BBC Green Sport Awards 2025 winners announced

A 24-year-old open-water swimmer Hector Pardoe who previously became unwell from polluted waters, has been named BBC Green Sport Awards’ Athlete of the Year. An Olympian and World Championship bronze medallist, Pardoe turned personal experience into powerful advocacy, campaigning for cleaner rivers and lakes through his plant-based lifestyle and strong social media voice. In summer 2025, he made history by completing the Three Lakes Challenge in under 24 hours, raising awareness and funds for clean water initiatives.

The BBC Green Sport Awards 2025 have officially announced this year’s winners as Hector Pardoe (Athlete of the Year), Héctor Bellerín (Global Champion) and Formula E (Pioneer Award). These awards honour the athletes, organisations, and initiatives that are leading the way in environmental sustainability across the world of sport.

Now in its fourth year, The BBC Green Sport Awards 2025 highlight those who use their platforms to drive environmental change and inspire global audiences to take action for a greener future.

Winners of the BBC Green Sport Awards 2025:

• Athlete of the Year: Hector Pardoe – 24-year-old Olympic open-water swimmer Hector Pardoe is a passionate advocate for clean water. He regularly uses his social media platforms to highlight water quality issues, drawing attention to the health risks posed by polluted waters; hazards he and his teammates have experienced firsthand during training and competition. This summer, he made history by completing the Three Lakes Challenge for Clean Water. In under 24 hours, he became the first person in history to swim Britain’s three largest lakes – Windermere, Ullswater, and Loch Lomond – back-to-back. The challenge aimed to raise awareness of water pollution and generate support for the environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage. He also identifies as a plant-based athlete, aligning his lifestyle with environmental sustainability.

• Global Champion: Héctor Bellerín – Former Arsenal player Héctor Bellerín is one of football’s most prominent voices for sustainability. Now playing for Real Betis, he serves as Chief Ambassador for the club’s ‘Forever Green’ initiative, helping position Betis as one of Europe’s leading environmentally conscious teams. In 2025, he launched a sustainable fashion brand and championed the club’s eco-friendly kit. Earlier this year, he was named in National Geographic’s “33 for 2025” list and became an ambassador for Green Football’s Great Save campaign. In addition, he lives his values by embracing a vegan lifestyle, choosing cycling over driving, and famously pledging to plant trees for every Arsenal win. With a global following, Bellerín continues to inspire climate action across sport and beyond. 

• Pioneer Award: Formula E – Formula E continues to lead the charge in sustainable motorsport. Net Zero since its 2014 debut, it was the first sport to have SBTi-validated emissions targets and to join the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework. Its Gen3 race car is fully recyclable and designed for maximum energy efficiency, while race events aim for zero waste through renewable energy and circular logistics. In 2025, Formula E introduced ‘Pit Boost’, a groundbreaking 600kW ultra-fast charging strategy that revolutionized race tactics and accelerated public EV charging innovation. By combining elite competition with climate leadership, Formula E is pushing the boundaries of electric performance and inspiring change across the automotive industry and global sport. 

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, says: “It’s fantastic to celebrate the game-changers pushing sport in a greener direction. The competition this year is fierce and it shows just how much amazing work is happening to make sport more sustainable. Sport has the power to inspire, unite, and lead - and these awards spotlight those using that power to protect the planet."

The ceremony, presented by BBC Sport’s Jeanette Kwakye, was held at BBC Broadcasting House’s Radio Theatre this evening, featured inspiring stories from nominees and winners.

FE

Follow for more