbados firmly on the regional and global map for sustainable sport.”
“Preserving the environment today ensures that tomorrow’s athletes have the same opportunities to train, compete and thrive as our athletes today. The choices we make now to reduce waste, conserve resources and protect our natural surroundings are part of the legacy that we are leaving behind. We are not just building a strong sporting culture, but we also focus and prioritise building and sustaining a healthy environment in which the culture can grow.”
This message of interconnectedness between environment and sport was further reinforced by Dr. Leo Brewster, Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU). “Heat, ocean temperature, and rising sea levels affect training and performance. That’s why we at the CZMU fully support the BOA’s approach,” he said. “This strategy is not just about elite sport—it’s about every individual, every community.”
Sustainability Ambassador Chelsea Tuach expressed her pride in supporting the initiative. “As a surfer, it’s easy to understand my love and connection to the ocean. It’s not only my training ground and competitive arena, but it’s my sanctuary, and where I feel most at home. Through the many, many hours I’ve spent riding its waves, I’ve also gained a unique and first-hand perspective on the ocean’s changing conditions and its vulnerability to climate change. So, I feel I should be the first one to put up my hand and be a champion for change and climate action,” she stated.
After the speeches, attendees were invited outside for the unveiling of the BOA’s recycling initiative. The BOA has commissioned a recycling bin in the shape of a bottle to encourage users of the Garfield Sobers Complex to recycle their plastic bottles instead of throwing them away. The BOA has also arranged for B’s Recycling to empty the bin once it is full.