SPORT AND CLIMATE ACTION
THE CRUCIAL ROLE SPORT MUST PLAY IN CLIMATE ACTION
Our report Stepping up to the plate: The crucial role sport must play in climate action takes a look at the ways sport is already activating to combat climate change, why it must push harder, and how the industry can bring climate action to life.
The pace of climate change is relentless. The latest IPCC Report, published April 2022, calls for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to peak by 2025 if we are to avoid climate disaster. Though efforts to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects are increasingly woven into our daily lives, more action must be taken swiftly - and the sports industry is well placed to respond to this call.
Since we first released this report, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) took place in November 2021 and, for the first time, the sports community played a major role in the event’s agenda. Since COP26, more and more sports organizations have begun to transform the way they operate, with sustainability becoming a core element of business strategy and operations.
For any sports organization looking to implement a comprehensive sustainability strategy to transform their business model, this report and the accompanying Sports Industry’s Sustainability Directory are a useful place to start.
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THE REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Climate change proves the greatest existential threat to our collective society. Unless enormous carbon cuts are implemented, the aims defined in the 2015 Paris Agreement will not be met, which risks devastating effects on our environment and society.
The sporting ecosystem is not immune to these consequences and is already experiencing the havoc caused by extreme weather, fires, and shifting weather patterns. Sport is also a significant contributor to the problem through infrastructure construction, fan and athlete travel and the massive amount of waste generated at events.
There are pockets within the sports ecosystem where a concerted effort is being made to address the climate crisis, helped by global convening bodies who are trying to guide the sector towards improved sustainability practices, but this is not enough.
The sports industry can and must play a role in three ways:
Cleaning up our own house: Transforming the sector to become carbon neutral ahead of 2040.
Mobilizing fans: Leveraging its influence to mobilize billions of sports fans to take concrete action.
Partnerships for change: Utilize partnerships to facilitate innovation and sharing to create new technologies and infrastructure to expedite the transition to a carbon neutral world.
Sport has a powerful role to play in climate action and there are a number of tools available to guide sports organizations on their journey towards a more sustainable future. We hope that our report can play a valuable role in guiding that journey.
If you would like to improve your business performance by solving the planet’s most pressing issue, contact us at climateaction@17-sport.com.
ABOUT
The author of this report is 17 Sport, as are the expressed views outlined in this document. 17 Sport is an impact company operating at the intersection of sports, business and purpose. We provide strategy, partnership, implementation, and social return on investment measurement services to transformational leaders in sport and business committed to accelerating the transformation of sport into a force for good.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Jo Ramsay 17 Sport Strategy Director
Brianna Salvatore Dueck 17 Sport Senior Strategy Consultant
Neill Duffy 17 Sport CEO & Co-Founder
Fabien Paget 17 Sport CEO & Co-Founder
Seth Kirby Lecturer in the School of Science & Technology at Nottingham Trent University
