Articles
- Sport produces mountains of high-tech waste. We are finding new ways to recycle it, opens in a new tab, Ali Hadigheh, Yaning Wei, The Conversation, (27 December 2024). Strong, bendable and lightweight materials have made it possible for athletes to push the limits of their sports, win medals and bring pride to their nations. But they come with a hidden cost. Composite materials are notoriously hard to recycle. And the amount of waste from sports is growing fast. Our research offers a way to reduce this waste – and extract valuable carbon fibres.
- ‘We’re looking at losing 20% of Olympic nations’: how the climate crisis is changing sport, opens in a new tab, Madeleine Orr, The Guardian, (5 May 2024). Athletics Kenya is worried about how the climate might shape the future of its country, let alone its sport. And it is not alone
- Tennis anyone? Bad news for skiers as snow season could shrink by 78% this century, opens in a new tab, Adrian McCallum, The Conversation, (14 March 2024). Research released overnight suggests ski areas in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand will soon have much less snow due to climate change. German researcher Veronika Mitterwallner and her colleagues show average annual snow-cover days may decline by 78% in the Australian Alps and 51% in the Southern Alps of Aotearoa New Zealand (under a high-emissions scenario) by 2071–2100. Worldwide, they found 13% of ski areas will lose all natural snow cover by the end of the century.
- From the grassroots to the elite, sport is already feeling the impacts of climate change, so why aren’t peak bodies prepared?, opens in a new tab, ABC News, (13 March 2024). A report by the Environmental Defenders Office and Frontrunners analysed the policies of 314 Australian sporting bodies. It found only three (1%) mentioned climate change in their annual report, while 19 (6%) referred to climate change or sustainability in their strategic plans.
- How Gold Coast sporting codes are preparing for a fire ant threat this winter, opens in a new tab [paywall], Jake Garland, Gold Coast Bulletin, (26 February 2024). Some of Queensland major football codes have plans in place as they prepare for a rise in infestation of fire ants this winter.
- Three-quarters of athletes directly impacted by climate change, opens in a new tab, World Athletics, (30 November 2023). Three-quarters (75%) of our sport’s athletes perceive a direct negative impact on their health and performance due to climate change with 85% expressing that the sport of athletics has experienced adverse consequences, according to the third annual survey* conducted by World Athletics to gauge the attitudes of elite athletes about environmental and social issues.
- The business case for green sports stadiums and arenas is growing, opens in a new tab, Ian Thomas, CNBC, (29 April 2023). More arenas and stadiums across the U.S. are putting environmentally-friendly practices at the forefront. The business case for sustainable buildings is helping, as NFL, NBA and NHL venues are seeing cost savings by adopting zero-waste and energy-efficiency efforts. At Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, there is a projected $400,000 annual return on an initial $1 million investment in a landfill trash elimination effort.
- Clearing the air around air quality and outdoor sport safety, opens in a new tab, Sport Information Resource Centre and Health Canada, (24 April 2023). In 2022, Health Canada and the Sport Information Resource Centre partnered to create educational resources to raise awareness about air quality and the safety of outdoor sport participation. Air pollution can impact the health of all Canadians, but some groups, including people engaged in outdoor sport and exercise, are at an increased risk. Monitoring air quality can help sport leaders determine if outdoor activity is safe or if it needs to be cancelled or rescheduled
- Sport is both a climate victim and villain. These champions show there’s another way, opens in a new tab, Marthe de Ferrer, EuroNews, (4 March 2023). Though it’s impossible to accurately calculate sport’s contribution to global warming and biodiversity loss, some have compared its carbon footprint to that of a country the size of Spain. Unlike many other industries, however, sport is also often situated on the frontlines of the climate emergency.
- Runner says no to competing for GB in Australia over flight climate concerns, opens in a new tab, Kevin Rawlinson, The Guardian, (27 January 2023). A promising teenage athlete has declined to represent Great Britain in a competition due to be held in Australia because she is concerned about the environmental impact of the associated travel.
- Mapping the sport and climate space, opens in a new tab, David Goldblat, Play the Game, (January 2023). Over the last two decades, the relationship of sport to the global climate crisis has become increasingly clear and increasingly urgent. The risks and dangers posed by global heating and extreme weather to athletes, fans, and facilities have become tangible, as hurricanes sweep aside cricket stadiums, heatwaves hospitalise spectators, and record floods consume football fields and golf courses alike. Theme page is divided into five sections: The impact of the climate crisis; Understanding sports' carbon emissions; Global frameworks for addressing climate change; Sports' responses to the climate crisis; Sustainable innovations in sport; and Current debates.
- Cambridge Research Shows Cricket Bats Should Be Made From Bamboo Not Willow, opens in a new tab, University of Cambridge, SciTech Daily, (9 May 2021). Bamboo cricket bats are stronger, offer a better ‘sweet spot’ and deliver more energy to the ball than those made from traditional willow, tests conducted by the University of Cambridge show. Bamboo could, the study argues, help cricket to expand faster in poorer parts of the world and make the sport more environmentally friendly.
- Fewer flights and a pesticide-free pitch? Here’s how Australia’s football codes can cut their carbon bootprint, opens in a new tab, Brett Hutchins, Libby Lester, Michael Ambrose, The Conversation, (20 October 2020). Our small-scale study analysed air travel-related emissions for the final four rounds of 2019 regular season games. We used the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s measurement methodology to create a snapshot of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO₂-e) generated by flying teams to and from games in different cities. Air travel from just one month of football competition in Australia across the four men’s codes generated emissions equivalent to about 475 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Across the codes, teams travelled 231,000km in a single month.
- Impact of Climate Change on Professional Athletes: Q&A with Craig McMorris and Geneviève Lalonde, opens in a new tab, Canada Games Council and SIRC, (14 October 2020). To better understand how climate change is impacting Canadian athletes, CGC reached out to two former Canada Games participants, pro snowboarder Craig McMorris and Olympic steeplechaser Geneviève Lalonde. From receding glaciers to offsetting carbon footprints, Craig and Geneviève share their firsthand experiences with sport and climate change.
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