One glimmer of hope for the UN’s upcoming climate conference, COP26, is that the global sports world will be more present – and more engaged with the climate crisis – than at any previous such gathering.
The UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework, which asks sports organisations to take steps to achieve a carbon-zero future, will be meeting in Glasgow, the city hosting COP26. In the official programme, Sky Sports and the UK government will be asking how sport can tackle the climate crisis, while athletes, sports NGOs and campaigns will be present on the conference fringe.
This is good news because global sport, like a medium-sized nation state, is responsible for around 0.8% of the world’s emissions. More importantly, its unique cultural reach and weight make it a voice in mobilising support for mass climate action. Sport is also seriously threatened by the climate crisis. At this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, tennis had to be played at night and the marathon sent 800 kilometres north because the city has become so hot and humid. The recent floods in Germany reportedly caused €100m worth of damage to sports facilities and destroyed the famous Königssee bobsleigh run.
