Sport and sustainability: Lisbon hosts the mid-term conference of the European BENCHES project coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Centre on Sustainability and Climate at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
The mid-term conference of the BENCHES (Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Nature Conservation Helped and Enhanced by Sports) project was held in October 2025 at the Estádio da Luz stadium in Lisbon. The event, entitled “Biodiversity Management in Sport Summit”, provided an opportunity for international discussion between experts, sports federations and organisations committed to promoting biodiversity-friendly sports practices.
BENCHES is an initiative funded by the Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Centre on Sustainability and Climate at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa. Its aim is to help sports organisations understand the impact of their activities on natural ecosystems and to develop nature-based strategies to reduce negative effects and enhance the positive role of sport in environmental protection.
The project consortium brings together the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, and four major international federations: World Athletics, World Sailing, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation (FICK). Together, these organisations cover a wide range of disciplines – from athletics to sailing, biathlon to kayaking – demonstrating how environmental sustainability is a cross-cutting priority in the world of sport.
The conference opened with institutional greetings from Manuel de Brito, Vice-President of Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Subsequently, Tiberio Daddi, project leader, and Alessio Novi, project manager at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, illustrated the objectives achieved and the next stages of the project, highlighting how BENCHES is developing biodiversity management tools for sports organisations.
During the morning, Henrique Conceição and Pedro Félix of Sport Lisboa e Benfica presented the club's sustainability strategy and some environmental case studies related to the management of sports infrastructure.
Panel 1, moderated by Matthew Campelli, focused on the role of ecosystem services and biodiversity management in sport, with contributions from Bob Ramsak (World Athletics), Anna Merlini (FICK), Alessio Novi (Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies) and Ana Agostinho (Westbrook Racing). The debate explored how sports organisations can measure, mitigate and offset their environmental impact through monitoring tools and partnerships with scientific bodies.
Panel 2, dedicated to biodiversity risks in sporting events and supply chains, featured Barbara Rettenbacher (IBU), Rebecca Videlo (World Sailing) and a representative from the Vilamoura Youth Sailing World Championships, with a focus on good practices in environmental management and local community engagement.
The conference is part of the broader mission of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, which has been engaged for years in research and training on sustainability and the circular economy.
The project will continue in the coming months with various activities, including a particular focus on the release of the first tool for assessing biodiversity impacts in the sports sector.
For further information, visit the official project website: www.erasmus-benches.com
