LONDON, November, 2024 – Laureus, the global movement that uses the power of sport to transform the lives of children and young people, and SportsPro, the leading sports media and events company, have unveiled the latest brands to be inducted into the Laureus Sport for Good Index, which spotlights the businesses leading the way in delivering positive social or ecological impact through sport.

Eleven new brands from around the globe join the now 76 strong list since the inception of the Index in 2021. Inductees include Decathlon, Dove, E.ON, Enedis, Lidl, Minute Media, Novelis, Puma, Red Bull, Tentree and Xbox. Each brand features in the Index for their best-in-class sport for good campaigns and purpose-led initiatives implemented over the past 18 months.

Launched in 2021, the Index, which can be viewed and downloaded in full at laureussportforgoodindex.com, celebrates brands that, through collaboration, innovation and creativity, are making significant contributions across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as laid out by the United Nations, as well as aligning their business output with their sports investments and activations.

Independently adjudicated by a panel of industry experts, the purpose of the Index is to shine a light on organisations that are having the clearest and most meaningful impact, and to provide compelling evidence for the role that sport can play in driving sustainable change.

With headquarters spanning six different countries, the new brands included this year represent multiple industry sectors, including sports goods and apparel, technology, consumer products, manufacturing and energy. 

Other brands that already feature in the Index include Adidas, Athleta, DHL, EA Sports and Gatorade, as well as Google, New Balance, Patagonia, TikTok and VISA. 

Brand Campaigns

Supermarket chain Lidl, official partner of UEFA Euro 2024 and now sponsor of the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, has been recognised for its efforts to promote healthy living through nutrition and physical activity, while personal care brand Dove features for its work with Nike, another brand recognised on the Index, to empower girls to participate in sport. 

Vancouver-based clothing company Tentree is included in the Index for using outdoor sports including trail running, hiking and cycling to raise awareness and funds for its reforestation efforts, while Minute Media, the publishing house behind Sports Illustrated and 90mins, has been recognised for its Here to Stay campaign around the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Judges

This year’s ten-member judging panel included: Guy Laurent-Epstein (Marketing Director, UEFA); Nicole Jeter West (Co-Founder, Vanguard Maven Group); and Omar Mitchell (VP, Sustainable Infrastructure and Growth Initiatives, National Hockey League).

The panel also consisted of senior representatives from a diverse range of organisations, including: 5Tool Sports Group, Ikigai Partners, Nature Positive, In Common Consulting, Centre for Sport & Human Rights, Chase the Squirrel Consulting and Pledgeball. 

Quotes

Astin Ewington, Head of Partnerships, Laureus: “We are thrilled to unveil the 2024 Laureus Sport for Good Index, which continues to showcase the immense potential of sport as a force for positive change. The brands featured this year are leading the way in addressing some of the world’s most pressing social and ecological challenges through innovative, purpose-driven initiatives. By highlighting their efforts, we hope to inspire more companies to leverage sport as a platform to create meaningful impact and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.”

Katie Preston, Head of Projects, SportsPro: “The fourth edition of the Laureus Sport for Good Index dives further into the commitment, impact, and commercial viability that these brands display through their sport for good work. 

“Not only are we recognising those that have recently invested in honourable initiatives, but we are also continuing to spotlight our alumni of 65 brands to showcase how they are implementing their sustainability strategies, the growth of their sport for good initiatives, and lessons they have learned along the way.

“We are delighted that more and more businesses are investing in the sport for good space and continuing to use their influence to foster positive change.”

Stacie June Shelton, Global Head of Education and Advocacy, Dove Self-Esteem Project at Unilever: “It has long been accepted that sport has an enormous impact on body confidence amongst girls & women. However, all the widely publicised statistics point to the fact that 57% of teenage girls quit sport before reaching adulthood. Through our own research with Nike, we found body image itself cited as the most common cause for this. ​ Sadly, 45% of girls globally reported body image as their main barrier.

“Three years ago, armed with this insight and in collaboration with like-minded partners like Nike, we set out to help break the cycle by developing a first-of-its-kind, evidence-based, validated platform of resources for coaches and athletes. The no cost Body Confident Sport program offers athlete tools and coach training, built with input from girls and sports community leaders from around the world, to equip coaches, teachers and trusted adults with the skills to open up the conversation amongst teenage girls, educate, normalise and instil body confidence.

“Being recognised by the Laureus Sport for Good Index is not only an honour, it's a powerful sign we're on the right path. We are thrilled to be included in the index and work with so many other brands and organisations in helping encourage more girls to stay in and enjoy sport, throughout their lives!”

Editor’s Note

Brands featured in the Index were assessed according to a set of seven key criteria, including: (1) Each company’s impact through sports-related Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) activities; (2) Innovation and creativity during purpose-led campaigns; (3) Commitment to environmental, social, and corporate governance; (4) Level of investment in ‘sport for good’ causes and the extent to which those investments align with the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); (6) Their commercial viability; (7) An overall assessment of their commitment towards building an equitable society, reducing sport’s ecological footprint, and growing the sport’s industry’s economy through sport for good campaigns.

About Laureus

Laureus’ purpose is to change the world through the power of sport. Its vision is to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage against young people and children. Built on a unique, end-to-end purpose platform – Laureus combines the storytelling power of its global marketing platform with the delivery of measurable social impact on the ground through its charitable foundation, Laureus Sport for Good. Working on a Global and National level, Laureus funds and supports over 300 programmes in more than 40 countries that use sport to deliver social change measured through a framework aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The most credible entity of its kind, Laureus has been delivering on its purpose for over 20 years and has positively changed more than six and a half million young lives to date.

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The Laureus Sport for Good Index shines a light on the brands that are having a meaningful societal impact on the sport industry.

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