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NZ Team hockey player Hugo Inglis has been named one of the winners of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Climate Action Awards 2025, in recognition of his efforts to address climate change and make sport more sustainable.
Olympic rugby sevens player Kevin Wekesa from Kenya as well as the National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands (NOC*NSF) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) were also award recipients.
The announcement was made during the IOC Session held in Milan, ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Hugo Inglis (Hockey, New Zealand)
New Zealand hockey player Hugo Inglis is the co-founder of High Impact Athletes (HIA), a global movement that channels athlete visibility and resources towards evidence-based climate solutions.
Motivated by the contradiction between a career built on international travel and his environmental convictions, Hugo helped establish HIA as a platform for athletes who want to contribute beyond reducing their own footprint. Through HIA, athlete funding is channelled to evidence-based organisations, delivering high-impact solutions in sectors that drive a large share of sport’s emissions, including aviation, energy and infrastructure.
Today, HIA brings together more than 240 athletes from 50 disciplines and 35 countries. It has directed more than USD 2 million to charities that deliver impact in the areas of climate, global health and animal welfare.
Hugo’s personal choices – from eco-conscious travel decisions to a plant-based diet and car-free lifestyle – reinforce his advocacy. With new partnerships, HIA plans to scale significantly, offering up to 600,000 athletes the opportunity to fundraise for climate solutions.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said:
“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,” she said.
“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."