Sport and Environment News - Sept / Oct
Access all the latest news and resources in the sport and sustainability space, carefully curated by SEA, right here in one convenient place.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Changing Climatic Conditions of British Sporting Events under Increased Global Temperatures
In this blog, the Met Office look at a recent piece of work conducted at the Met Office which aims to build on these previous studies and explore the expected future climatic conditions of a number of popular sporting events spread across the country and throughout the year. These include the Great North Run (Newcastle in September), the first Test match at Edgbaston (Birmingham in June), the London Marathon (London in April) and the start of the Six Nations (February) at the Twickenham (London), Murrayfield (Edinburgh) and Principality (Cardiff) stadiums.
Motorsport is trying to reach Net Zero. Could fuels like this, made from air and water, help accelerate the journey?
As the climate crisis worsens, Formula One is looking for ways to pollute less planet-heating carbon and become more sustainable.
Like many other sports, Formula One has committed to achieving net-zero by 2030, meaning that those behind it pledge to dramatically reduce its carbon pollution and remove from the atmosphere any that remains.
The Role Of Sports Tech In Achieving Environmental Sustainability
As the dangers of climate change grow, the pressing need for sports tech developments geared toward sustainability is gaining prominent attention. While sports have always been undeniably exciting and inspiring, the environmental impact of sports, particularly regarding carbon emissions, is a growing concern. An estimate shows that the major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB account for about 35,000 tonnes of annual carbon emissions, which merely covers the fans’ emissions.
Read more
Is it safe to exercise in extreme heat and smoky skies?
As heat waves, wildfires and smoke-choked skies become commonplace for more communities, it’s important to safely adjust your outdoor exercise to the new realities of climate change.
Dr. Michael Koehle, a professor of sport and exercise medicine at the UBC faculty of medicine, discusses how to tell if it’s safe to exercise outside and what to do when conditions become extreme.
Climate Change Threatens Sports At Every Level
The Paris Olympics are aiming high with a goal to generate less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of the last two summer games. This effort is not isolated to the Olympics but is part of a broader trend across the sports world, as climate change becomes a formidable opponent. A recent video by PBS NewsHour talked about this, so let’s see what they had to say.
Female footballers rally against FIFA’s deal with Aramco over environmental concerns
More than 100 professional female footballers have called on the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to halt its sponsorship deal with Saudi Aramco, an oil company, over environmental concerns.
In an open letter to Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, the players questioned the company’s commitment to sustainability, given its “record of global pollution and lobbying against climate action”.
The players also highlighted issues of human rights violations, particularly against women.
After her career as a top mountain bike racer, Manon Carpenter became involved in climate activism. Since then, this has evolved into a vision of a completely reframed sport.
Just as dwindling snow seasons and receding glaciers impact winter sports, mountain biking faces challenges from a changing climate. Between November 2021 and February 2022, powerful storms ravaged the UK, devastating communities and forests alike. Manon Carpenter documented these events in her film “Winds of Change – Soil Searching,” spotlighting communities in Northumberland and Aberdeenshire as they adapt to climate fluctuations, striving for a sustainable future for their trails and woodlands.
Representatives of 30 nations attend first environmental sustainability training course
FIS has concluded the first edition of its environmental sustainability training course, open to members of National Ski Associations (NSAs) and Local Organizing Committees (LOCs), as well as FIS staff. Out of the total 251 participants, 143 were representatives of NSAs and LOCs, coming from 30 different countries, and 108 were members of FIS staff.
CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
World way off target in tackling climate change - UN
Global efforts to tackle climate change are wildly off track, says the UN, as new data shows that warming gases are accumulating faster than at any time in human existence.
Current national plans to limit carbon emissions would barely cut pollution by 2030, the UN analysis shows, leaving efforts to keep warming under 1.5C this century in tatters.
The update comes as a separate report shows that greenhouse gases have risen by over 11% in the last two decades, with atmospheric concentrations surging in 2023.
World bakes in record temperatures for 12 consecutive months
Temperatures between July 2023 and June 2024 were the highest on record, scientists found, creating a year-long stretch in which the Earth was 1.64C hotter than in preindustrial times.
Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which analysed the data, said the results were not a statistical oddity but a “large and continuing shift” in the climate.
“Even if this specific streak of extremes ends at some point, we are bound to see new records being broken as the climate continues to warm,” he said.
How climate change will make your life more expensive
The impacts of climate change extend beyond the environment – global warming is also hitting people in their wallets.
From rising insurance premiums to increased energy bills and grocery prices, the economic impacts are wide-ranging. The financial burden of climate change also has the potential to infiltrate our finances in other, more subtle ways.
Here’s how the warming planet could significantly drive up day-to-day costs.
Migration of tiger moths reflective of climate change
JERSEY tiger moths are moving further north in a “clear sign” of climate change.
The species, which as its name suggests is common in the Channel Islands, was once a rare sight in the UK.
But the insect has since colonised the south coast and can now be found as far north as Bedfordshire.
Warmer winters have allowed the caterpillars to survive and are believed to be helping the species spread, according to a report in the Guardian.
Climate changed: Why our scientists are having to redefine ‘normal’ in 2024
Global warming is forcing scientists to redefine what New Zealand’s “normal” climate is - as a separate analysis suggests what it could eventually mean for our wettest and driest days.
Our average temperature has warmed by more than 1.1C within little over a century, with scientists observing fewer frosts, shrinking glaciers, more hot days and intense downpours bearing a climate change handprint.
ASAP Cheat Sheet: A guide to sustainability communication in the sport sector
Why is communication important for any sustainability programme or strategy? Simply put, it will make or break any sustainability program.
SandSI resource library
Explore global case studies in sport and sustainability in the Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI) resource library.
Sport Ecology Group resources
The Sport Ecology Group, a collective of industry experts & researchers, have created a site with various educational and research opportunities.
Click here for more information.
Olympic Games Sustainability Essentials
The Olympic Games has launched Sustainability Essentials, an informative series of guides to help Olympic teams manage sustainability programmes.
Do you want to know what to do and how to start your eco journey?
The Future proofing community sport & recreation facilities: A roadmap for climate change management for the sport and recreation facilities sector resources can help support your journey. Free to use!
This project was developed by the Sports Environment Alliance in partnership with the Victorian Government.
UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action Framework
We encourage you to become a signatory of the UNFCCC Sport for Climate Action Framework. Join a global network of sport leaders who will engage and enact the five (5) principles of the framework.t
7 key things to know about the upcoming Australian climate-related financial disclosure requirements
While the details are still being finalised, thousands of companies will need to start reporting from July 2024 for the 2025 financial year (FY25), so the clock is ticking to get prepared.
In this blog, we'll share 7 things you need to know about the reporting requirements proposed for Australian companies, including the key differences with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2 that were finalised in mid 2023.
Where should clubs start?
Claire Poole talks about how sports clubs can get started on their sports sustainability journey. From data collection, taking action, procurement, partnerships, connecting with internal colleagues and external experts and more.
