Sport and the environment
Perhaps more than other sectors, sport experiences at first hand changes in the environment and in our climate. Here's an overview of how environmental changes affect our organisations, what is already being done in the sector and what simple steps sports bodies can take.
Understanding and reducing environmental impact
What does the environment matter for sport?
The ability of future generations to engage with sport depends on the action we take now to address the climate challenge. In 2023, the average global temperature was 1.52⁰C hotter than average temperatures before the Industrial Revolution, as the greenhouse gas emissions produced from human activity continue to warm up the planet.
Climate change has significant impacts on sport – and these impacts are already being felt. Outdoor sports can see physical risks, such as flooding damaging venues, weather-related cancellations or postponement of events and matches, and extreme weather adversely affecting athlete participant motivation, capability, health and performance. These impacts will only become more severe.
By 2050, it is predicted that:
This does not just impact elite or professional sportspeople – it has far wider implications for levels of physical activity across the population and, by extension, for the nation’s physical and mental health. In November 2022 the UK saw very heavy rainfall – and the number of children and young people who said the weather stopped their physical activity rose by 40%. Additionally, as of 2024, extreme weather has had a negative impact on the ability of 3 in 5 adults to be physically active. The heatwave in July 2022 meant that 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 4 children across the UK were unab
