What the sporting world is doing to combat this impending global crisis

The impact of climate change is undeniable, affecting every part of the world. Despite efforts to reduce emissions, Earth’s temperature is projected to rise by around 7.2℉ (4℃) by 2100, worsening the already prevalent issues of shorter winters, extreme heat waves, droughts, floods, and wildfires.

In the realm of sports, extreme weather isn’t just shortening seasons and causing schedule changes for competitions, it’s also putting athletes at risk. For example, the 2014 Australian Open saw temperatures so high that over 1,000 fans suffered from heat exhaustion, an athlete and ball boy collapsed, sneakers melted, and several tennis players had to withdraw from the tournament early.

Entire sporting events have been relocated to avoid extreme weather conditions. The most recent men’s World Cup was rescheduled from July to November 2022 to protect players and fans from the intense summer heat in Qatar, while typhoons forced changes to events at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Climate change is also threatening sports venues, with hurricanes and flooding causing significant damage to cricket grounds in the Caribbean and canceling games in the UK. In fact, nearly a quarter of England’s professional soccer stadiums are at risk of flooding within the next three decades.

With rising temperatures and sea levels, outdoor sports face challenges and iconic locations for competitions are under threat. The future of many sports is uncertain, with some winter sports struggling to find suitable locations for events. A study revealed that only one Winter Olympic host city in the last 21 editions will have a suitable climate to host the Games again by the end of this century. In summary, things are heating up in the world of sports.

Sports are not just impacted by climate change, they also play a significant role in contributing to it. From the use of pesticides and water on golf courses to the construction of Olympic venues in environmentally sensitive areas, sports have a negative impact on the planet.

One of the major issues is the lack of tracking of carbon footprint within the sports industry, making it hard to address and solve the problem effectively. Sports’ global emissions are equivalent to that of a medium-sized country, stemming from venue use, transportation, and equipment production.

Interestingly, a large portion of emissions comes from fans, particularly from international travel to attend events like World Cups and Olympics, accounting for almost 70% of emissions from these major sporting events.

Despite the challenges, many sports teams and organizations are taking steps to address climate change by transitioning to renewable energy sources and implementing eco-friendly initiatives at events.

For example, Chelsea FC in the Premier League switched to renewable energy suppliers, while Galatasaray S.K. installed solar panels at their stadium to generate electricity. Forest Green Rovers in England has been recognized as the greenest soccer club, being UN-certified carbon-neutral and implementing sustainable practices like using renewable energy and serving vegan food.

While some sports entities are making genuine efforts to be environmentally friendly, there is also a prevalent issue of greenwashing, where organizations falsely present themselves as eco-friendly for profit or public relations benefits.

One common greenwashing tactic is through carbon offsets, where organizations invest in offsetting projects to neutralize their emissions, but these methods lack transparency and sometimes do not effectively reduce emissions.

Reports have even found instances of high-carbon sponsorship deals in winter sports, highlighting the need for genuine environmental efforts in the sports industry.

Addressing climate change in sports requires a unified effort to measure and reduce carbon footprints across all levels of the industry. While some organizations have committed to becoming carbon-neutral, more action is needed to combat climate change effectively.

Introducing policies that incentivize renewable energy use and sustainable practices in sports will be crucial in the fight against climate change. With the influence that sports have on global culture, there is a significant opportunity to drive positive change and lead by example in sustainability efforts.