Green Olympics: Dr. Daniel Scott explores the path to sustainable sporting events
Farzad Youshanlou
January 13, 2025

Efforts to foster environmental awareness and cultivate a culture of sustainability among athletes and sporting organizations continues to grow. Despite its critical importance, environmental protection and climate action remain an emerging priority for many within the sports community. Intensifying the challenge is the fact that numerous countries hosting or aspiring to host major international sporting events rank among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters.

To grasp the gravity of this issue, it is essential to understand the greenhouse effect. This phenomenon refers to the trapping of heat in the atmosphere by GHGs, clouds which absorb and re-emit infrared radiation. The result is a warming of the Earth’s surface and troposphere, exacerbated by human-induced increases in GHG concentrations. Known as the enhanced greenhouse effect, this process intensifies radiative forcing, triggering global temperature rises and the increase in extreme weather events that disrupt natural ecosystems and economies alike.

IOC’S SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT

Under the leadership of Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee has begun addressing the issue of greenhouse gas emissions within the sports sector. Collaborating with academic and research institutions, the IOC is implementing measures aimed at reducing emissions and promoting a sustainable future. This includes developing frameworks to measure and lower the carbon footprints of major events, making sustainability an integral part of hosting and organizing global sports.

Dr. Daniel Scott, a distinguished Professor and Research Chair at the University of Waterloo, Canada, has been at the forefront of research on climate and environmental sustainability in tourism and sport. Recognized among the world’s top researchers, Dr. Scott highlights the substantial environmental footprint of the sports industry. He explains, “The global sports industry contributes between 20 million and 350 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) annually, based on preliminary and incomplete estimates.”

Since 2021, Dr. Scott has been recognized as one of the world’s most cited researchers, and in 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Drawing from his expertise, he shared the UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2024 with me, which underscores the urgent need for countries to strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions, which are their plans to reduce emissions. The report warns that without immediate action, the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target will slip out of reach within years, leading to catastrophic consequences. Indeed, global temperatures already surpassed this key threshold of dangerous climate change in 2024. Scientists hope passing this red line for global temperatures was only temporary.

To remain on track, global emissions must decline by 42% by 2030 and 57% by 2035. The report emphasizes the role of solar and wind energy, reforestation, and increased mitigation investments in achieving this goal. However, it also calls for international cooperation, reforms in financial systems, and active private-sector engagement, with G20 nations bearing a significant share of responsibility.

TACKLING SPORTS EMISSIONS

Dr. Scott notes that GHG emissions from major sporting events like the Olympic Games are significantly influenced by the energy sources used for heating and cooling stadiums, as well as accommodations. Games in host cities where the electricity grid has a low carbon intensity and not powered by coal have a much lower carbon footprint. Transportation also plays a pivotal role, as the movement of thousands of athletes, officials, and spectators constitutes the largest share of emissions in the sports industry. This dependence on energy-intensive operations is part of why ongoing research estimates the sports industry’s overall contribution to carbon dioxide emissions could range between 20 and 350 million tonnes annually. This underscores the importance of adopting low-emission transportation technologies to reduce environmental impacts.

The IOC has initiated various measures to curb emissions. For instance, the Paris 2024 Summer Games had set an ambitious target to reduce their carbon footprint by half compared to the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, aiming for a total of 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

A CALL TO ACTION

Dr. Scott’s research stress the urgency for the sports industry to take greater responsibility in combating climate change but also to better assess the impacts of future changes in climate on sport. UNEP research reveals that five sectors — energy production, industry, transportation, buildings, and petrochemicals — account for 68% of global GHG emissions. Addressing these areas, particularly in the context of sports, is crucial for achieving a sustainable future.

The sports industry has the influence and reach to set an example for global climate action transforming the Olympic Games into a true beacon of sustainability. The dream of Green Olympics is no longer a distant aspiration but a feasible reality, provided the sports community, host nations, and international organizations like the IOC work collectively to prioritize and implement environmentally sustainable practices.

The clock is ticking, and the opportunity to make a lasting impact cannot be squandered.

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