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AK signs commitment to fight climate change

World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe (second left) holds a relays baton with Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei (second right) as World Under-20 Championships ambassadors Milka Chemos and 800m world record holder David Rudisha look on in Nairobi on August 19, 2021. 

Photo credit: Pool

What you need to know:

  • This initiative aims at supporting and guiding sports actors in achieving global climate change goals.

  • During a brief ceremony of handing over the baton at the VIP section witnessed by the Championships ambassadors, David Rudisha and Milcah Chemos, World Athletics (WA) President Sebastian Coe congratulated AK for committing to support the climate action plan.

Athletics Kenya on Thursday became the first athletics federation to sign the United Nations-initiated Sports for Climate Action Framework at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi.

This initiative aims at supporting and guiding sports actors in achieving global climate change goals.

During a brief ceremony of handing over the baton at the VIP section witnessed by the Championships ambassadors, David Rudisha and Milcah Chemos, World Athletics (WA) President Sebastian Coe congratulated AK for committing to support the climate action plan.

The baton inscribed with the numbers 1/214 will also be handed to the over 200 member federations of WA.

The great Coe, a legend in athletics, said climate was crucial for the sports fraternity.

“Climate determines sports and that is why it is important to have the right atmosphere when competing in global events.

“We are happy Kenya is the first country to sign the climate action framework and more federations will be coming in the near future,” said Coe.

This comes 10 days after the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report that concluded that some impacts of global warming are now unavoidable and warned that the impacts will worsen dramatically if efforts to curb additional warming fail.

The report, which UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres described as a “code red for humanity”, also reiterated that destructive extreme events currently occurring, such as record-breaking heat, floods, cyclones, wildfires and droughts are being made worse by human-induced climate change.

AK boss Jack Tuwei said that there was need to protect the environment and make sure the athletes are training and competing in clean surroundings.