Sport and Environment News - DECEMBER
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
'Their concern is loud and clear': World Athletics survey reveals growing 'climate crisis' fear among athletes
World Athletics has revealed 85 per cent of athletes who took part in a survey believe the sport has been negatively impacted by climate change, which is up from 72 per cent in 2022.
The world governing body of athletics released the findings of its third annual survey on environmental and social issues on Wednesday night (AEDT), with 373 athletes having their say on the global crisis.
BSI and sport industry partner in race towards a sustainable future with Green Sport Initiative
BSI is partnering with key players in the global sport sector, including from cricket, racing, football and sailing teams, to help them embed sustainability measures in order to drive progress across all sporting events and realize increased benefits for people and the planet.
Experts in Sport: E62 - Climate change and sport: The situation and changes needed for the future
Dr Russell Seymour (Senior Enterprise Fellow for the Institute for Sports Business) and Elliot Brown (Sustainability Project Manager at Loughborough University) talk with host Martin Foster about Climate change and its impact on sport and what Loughborough University is doing to help out.
Football and climate change: How does the sport become more sustainable?
As football continues to expand, so does its impact on the climate.
From sponsorships with fossil fuel giants to tournaments played across multiple continents, the growth of the game appears to be impossible to reconcile with targets to reduce emissions or reach net zero goals. But what can the industry do to become more sustainable? The Athletic spoke to several prominent campaigners for their solutions.
The Ocean Race wins the Sustainability Award in the International Sports Awards 2023
The Ocean Race, the toughest and longest test of a team in sport, has taken the top prize in the Sustainability category of the 2023 International Sports Awards, hosted by the International Sports Convention.
The Award recognises the efforts of the Racing with Purpose sustainability programme, which was created with Premier Partner, 11th Hour Racing, to put ocean protection at the heart of the round-the-world sailing competition.
Accelerating a just transition: FIA, new observer at, launches white paper on the sustainable future of motor sport and mobility
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has published 'Accelerating a Just Transition: The Motor Sport and Mobility Perspective', a White Paper highlighting the environmental initiatives of the FIA and its Members in the field of motor sport and mobility.
The White Paper was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, where the FIA had Observer to the UNFCCC status for the first time. It explores a wide variety of cutting-edge sustainable technology solutions for mobility and motor sport. Key topics include sustainable fuels, the future of powertrains and infrastructure, consumer engagement, as well as shared knowledge and innovation transfer between track and road.
“Will No Longer Be There!”: Max Verstappen Reveals the Reason That Will Force Him to Quit F1
Max Verstappen has always been old-fashioned when it comes to racing. So much so that the Red Bull driver recently hinted towards his retirement as racing is gradually evolving day by day and one day it will all be without gas. When asked about his thoughts about Formula 1 in the next ten years, Verstappen told Blick, “The gas will probably be gone. But our sport is already becoming greener and more sustainable.”
Admittedly, FOM and FIA are closing in on having a greener future in racing as they want to use as much sustainable fuel as possible. They also commit to having net zero carbon in the sport by the year 2030.
A Sustainable Future for Equestrianism
British Dressage and British Showjumping release their joint sustainability strategy, outlining the vision, mission, and action plan from 2024 to 2030.
Following the publication of the British Equestrian report this week, British Dressage and British Showjumping have announced their joint strategy that will see both National Governing Bodies working collaboratively towards achieving a sustainable future for their respective sports.
CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Freshwater fish swim into trouble as climate change increases threat: IUCN
A quarter of freshwater fish species worldwide are at risk of extinction, according to an update to the global red list of threatened species on Monday, highlighting the escalating impacts of human-caused climate change on the planet’s wildlife.
Evidence of climate change impact on ocean, Antarctica
The first Tourism and Climate Change Stocktake 2023 report has been released by the Tourism Panel on Climate Change (TPCC), with 24 key findings aimed to help policy makers and the tourism industry make decisions about planning and investment toward climate resilient global tourism.
Griffith University sustainable tourism expert and Coordinating Editor Professor Susanne Becken said the report is significant because it is the first of its kind to assess the progress and gaps in the state of tourism worldwide regarding the climate crisis.
'Fire-ice' is starting to melt due to climate change
Methane could start to be uncontrollably released into the ocean and atmosphere after researchers find that "fire-ice" is starting to warm earlier than previously thought.
Fire-ice is the name sometimes given to a naturally occurring frozen form of methane and water. It gets its nickname due to the fact that you can literally set light to it.
Analysis: Carbon removal can help achieve net zero, but comes with its own climate risks
Net-zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions refers to a balance between CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere and CO₂ removals from the atmosphere, such that the net effect on CO₂ levels in the atmosphere is zero. It is often assumed that if such a balance is achieved, the net effect on climate would also be zero.
However, in a recent paper in Nature Climate Change, we show that unless we consider a number of other factors — such as permanence of carbon stored in vegetation and soils, changes in the reflectivity of landscapes and the full suite of greenhouse gases emitted — balancing CO₂ emissions with removals will not achieve the intended climate goal.
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
