02. Why Should Sport Care About The Environment?
Fields Of Change: A Sustainability Handbook
SPORT FOR GOOD HAS THE UNIQUE POTENTIAL TO WEAVE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE THROUGH THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY
WHY SHOULD SPORT CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
Grass, rain, wind, snow, ice, heat - whether it’s a pristine pitch or a fresh ski slope, sport depends on the natural environment. Climate extremes such as storms, heatwaves, floods, and droughts which make sport unplayable are made more likely and more severe by climate change. But sport is not just a spectator. Travelling to games, building facilities, buying kit and equipment, supplying catering, and the many other activities associated with sport all have impacts on climate change and biodiversity .
So what’s the state of play?
• Since Pelé lifted the 1970 FIFA World Cup, there has been on average almost a 70% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, with human activities as the leading cause 1 . • Global annual CO 2 emissions have increased by more than 5 billion tonnes since Virat Kohli made his debut for India’s cricket team in 2008 2 . • By the time Coco Gauff is 50 years old in 2054, plastic in the oceans will outweigh fish3. • Surveys of football fans consistently show that the majority of fans support climate action and think their clubs should be doing more 4 . • The global annual CO 2 equivalent emissions from sport is estimated to be as much as 300 million tonnes - equivalent to the annual emissions of France 5 . • Without rapid CO 2 emission reductions, by the time of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, the world will have likely exceeded the 1.5°C global average temperature rise target of the Paris Agreement, with potentially irreversible climatic consequences 6 .
Sport has incredible power - its cultural, social, and economic importance means that it can drive positive change across the globe: • With billions of sports fans worldwide, Sport For Good has the unique potential to weave sustainable change through the very fabric of our global community and inspire the leaders of tomorrow. • Sport NGOs (non-governmental organisations) are unique agents of change, straddling the most powerful social phenomenon in the world, whilst understanding and empowering local communities as agents of change. • Sport has been a powerful vehicle for driving positive change around many important issues, from racial justice, to gender equity, LGBTQIA+ conversations, and food poverty - climate should be no different. • In a divided world, sport is a unique phenomenon that brings people together across religions, races, ages, genders, national borders and socioeconomic divides. • The values of teamwork, “perseverance and belief” inherent in sporting culture holds the potential to mobilise humanity towards a more sustainable future. Sport - with its ability to unify billions, ignite passion, and instigate societal shifts - has an incredible potential to inspire change and help to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis.
SURVEYS OF FOOTBALL FANS CONSISTENTLY SHOW THAT FANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT CLIMATE ACTION
05
06
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator