Globally, billions of people of all nationalities, ages, genders, and abilities participate and engage in one sport or another. From athletes and fans, to coaches and staff, sports are so widely consumed it’s hard to quantify their presence in our collective culture. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia brought in a record breaking audience of 3.5 billion people worldwide. Now, imagine the positive impact that could come from the billions of sports fans and athletes around the world coming together to take climate action.
The Momentum of Sports
How Does Climate Change Threaten Sports?
- Dangerously high temperatures increase risk of heat stroke.
- Poor air quality harms performance.
- Extreme weather events cause game cancellations and hinder fan engagement.
- Rising temperatures shorten snow sports seasons.
- Sea level rise threatens sports infrastructure and development.
- More common epidemics and pandemics disrupt seasons.
- Increased adaptation costs make sports less widely accessible.Â
- The sports industry experiences decreased revenue and job losses.Â
- Future generations will have decreased and/or disrupted access to sports.
Sports Signatory Spotlight
Alena Olsen, USA Rubgy
USA Rugby Team
Mara Abbott, U.S. Olympic Cyclist
EcoAthletes, Eco-Sports Org
U.S. Equestrian Vaulting Team
GreenSportsBlog
Rhydian Cowley, Australian Olympic Race Walker
Nuno Dias, World Class Martial Arts Athlete
Ascent Soccer, the Greenest Soccer Club and Academy in Africa
What Now? Check Out One of Our Toolkits
Our toolkits are made to help you understand how climate change will impact your life and how you, as an athlete or sports fan, can take simple steps towards meaningful climate action.
