Slavery is not a thing of the past, but all around us: More than 40 million men, women, and children in every region of the world remain victims of modern slavery.1 Within Europe’s football industry alone, there are an estimated 15,000 human trafficking victims each year,2 many of which are youths.
With the aim to shine a light on modern slavery and specifically child trafficking in sport, human rights advocate and cycling Guinness World Record holder Gordon Miller will lead an inspirational bike ride, the “Ride For Freedom – Premier League & Euro 2020 Cycling Tour”. Taking place from June 27-July 11, 2021, during the Euro 2020 tournament, the tour departs and concludes at Wembley Stadium – the Euro 2020 final venue – and visits the grounds of all 20 English Premier League football clubs. Simultaneously, cyclists, sponsors, and fans across Europe will support the tour at several Euro 2020 tournament host cities, starting in Munich, Germany – with a live link to iPoint’s CEO Joerg Walden and other iPoint staff.
iPoint is very excited to support this cycling tour as German Country Sponsor. The very mission of the tour – utilizing the universal appeal and power of cycling to deliver positive social impacts and specifically to raise awareness, educate, and forge partnerships to end modern slavery – aligns with several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a framework iPoint is committed to promoting and advancing as a solutions provider, employer, corporate citizen, and signatory of UN Global Compact to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable future:
SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth): Target 8.7 of the SDGs specifically calls to “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking (by 2030) and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.” Given the risk to corporations, in particular within certain sectors, of forced labor in their supply chains, and the genu¬ine concern many private sector actors have about such reali¬ties in their supply chains, iPoint commissioned an independent consultant to develop the electronic Labor Rights Template (eLRT), a free, open-access Excel-based data exchange stand¬ard designed to support companies in their compliance with global human trafficking and modern-day slavery legislation, which is now also available via the iPoint SustainHub.
SDGs 3 (good health and well-being) and 13 (climate action): Cycling ensures healthy lives and promotes well-being for all. According to a recently published study by researchers at the University of Oxford and others, people who cycle on a daily basis have 84% lower carbon emissions from all their daily travel than those who don’t. And they also stay healthier. The „Ride For Freedom – Premier League & Euro 2020 Cycling Tour“ also showcases cycling as an important form of sustainable transportation to protect the climate. We regularly encourage iPoint’s staff to travel ‘actively’ and sustainably by walking or cycling to work. Apart from that, our solution “iPoint Compliance” supports companies in creating transparency about materials used in their products so that they can avoid hazardous materials dangerous to humans and the environment. And our solution „iPoint Product Sustainability” enables companies to calculate the carbon footprint of their products and derive measures to reduce their climate impact.
SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals): Developed and delivered in partnership with the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD) SOAS University of London and Ardea International, engaging with the Premier League clubs, local sport and cycling clubs, corporates, NGOs, and sports bodies to educate and raise awareness within the communities, and connected with stakeholders like iPoint to spread the message across Europe, the “Ride For Freedom – Premier League & Euro 2020 Cycling Tour“ utilizes a strong partner network to achieve its mission. Similarly, iPoint relies on a strong ecosystem of 70,000 users around the globe which has grown steadily over the past 20 years and is an important factor for our success. Working hand in hand with clients, partners, industry associations, international research institutes and other stakeholders is a prerequisite to develop our industry-leading solutions for product compliance and sustainability. SDG 17, Partnership for the Goals, is crucial to deliver the SDGs by 2030, underlining that the SDGs are a team effort. We’re in this together, and the SDGs can only be realized with strong global partnerships and cooperation!
We look forward to the tour. Stay tuned for updates via our Social Media channels!
Learn more about the 2021 “Premier League and Euro 2020 Cycling Tour” and how you can get involved here.
Learn more about iPoint’s sustainability commitment here.
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1 Global Slavery Index
2 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 2020 Report