Dr Jamie Kenyon, Lecturer in Sport Management, explained how recent problems caused by rising temperatures at the Olympic Games in Paris and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo could now become the norm.
“The challenges of a changing climate in respect to the international sporting calendar are not a distant concern. They are happening and have been happening for at least an Olympic cycle or two,” he said.
“We saw challenges in Paris, we saw challenges in Tokyo. It is pointing towards a scenario where the traditional summer calendar for these events is becoming less viable.
“What is required is bolder action. It will need multi-actor collaboration to ensure the problems of a changing climate are mitigated and adapted to in a way that is safe for athletes, enjoyable for spectators, and profitable for sponsors and partner organisations.
“It is not just a logistical challenge for the sporting calendar to change, but also a moral one,” Dr Kenyon added.
“Sport needs to lead the way in bringing about positive changes to the way people respond to and act in relation to climate change. The reach of global sport means there are few things in the world, short of global pandemics and world wars, that have such significant impact.
“The reach of sport, the impact sport has on the climate, and the impact the climate has on sport means that sport has to lead the way. It is not only about rethinking how sports events are planned and timed, but also about rethinking sport’s place in global society.”
Dr Kenyon also spoke about how major events such as the Winter Olympics are now under a real and serious threat with regard to host cities.
“Recent research on the Winter Olympics suggests that by the end of the century, under a low carbon emissions scenario, there may only be ten viable hosts for the Winter Games. Under a higher emissions scenario, there could be only one viable host by the end of the century.
“The future, if changes are not made, is stark. The Winter Olympics are a clear example, but even in the Summer Games we are already seeing the impact of a changing climate.”
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