Kenya Rugby Sevens Star Kevin Wekesa Wins 2025 IOC Climate Action Award

The World Health Organization reports that climate change could cause 250,000 additional deaths per year by 2050 from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress, risks that Kevin Wekesa is tackling through his Play Green initiative.

MILAN, Italy –Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the global governing body for the Olympic Games, named Kenya Rugby Sevens player Kevin Wekesa as a winner of the 2025 Climate Action Awards, recognising his leadership in using sport as a platform for climate action. The announcement came during the IOC Session in Milan, ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Wekesa received the award in the Athlete category for founding Play Green, a grassroots initiative addressing the growing impacts of climate change in Kenya, including rising temperatures and desertification that are already affecting communities and livelihoods.

The World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int) reports that climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress, highlighting the environmental pressures that Play Green seeks to tackle.

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Through Play Green, Wekesa has introduced practical sustainability measures within Kenyan rugby. The programme has replaced single-use plastic bottles with reusable aluminium bottles for Kenya’s national rugby teams, saving nearly 1,000 plastic bottles every week.

Beyond elite sport, Play Green places strong emphasis on education and community engagement. Working with 40 schools, the initiative combines tree planting with workshops on water conservation, waste management and climate justice. To date, more than 2,300 trees have been planted, reaching thousands of children through climate education activities.

The initiative has also expanded into clubs and federations, introducing match-day recycling programmes, clearly marked recycling bins, and waste collection points to reduce landfill waste at rugby events.

Wekesa aims to scale Play Green nationwide by creating plastic-free stadium zones, promoting biodegradable packaging, and establishing a Green Ambassador programme in schools. With the support and visibility of the IOC Climate Action Award, he plans to develop Play Green into a replicable model for grassroots climate action through sport across Kenya.

“As athletes, we learn early on to focus on what we can control and to keep pushing and adapt, even when conditions are not perfect,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry. “That spirit is exactly what drives the IOC Climate Action Awards. Our winners are showing that protecting our planet and pursuing excellence can go hand in hand. Their work shows the impact of the Olympic community when it leans in together with purpose. What an inspiration.”

“Congratulations to the 2025 winners and those ‘Highly Commended’,” said Mark Price, Principal and Global Lead Client Service Partner for the International Olympic Committee at Deloitte Consulting LLP. “Leveraging their athletic drive, the winners were compelling in their ability to deliver measurable benefits and scalable solutions. Deloitte is honoured to be a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner and delighted to support these awards, which help to enhance resilience for sports and communities globally.”

The IOC Climate Action Awards recognise athletes, National Olympic Committees and International Federations delivering measurable progress in tackling climate change and promoting sustainability through sport. The 2025 edition marks the third year of the awards.

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