Experts in Sport: E31 - Sustainability and climate change impacts on sport

Summary

The discussion examines how climate change affects sport, how sport contributes to emissions and environmental pressures, and how sports organizations can respond.

Climate impacts on sport

The guests describe climate change as already affecting events, venues, athletes, spectators, and participation. They identify extreme heat, flooding, drought, storms, and wildfires as major risks. They also note that scientific attribution of extreme weather to human-caused climate change is now strong.

Examples discussed include:

• Cricket: Flooding regularly affects grounds such as Worcester. Rain-affected matches cost Glamorgan nearly £1 million in revenue in 2017. A drought in South Africa made pitches dangerously hard, while hurricanes have damaged or disrupted grounds in the Caribbean.
• Heat and health: During a 2018 Sydney Test match, the temperature outside the ground reached 47°C, with a reported peak temperature on the field of 57.6°C. At Lord’s, during a match played in the UK’s then-record temperature of 38.7°C, there were nearly 200 medical referrals for heat-related issues—more than twice the usual number.
• Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021: More than 24 events were delayed or postponed by over two hours because of extreme heat. The guests also reported more than twice the usual number of athletes seeking medical attention at some outdoor events. A tropical storm disrupted events, and some surfing heats were cancelled.
• Winter sports: North America has lost roughly 40–50 snow days per year on average compared with conditions in the 1970s, according to the discussion. Shorter seasons can compress competition schedules, increasing physical and mental strain on athletes. Artificial snow may help where temperatures are sufficiently low, but it is not a solution when conditions are too warm.
• Air quality: The guests argue that air pollution should be considered alongside climate change because it can affect athletes and participants. Poor air quality can also make early sporting experiences unpleasant, potentially discouraging young people from taking part.

The impacts are expected to fall unevenly. The guests warn that poorer countries and regions closer to the equator may be hit earlier and harder, potentially affecting sports participation and athlete-development pathways.

Sport’s contribution and potential influence

Sport contributes to climate impacts through venue operations, travel, food and merchandise production, and the travel of fans and participants. The guests highlight travel as a particularly significant source of emissions, including routine journeys by families to children’s activities.

At the same time, sport has a broad public profile and an emotional connection with fans. The guests describe this as an opportunity to normalize climate conversations and encourage action—not only through elite events, but also through recreational clubs.

Adaptation and sustainability actions

The guests expect sport to adapt as climate risks grow. Possible changes include:

• Establishing heat thresholds or policies for competition.
• Building flexibility into event schedules, including backup dates.
• Reviewing rules, playing surfaces, and technology in response to changing conditions.
• Planning for risks to athletes, spectators, and grassroots participation.
• Considering climate equity and the differing impacts on countries and communities.

They recommend practical steps for organizations and individuals:

• Reduce travel emissions: Promote public transport, cycling, car-sharing, and team minibuses. Organizers can plan calendars and routes to reduce unnecessary journeys and use ground transport for suitable trips.
• Improve facilities: Use renewable energy, efficient lighting and insulation, water-saving measures, rainwater capture, and heat pumps.
• Reduce waste: Replace single-use items where possible and encourage reuse of cups and cutlery.
• Build awareness: Educate staff, participants, and fans, and make sustainability part of normal club and venue operations.
• Support sustained action: Governing bodies can provide guidance and consider sustainability in funding and facility standards. The guests note that the Sport for Climate Action Framework had about 300 signatories at the time of the discussion, still a small share of the global sports sector.

Education and practical learning

The discussion describes ways to help students and professionals understand sustainability in sport:

• Arrange site tours with organizations that have sustainability staff.
• Use collaborative “live lab” projects or case studies in which students work with sports organizations on real problems, such as reducing plastic use or finding funding for facility improvements.
• Use teaching resources and examples from sports organizations and environmental bodies.

Researchers and sources featured

People

• Dr Russell Seymour — Sustainability specialist and CEO of the British Association for Sustainable Sport; formerly the first sustainability manager at a major UK sports venue, Lord’s Cricket Ground.
• Dr Madeleine (Maddie) Orr — Lecturer at Loughborough University London and co-founder of the Sport Ecology Group.
• Martin Foster — Host of the podcast.

Organizations, frameworks, and resources mentioned

• Loughborough University
• British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS)
• Sport Ecology Group
• Sport for Climate Action Framework
• United Nations and United Nations Environment Programme
• Sport England
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)
• FIFA
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• Climate Pledge Arena
• Sky
• University of Minnesota
• MCC and Lord’s Cricket Ground
• Orr’s paper, Leveraging sport as a venue and vehicle for transformative sustainability learning
• A climate-and-cricket documentary discussed by Seymour; its title was not provided in the subtitles.