Climate Change & The Future of Sport

By Ellen Salter
August 2020

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Sport is one of the most engaging and enduring activities in the world. Not only is it beneficial for physical and mental well-being, but it fosters a sense of community, promotes social cohesion, and strengthens feelings of inclusivity and belonging.

It is also a global phenomenon. The most recent Global FIFA Census estimated that an estimated 265 million people participate in sporting events worldwide, including 5 million refugees - amounting to 4% of the world’s population. In addition, it is estimated that half the world are keen sport enthusiasts, with more than 4 billion people reporting as soccer fans, 2.5 billion as cricket fans, 2 billion hockey fans, 1 billion tennis fans, and on, and on. For major sporting events, the figures are even more outstanding - a record 3.57 billion watched the 2018 Football World Cup in Russia, and 900 million engaged for the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. The point I’m making, in short, is that sport really is a big deal.

Climate change is also a really big deal. And it’s profoundly impacting upon the world’s best loved sports through extreme and unexpected weather events, prolonged periods of drought, and severe heatwaves to name but a few. This not a regionally confined phenomenon, but is and will only worsen globally. By 2050, it's estimated that almost one in four English football league grounds can expect flooding every year. Today, grassroots football, according to the Climate Coalition (2018), loses more than five weeks of football per season due to flooding and extreme weather events. Tennis, rugby, athletics, and winter sports such as skiing face serious challenges too - with extreme weather events affecting rugby in Japan; rising temperatures reducing the length of the ski seasons; and one third of British Open golf courses anticipated to be damaged by rising sea-levels by 2050. Moreover, according to the Climate Coalition Report (2018), cricket experience the worst impacts of climate change and may even become commercially unfeasible.

So, what is the industry doing to help?

According to the Rapid Transition Alliance’s 2020 Report, not enough. The industry and sports leaders are slow to react and are, as a whole, failing to address the severity of the issue. The Report highlighted that of hundreds of governing bodies, just 5 have declared a Zero Carbon Pledge. Sporting organisations and events must both adapt to climate change and mitigate against climate change through developing pathways towards a low-carbon future. The latter being equally urgent, as the world strives towards 1.5 degree warming - a recent report estimates that the annual carbon emissions from global sports events are greater than many of the world’s nation’s total carbon footprints.

However, there is some good news. This year, the UN developed an Action Plan to make sport carbon neutral. This Plan outlines 5 climate positive commitments (find out more here). A number of organisations have signed up including FIFA. In England, the Football Association for instance, has already invested £48 million to help pitches adapt to harsher weather conditions.

Formula 1 has also developed an Action Plan to become carbon neutral by 2030 - with aspirations towards 100% renewable electricity for buildings; carbon offsetting; and improvements to fuel efficiency among others. The International Olympics Committee are now ensuring that climate change is a key considering when selecting a host-city after a recent report declared that by 2050, less than half of the 21 cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics will be cold enough to host the games again.

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What can you do to help?

In the current Premier League, the football stadiums of Southampton, Norwich, Chelsea and West Ham extreme pressure from Climate Change. Call for Action for your Premier League Club to do more to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. You can explore the Premier League Climate Change League Table and find out more about opportunities and challenges. This could be the only trophy you realistically have a chance of winning…

Other suggestions include:
Consider how you travel to watch sport - are there greener ways to travel?
Volunteer to support climate change adaptation building at grassroots sports grounds.
Fundraise - run a marathon, half marathon, and/or organise a tournament to support climate change organisations or your own club.
Start a Pledge for clubs within your Sporting Industry and campaign collectively for climate action.

The documented history of sport is more than 3,000 years old. At current estimates, it will not be around in 3,000 years time. We all have a duty to protect and promote sport in the context of climate change projections to ensure sport is possible for future generations.

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