WWF launches innovative 'Climate Games' campaign during Paris Olympics

New campaign features impactful video created by TRY agency and Aparent production company.

As the Paris Olympics approach, WWF and TRY Norway are emphasising concerning records we should avoid breaking.

The Olympics is all about pushing the limits of what humans can achieve and breaking new world records.

On the eve of the Games, WWF launches the new global campaign “The Climate Games” to warn that the records the planet has recently been shattering aren’t ones we want to break. Record heat, nature loss and melting ice all signal a threat to our very survival.

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF global climate and energy lead, said: “At the Olympics, humans will show what incredible efforts can achieve. Now we need our leaders to show similar determination and resolve as these sporting champions, and put climate and nature on a path to recovery.”

2023 was the hottest year on record, with numerous national temperature and extreme weather records. At the turn of August and September, Greece set a European record for the largest wildfire in the continent’s history, and in February, Mozambique set an African record for the longest-living tropical cyclone ever. Additionally, 77 other countries set national heat records.

“If you read the news, it’s not uncommon to see countries breaking two types of records; sports records and climate records. Unfortunately, one type gets far less attention than it deserves. As countries from around the world line up for the Olympics, it’s the perfect time to highlight the records we don’t want to break and to bring home the message that together we can change the game” says the creatives behind the campaign, Hallvard Vaaland and Mathias Sandvik.

Pulgar-Vidal adds: “Changing the game is possible. We have the solutions, we just need to accelerate them. Last year, we saw record growth in renewable energy generation. We now need to see this record broken year-on-year, as well as new positive climate action milestones in areas such as energy efficiency, industry decarbonisation, nature conservation and restoration, building resilience to extreme weather, and climate finance for developing countries”.

The campaign centres around a powerful new video, conceived and produced by the creative agency TRY and the production company Aparent, both based in Norway. The film highlights the unprecedented number of climate records that were broken in 2023 with gripping sports commentary, and will air on French TV just before the men’s 100-meter final on Sunday, August 4. In addition, the campaign will be visible on out-of-home in Paris, and WWF offices around the world will seize moments during the Games when sports records are broken to share their own national climate records.

“The Climate Games” launches as researchers from the University of Portsmouth are warning that intense heat at the Paris Olympics could endanger athletes at the Games. The Rings of Fire report suggests that Paris has the potential to surpass the record temperatures athletes experienced in the last games in Tokyo 2020.

WWF hopes that a similar spirit of determination, unity and endeavour, that is demonstrated so vividly at the Games, can help inspire leaders and people around the world to take the critical action needed to stabilise the climate and reverse nature loss.

“Every government around the world is required to set out ambitious new national climate plans ahead of COP30 in Brazil next year. This is an unmissable opportunity for countries to commit to game changing climate and nature action. Our living planet requires nothing less than a gold medal effort” stated Pulgar-Vidal.