If you see this flag at a sporting event, you will know that the players and organizers are caring for the environment as they compete. It flutters at matches, races and tournaments - and hundreds of school sports days - all over the world as a way of using the popularity of sport to reach huge crowds of fans.

Among those who fly it are yachters using biofuel technology, farmers working without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, cycle couriers, and schools and artists recycling waste and equipment. Others include fans at the Oita Trinita stadium who are trying to make theirs the most environmentally friendly stadium in Japan. They run garbage collection and separation, and reuse-a-cup schemes, and held a mass clean-up at the stadium in March.

The ecoflag was flying at the King and Queen of the Beach, a beach volleyball event in Brazil. Beach volleyball is hugely popular in Brazil and this was a great opportunity for increasing environmental awareness and action. Paper, glass and can recycling activities took place, with children joining in to learn about proper garbage and recycling practices.

The Global Sports Alliance partner 'Local Beach Global Garbage' was at the 2004 International Surfing Association World Surfing Games, which took place in Salinas, Ecuador in March. Some 300 participants from 27 countries took part and Local Beach Global Garbage founder, Fabiano Barretto, was there to 'plant a seed' of environmental awareness among the many surfers and fans that attended the event. A surfer himself from the age of nine, Fabiano became increasingly concerned about the amount of garbage that was washing up on Brazilian beaches, and began photographing and cataloguing the type and country of origin of the garbage. This year Fabiano has also been flying the ecoflag, connecting beach sports enthusiasts in South America with the Ecoflag Movement.

What is the ecoflag?

The ecoflag symbolizes a commitment to the environment of sports lovers and everyone who knows the importance of nature. It is a symbol of our commitment towards leaving a beautiful planet for future generations. Ecoflag is an initiative by the Global Sports Alliance with the support of UNEP.

The aim of the ecoflag project is to increase environmentally oriented activities and create a power base for environmental action. Furthermore, the ecoflag.com website serves as a forum to show the variety of activities taking place in our communities and for the active exchange of ideas. The power we harness from these activities will go towards solving global environmental problems.

The Global Sports Alliance, also in Japan, is imaginatively reusing sports equipment, sending old tennis balls to schools all over the country to be put on the feet of tables and chairs to keep the classrooms quieter - and giving the students, and their teachers, a valuable lesson about waste.

photos: ecoflag.com