Sport and environmental sustainability

The protection of the environment has become a topic of global debate since the Kyoto Protocol of 1997. This treaty on climate change held nations responsible for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions which were recognised as being the cause of global warming. The Paris Agreement has since usurped the original treaty, but various countries continue to search for new and innovative methods of reducing their carbon footprint. As a global industry, what is sport doing to reduce its carbon footprint and raise awareness of environmental sustainability?

Mega-events

The summer of 2016 will be remembered, in the sporting world, for the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, and EURO 2016 in France.  For the first time the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in South America. The organising committee intended to make it a ‘green games’ and made efforts to  reduce the carbon footprint  by using sustainably sourced food, limiting the materials and personnel needed to make the games happen, and also making efforts to decrease the use of heavy vehicles where possible.

UEFA’s Respect campaign features a strong focus on environmental sustainability. At EURO 2016, this included encouraging public transport and walking, partnering with the French national railway company (SNCF), aiming to recycle 50% of tournament waste and limiting the use of energy and water.

Stadia

Commercial sports have one thing in common, the place of the event. There is an increasing trend for sports stadia to be innovative in their ability to be sustainable. These are just some examples:

• The AAMI Park Stadium in Melbourne includes a drainage system that collects rainwater for use in the stadium and other facilities in the area. This can save up to 500,000 gallons per year
• The Aviva Stadium in Dublin is powered solely by clean energy sources. The stadium’s owners estimate that this could save 3,000 tonnes of emissions each year. There are also schemes in place to encourage more sustainable methods of travelling to the stadium – such as cycling and using public transport
• The National Stadium in Taiwan has 8,844 solar panels on its roof. Not only does this power the stadium but the excess goes back into the grid to make a wider contribution

Sports clubs

An example of an individual sports club looking to lead the way in creating a sustainable model is Forest Green Rovers FC in England. With an organically grown pitch fed by collected rainwater, LED floodlights powered by solar panels and meat-free menus sourced from local producers, Forrest Green Rovers are using the status of football to showcase that it is possible for sports organisations to function under an environmentally responsible operating model.

Sports clubs, organisations and governing bodies can use the status of sport to disseminate information and increase awareness of environmental responsibility. It is also becoming possible and expected to increase their own efforts at reducing their carbon footprint.