Sport and the environment
Researchers from Loughborough University are world-leaders in understanding the changing relationship between sport and the natural environment. Researchers based in the Schools of Sport, Exercise and Health Science, and in London, have been spearheading a broad range of work which is having policy impact nationally and internationally.
Our research impact
In November, a major event was organised to coincide with two major publications. Co-hosted with the UN Environment Programme, the International Olympic Committee and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the event launched Sports for Nature Report: A baseline on how sports are acting for nature. Alongside this event, a paper was published providing a global review of the climate impact of sport emissions.
This work also coincided with policy debate surrounding COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh and COP15 in Montreal, and is part of a bigger campaign, coordinating sports’ response to the triple planetary crisis in the lead up to Paris 2024 and through the Decade Of Ecosystem Restoration.
The Sports for Nature: Setting a Baseline handbook will support sport to be a critical partner for change. The handbook investigates and highlights the urgency, dependency and impact of sport on nature, demonstrating the opportunities already underway - with guidance and case studies to inspire and innovate. To set a baseline for nature conscious work in the sport sector, focus groups were conducted with 109 sport organisations from 30 different sports and 48 countries. The handbook shows how sport can move forward positively working together to adapt their games for a greener future. Already, the handbook has informed the IUCN’s recently announced Sports for Nature Framework which has seen nearly 30 international sport organizations sign on to conserve nature through sport.
The second paper above revealed a mixed response to combating climate issues across the sports industry.
The systematic analysis involved reviewing literature that made direct reference to the impact of sport on the climate. This covered a 30-year search period (January 1992 to July 2022), spanning the impact of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games through to preparations for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup.
It details how some teams, sports, and venues are leading the way in addressing the climate crisis, but also highlights how much remains to be done from grassroots up to elite sports, and national governing bodies.
In the spotlight
Due to mega sporting events attracting high-level, international scrutiny, and ad-hoc diplomacy, the authors recognised an emerging geopolitical dimension to debates around sport, climate change and sustainability issues. The dangers of greenwashing was noted too, in the realm of sport and climate mitigation, with researchers citing examples of high-profile sustainability and carbon accounting prior to major sporting events, but much less on follow-up.
Tensions between climate action and other planetary crises of biodiversity loss and pollution were also mentioned. Examples include the production of fake snow with chemical additives that damage topsoil and plant growth; or switching to artificial turfs to avoid the challenges associated with drought, thereby impact habitats for insects and small animals.
The researchers said that high-profile clubs and athletes now hold unique positions of influence in affecting behaviour change, especially around long-haul travel arrangements and wider sustainability goals.
Focus on emissions
It was recognised that there is a growing appetite to quantify emissions and prioritise mitigation efforts with some sports organisations praised for implementing imaginative ways of decarbonising sports schedules through smarter logistics.
This topic was highlighted again recently, following an investigation by BBC Sport into the use of private jets by Premier League men’s football teams, which featured one of the co-authors – Dr Madeleine Orr – on Radio 5 Live.
Lead researcher for the report, Professor Rob Wilby, Professor of Hydroclimatic Modelling, Geography and Environment, Loughborough University said:
Most attention has been given to emissions associated with elite sporting events and activities such as football, skiing and golf; we know much less about the impact of grass-roots and women’s sport. Smarter logistics for tournaments, improved design and management of facilities, on-site renewable energy and waste reduction, could all reduce the carbon footprint of sport.
Contributors
Contributors to the report include Loughborough University colleagues Professor Robert Wilby, Dr Madeleine Orr, Dr Duncan Depledge, Professor Richard Giulianotti, Professor George Havenith, Dr Jamie Kenyon, Dr Stephen Mears, Dr Lee Taylor, and Dr Tom Matthews (King’s College London), and Dr Donal Mullan (Queen’s University Belfast).
The programme is now being brought together in a new research centre focused on Sports for Climate Action and Nature (SCAN), from which a wealth of new policy-relevant research will be conducted over coming years. The SCAN team will also chair the Global Network on Sports for Climate Action and Nature Research (Global SCAN Network), launched in April with UNEP.