Team Scotland are delighted to welcome Fiona Burnet and Jamie Farndale as our first Sustainability Captains.

The duo are already active ambassadors of climate action, and will assist Commonwealth Games Scotland with our Sustainability Action Plan.

Fiona, 26, is part of our Hockey team for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. She is a Climate Champion with Eco Athletes, a team of athletes and academics, climate scientists and ecopreneurs, devoted to identifying and equipping athletes to lead climate action.

Jamie, 28, leads our Rugby 7s side, and is already a Sustainability Ambassador for Scottish Rugby. He supported World Rugby with their Environment Sustainability Plan, and will begin a Masters course on sustainability at Cambridge University in September.

They have already been involved in Birmingham 2022’s work towards creating a carbon neutral legacy, including recently taking part in a pilot activity with athletes to measure their carbon footprint and find ways to reduce it.

As Sustainability Captains they will play a lead role in supporting Team Scotland’s sustainability efforts, providing an athlete input into our strategy and adopting a leadership role in sharing information and advice with fellow Team Scotland athletes.

Fiona said: “I am honoured to be a Sustainability Captain for Team Scotland.

“I grew up on the west coast of the country so always loved nature, but my interest and passion for sustainability and the environment have really developed over the past few years.

“I was involved with COP26 in Glasgow last year, and it was a real eye opener for me. We need to do more, and athletes and sport can play their part.

“Birmingham is a really positive example where they are trying to have a carbon-neutral legacy. They are taking steps which are really positive and hopefully other major sports will look at the Games, a multi-sport event with 72 countries, and think ‘if they can do it then why can’t we?”.

“If we want to enjoy these huge events in the future then changes need to be made, and that starts with ourselves and our sports.”

Jamie said: “Sport has the power to unite and inspire through the millions of fans that are involved and the emotional connection that teams have – we can help to create the behavioural changes required to achieve climate targets.

“If sports people and organisations speak about important issues and do the right things like highlighting the need for sustainability then they can help make the difference.

“There are lots of good things going on at Birmingham in the sustainability space, and hopefully we can use the learnings and momentum from here to inspire change among athletes, sports and supporters alike.”

Fiona and Jamie were presented with specially commissioned Scotland armbands, embroidered by Edinburgh-based textile artist Lucy Freeman.

Commonwealth Games Scotland are at the early stages of our sustainability journey, having committed to our vision and action plan in 2021. Our aims are:

• to become one of the most sustainable sporting organisations in Scotland, and;
• to use our extensive range of relationships with other organisations to initiate sustainability conversations within the wider sporting community.

Our actions in the build-up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games include:

• planting a tree for every athlete to mark their achievement in selection for Birmingham 2022, through Scottish charity Trees for Life
• working with Eco Athletes to create an FAQ for athletes looking to learn more about living a more sustainable life as an athlete and using their platforms for social good
• becoming a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework
• having our parade outfits made in Scotland, with all materials sourced locally and offcuts repurposed to make outfit accessories
• using local, sustainable products where possible, including wooden pin badges made in the UK, refillable water bottles, cork pens and notebooks.

To learn more about Team Scotland’s Sustainability Vision and Action Plan please click HERE.