Living actively and sustainably: the opportunity of combining the physical activity and climate change agendas

Addressing today’s public health challenges requires learning from past successes while adapting to emerging threats. This paper focuses on two pressing and interconnected issues: physical inactivity and climate change. We present the Physical Activity and Climate Change (PACC) model, a new conceptual framework illustrating how well-designed physical activity initiatives can simultaneously contribute to climate mitigation, support adaptation, and promote health and equity. We offer new insights relating to Indigenous knowledge and contemporary sport, reimagining urban design, identifying behavioural and equity synergies, and highlighting opportunities to develop co-benefit metrics, innovative governance models, and cross-sector solutions for health and sustainability. We emphasise the need for systems-based, co-designed approaches that prioritise environmental sustainability, health equity, and cultural relevance, while avoiding unintended consequences. Aligning physical activity and climate change agendas is more powerful than separate efforts, offering greater combined benefits for population and environmental health. The PACC model provides a practical foundation for advancing solutions.