NEWS: Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play Wins Sport Positive Award

WASHINGTON – Today, Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play initiative won in the category of “Purpose-led Partnership with a Non-profit” at the Sport Positive Awards in London for its partnership with GOAL. Part of the Sport Positive Summit, the Sport Positive Awards recognize and celebrate efforts to use the power of sport to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges. 

Launched in February 2025, Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play initiative aims to leverage the reach of athletes, artists and events to mobilize millions of fans in support of ocean conservation. The program features “Team Ocean Captains” including WNBA’s Napheesa Collier, NFL’s Kelvin Beachum, MLB’s Brent Suter, Paralympian Ezra Frech, American ballerina Katherine Barkman and, most recently, world champion surfer John John Florence. 

Last month, the initiative also welcomed the first individual teams to join, including the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the United States SailGP Team and Team USA Artistic Swimming. Actor John Slattery, best known for his role as Roger Sterling on Mad Men, became the first actor to join as a Team Ocean Captain at a New York City Climate Week event on September 24.

“It is truly an honor to receive this recognition,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of Marketing Oscar Negroni, who accepted the award in person on behalf of the organization. “We are less than a year into the program and already have reached so many fans with our message of ocean conservation. That is the power of sport.”

“Protect Where We Play has been a fantastic way to spotlight sustainability at sports and music venues alike over the past several months, continuing our mission to catalyze positive change for all sports and music fans,” said Kristen Fulmer, Oak View Group’s head of sustainability and director of GOAL, who shared the stage with Mr. Negroni at the awards in London. “We can’t wait to see how this partnership continues to grow.”

GOAL is a sustainability program for live event venues that provides a forum to collaborate with like-minded operators, vendors and partners who are committed to a more sustainable future. Oak View Group is a live event venue owner and operator and investor of GOAL, known for facilities such as Climate Pledge Arena.

One of Protect Where We Play’s earliest efforts was to launch the Reusable Cup Concert Tour with GOAL in June, aiming to prevent 1 million single-use cups from entering the waste stream across GOAL’s network of venues. So far the tour has already included several music concerts, as well as sporting events, including the WNBA All-Star game this past July. 

The next tour stop is the Billie Eilish concert at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York on October 25.

Flooding, extreme heat, fires and other climate effects are taking a growing toll on sports and entertainment events. Wildfires in California caused the postponement of NFL, NHL and NBA games, just months after hurricanes in Florida devastated the Tampa Bay Rays stadium, while a music fan died from heat exhaustion amid an unprecedented heatwave at a recent Taylor Swift concert in Brazil.

According to a survey conducted by World Athletics in 2023, 77% of athletes believe climate change had negatively affected athletics, and 83% said they were either extremely concerned or very concerned about the climate crisis. Climate change can lead to heat exhaustion, dehydration, breathing difficulties and other ailments that endanger the performance of athletes and entertainers.

“The ocean provides every second breath we take; it’s what makes our blue planet livable and our passions and dreams–on and off the field–possible,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer Jenna DiPaolo. “We wanted to make that connection for people, no matter where they live, and we are delighted by the enthusiasm with which athletes have joined this movement.” 

###

Learn more about Protect Where We Play HERE.

You can find the Protect Where We Play media kit, including photos, videos and fact sheets, HERE.

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY  
Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.