Brazilian soccer star Tamires Dias has warned that climate change is becoming one of the toughest opponents athletes face, as she joined around 40 elite sports figures in launching a new global campaign, Adapt2Win, ahead of next month’s COP30 summit in Brazil.
The campaign, backed by the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust, calls on governments to increase investment in climate adaptation, emphasizing that climate resilience is now essential for the future of sports and communities worldwide.
Dias, who represented Brazil in two Women’s World Cups, described the growing challenges of playing in extreme conditions, including intense heat and damaging rains. “In sport, we learn to adapt every day — to new teams, new tactics, new opponents. But climate change is a different kind of opponent. It’s stronger, more unpredictable, and no one can face it alone,” she said.
Other prominent athletes supporting the campaign include Brazilian tennis player Beatriz Haddad Maia, surfer Maya Gabeira, Romanian Olympic swimmer David Popovici, and former England footballer Raheem Sterling.
A hard-hitting film highlighting the devastating effects of floods and fires on sports venues will be screened at COP30 in Belem, beginning with the message: “This can either be the worst defeat in history or the greatest comeback of all time.”
According to campaign organizers, climate-related disasters caused $417 billion in economic losses in 2024, yet less than 10% of global climate finance is currently allocated to adaptation efforts.
Sterling, who was born in Jamaica, emphasized the urgency of action: “I’ve seen how climate change is reshaping life across the Caribbean. Through my foundation’s work on mosquito-borne disease prevention, I’ve seen how simple, community-led solutions can make a huge difference. COP30 is the moment for leaders to back those solutions.”
The campaign also highlights grassroots climate innovations, such as SMS drought alerts in Kenya and heat-resilient maternal healthcare in Sierra Leone.
Ana Toni, CEO of the COP30 Presidency, said, “Adapt2Win reminds us that every sector — from governments to business to sports — has a role to play in creating change.”
Other signatories include South African rugby player Bongi Mbonambi, Nigerian footballer Kenneth Omeruo, and American two-time world champion sailor Mike Buckley.
Reflecting on his experience, Omeruo said, “Growing up in Nigeria, you could always count on the seasons — when the rains would come, when the fields would turn green. But in recent years, everything has changed. The weather is unpredictable, communities are struggling, and even football pitches we once trained on have flooded or dried out. Climate change is something we live with every day.”
