Changing climate an existential threat to sports

It is becoming harder to play and attend sports without climate-related disruptions. With emissions trending upwards, our sporting future is up for grabs.

A changing climate means a shift in the way sports are played, watched and organised. Every grade of competition is feeling the climate crisis, from participants in social sports sweltering in the Australian summer to the postponement of a high-stakes playoffs game in the United States’ NFL due to an inhospitable cold front.

While governments are tasked with saving the world from a climate emergency, the sports sector is reckoning with how to safeguard the future of athletics and recreation.

It requires innovation and investment: Australia is set for its first indoor snow resort in western Sydney and the last men’s FIFA World Cup saw huge expenditure on climate-proofing stadiums to withstand the scorching Qatari heat.

Everyone will have to adapt. Top-flight competitions like Formula 1 are trying to go green but some experts say it’s not happening fast enough. Spectators and consumers may have to seek out more sustainability gear, but the burden also falls on manufacturers to produce ecologically friendly products at an appropriate price point.

360info turns to the experts to explore the effects that climate change is having on sports and what needs to be done to avert disruptive irreversible changes.