
Sports and the environment are strongly linked by a bidirectional connection: sports impact the natural environment and vice versa. The relationship between sport and the natural environment begins at the origins of nearly every sport since most sports were born of interactions between humans and their environment. The environment provides people with the necessary resources to practice sports, such as fields of play and weather conditions. If the conditions of the natural environment change, the sports sector will be severely impacted in terms of the possibility to practice sports, general interest in sporting activities, economic revenue, employment in the sector, and health conditions. At the same time, sports affect the environment by shaping it according to its needs and polluting it with gas emissions.
The relationship between these two concepts is such that in the nineties a new term was coined to describe it: sport ecology. The latter was defined to encourage mindful use of resources and the adoption of sustainable practices with the aim of raising awareness about Global Warming.
About ten years later, in the early 2000s, sport ecology transformed into sport sustainability with a major focus on reducing the environmental impact of large sports events such as the Olympic Games, Super Bowl, Formula One or FIFA World Cup.
When we refer to sports we generally refer to a widely recognized definition offered by Guttmann in 2004 comprehensives of three components: competition, physical activity, and structures underpinned by rules or laws. Nevertheless, the concept of the sports sector extends far beyond that: it covers organized and non-organized sports competitions, all kinds of recreational physical activities, even tourism, and the entire sport industry related to production, promotion and distribution of sports-related products and services.
Since 2020, sport has been officially recognized by the United Nations as a “major contributor to economic and social development”. It has a unique capacity to influence people, positively affecting their health and lives, and impacting whole economies through its major largest events, contributing to gross domestic product (GDP), media rights revenue, and sporting goods.
Given the influence of sport at both macro and micro level and its strong link with the environment, it is crucial for sport to contribute to raise awareness about the climate emergence and to take a leading role fighting against it. Sports sector should promote positive campaigns, encourage a circular economy of sports clothes and items, reduce CO2 emissions, use energy-efficient structures, implement active recycling and sustainable policies, and discourage consumerism.
Since the importance of ecological sustainability has been constantly rising in the last decades, as well as the public attention on the topic, it is essential to distinguish between concrete actions to combat Climate Change and mere greenwashing for promotional purposes, even in the sports sector.
Nowadays there are several brands and sports events that promote campaigns for environmental sustainability. Among the most famous brand there is the Nike campaign “Move to zero” with the aim of achieving zero carbon emissions goals before 2050; Puma is also well-known for its commitment to eco-friendly production, announced in its Sustainability vision for 2030, along with the Adidas movement “Move for the Planet” aiming to raise consumer awareness for climate change and promoting sustainable practices. Although these campaigns have all good intentions, the brands have been criticized because of their uninterrupted production without any scruples in terms of quantity or human rights.
Among the major sport events that have promoted green behaviours there are the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, both with a developed system of evaluation of CO2 emissions and environmental impact. Despite their commitment, they have been openly criticized for greenwashing because some of the main sponsors were leaders in carbon intensive industries.
In conclusion, it’s important to develop critical thinking skills to recognize and support the proactive and concrete green policies in the sports sector, as well as in others, with the purpose of transforming the sport-environment nexus in a virtuous connection.
Until now, the relationship between sport and the environment has been one-sided, with sport often overlooking its impact on the environment. Now, it’s time to restore the balance between the two, expanding the concept of sport sustainability from the early 2000s in something more holistic.
References
Sport Ecology: Conceptualizing an Emerging Subdiscipline Within Sport Management. Brian P. McCullough; Madeleine Orrand; Timothy Kellison (2020). Journal of Sport Management Vol.34, pp. 509-520. Sport Ecology: Conceptualizing an Emerging Subdiscipline Within Sport Management in: Journal of Sport Management Volume 34 Issue 6 (2020)
Sport versus climate: Introducing the climate vulnerability of sport organizations framework. Orr Madeleine, InoueYuhei (2018). Sport Management Review, Vol 22, Issue 4, pp. 452-463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2018.09.007
Impacts of climate change on organized sport: A scoping review. Timothy R. Carter, Domain Editor and Mike Hulme (2022). Impacts of climate change on organized sport: A scoping review – Orr – 2022 – WIREs Climate Change – Wiley Online Library
Nike; Move to Zero Nike Sustainability. Move to Zero. Nike.com
Puma; Sustainability Annual Report 2023 Foreword | Puma Annual Report 2023
Adidas; Environmental Impacts Annual Report 2023 Environmental Impacts – adidas Annual Report 2023
Paris 2024 Sustainability & Legacy post-games Report Summary Paris 2024 presents the results of its actions to make the Games more sustainable
Tokyo 2020 Sustainability & Legacy post-games Report Summary Tokyo 2020 goes beyond carbon neutrality and helps create a more “sustainable society” – Olympic News