The Game Has Changed
But together, we can keep moving.
Climate impacts are growing at every level of sport. The consequences are serious – for participation, people, places and finances.
100% of organisations we surveyed said they had been impacted by extreme weather in 2026. 94% feel sport is not sufficiently prepared for the impact of climate change.Â
There is a gap between the risk and our current response. It is a gap we can, and will, fill together.
This is sport's unfolding story
We have always managed the weather. A waterlogged pitch or a rearranged fixture is nothing new. But the pattern, the pace and the price are changed
Disruption happens more often, is felt more widely, the consequences add up quicker.
One closure may be manageable. Repeated closures mean lost income, repair bills, fewer opportunities to play and greater pressure on the people keeping sport running.
The impact reaches every part of sport.Â
For people: Fewer safe, reliable opportunities to participate, and growing welfare risks for athletes, staff, volunteers and spectators.
For Places: More pressure on pitches, venues and the transport, power and water systems they depend on.
Finances: More spent on repairs and rescheduling, less income to reinvest, and growing questions about insurance and long-term viability.
Among adults who experienced extreme heat, 73% said they had done less sport and physical activity as a result.
Government-commissioned modelling estimates that adverse weather already costs field-based grassroots sport around £320 million a year. That estimate captures only part of the problem.
The risk is moving faster than the response
That is not a verdict on sport. It is our next shared task.
Clubs, grounds teams, volunteers and event organisers, and employees of clubs, venues and governing bodies already work flat out to keep sport going. They need a response that matches the challenge: clearer information, practical support, shared responsibility and investment.
A practical response, built with sport
Understand the risk: Build a clearer picture of disruption, exposure and the cost of inaction.
Prepare for the conditions ahead: Bring resilience into decisions about people, facilities, competitions and investment.
Act together: Connect clubs, governing bodies, funders, government and specialists—so no organisation is left to adapt alone.
Our commitment
BASIS will work with our members and partners to develop a UK sport adaptation plan.
Its purpose will be practical: to understand the risks, protect people and places, and direct support where it can make the greatest difference.
Success means children can keep playing. Clubs can keep investing. People can take part safely. Communities can continue to find health, identity and belonging through sport.
The game has changed. Together, we can protect what sport makes possible.