Dr Susie Tomson [#41]: Being Sustainable Doesn't Need to Mean Doing Less

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr Susie Tomson, one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainability in sport. 

Having led the UK Sport research project into environmental support for NGBs and co-chaired the UN Sport for Climate Action working group, Susie brings hands-on experience that very few could match.

Currently a Senior Partner at Think Beyond, her experiences underpin much of their approach to climate action, where, she has developed and delivered sustainability programmes for the likes of SailGP, World Athletics, and Liverpool FC. We discuss some of these programs, as well as what others could do - both at a rightsholder and an individual level…

Time Stamps

2:00 - Susie’s Journey

5:00 - Motivations for Becoming Sustainable 

7:00 - Building a New Sports Property with a Sustainable Vision (such as SailGP)

12:00 - Developing Sustainability into the DNA of an Established Rightsholder (like Liverpool FC)

18:00 - Sporting Product vs Sustainability Promises 

23:00 - Sport’s Ability to Impact Things

25:00 - Sports as an Incubator for New Technologies

28:00 - The Role and Responsibilities of Athletes

32:00 - The Importance of Purpose

38:00 - How Could the Environmental Movement Communicate Better? 

43:00 - Formula 1 Case Study 

45:00 - Understanding Your Supply Chain 

52:00 - Final Thoughts and Takeaways 

Additional Links

Connect with Susie on LinkedIn - Here

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here