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Sport Environment and Climate Coalition (SECC)

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The Sport Environment and Climate Coalition (SECC) is a collaboration between organisations in the sport, recreation, and physical activity sector to lead and coordinate the sector’s efforts on climate change and environmental sustainability.

The group harnesses the sector’s collective resources to help reduce the environmental impact of sport, recreation and physical activity and contribute to the UK’s transition to net zero.

This hub brings together the most relevant knowledge on sports sustainability with practical documents and resources that can be used to affect meaningful change.

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Table of contents

Expand each section below to see the topics covered under each. Select one to skip to the relevant information. You can use the ‘contents’ link to return to this table.

1. What is enviromental sustainability?

2. What is climate change?

3. What is biodiversity, and why is it under threat in the UK?

4. What is causing these issues, and what are the impacts likely to be if we do nothing?

5. What is the scale of change required to ensure we avoid these impacts?

6. What is being done to address these issues at an international, national, and local scale?

7. How are environmental issues impacting sport?

8. How does sport and physical activity contribute to the worsening of environmental issues?

9. How is this linked to other important issues, such as climate injustice and social disparities?

10. What role can sport and physical activity play in helping to address these issues?

11. What is the sector aiming to do about this? How does it plan to solve these issues?

12. I’m part of an organisation which is yet to think about environmental sustainability – what are the basic things I need to do in order to get started?

13. I’m part of an organisation which has already started thinking about environmental sustainability, but want to know how to be more ambitious in developing formal plans / targets. Where can I find guidance on how to do this?

14. Do I need to be accounting for my organisation’s carbon, and if so, where can I access resources to do this?

15. Which organisations across the sector are demonstrating best practice on sustainability, and where can I learn more about their journey?

16. I’m running an event – how do I ensure it is as environmentally sustainable as possible?

17. Are there any sites or places which are useful to continue revisiting to ensure I have access to the latest information, research, and developments?

Contents

Section 1

The Challenge

Changes to the climate and environment are the biggest challenges which we face as humanity. More frequent and intense drought, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans can wreak havoc on people’s lives and destroy communities. We all have a responsibility to understand the causes of these changes, their likely impacts for the planet and society, and what we can collectively do to mitigate those impacts. This section provides an introduction to environmental sustainability, climate change and the global policy approach to tackling these issues.

1. What is environmental sustainability?

Global population increase, intensive energy use and increasing industrial growth all place pressure on the Earth’s natural resources. Environmental sustainability involves making choices that ensure an equal, if not better, way of life for future generations. We, therefore, need to avoid depleting natural resources and compromising future generations’ ability to meet their daily needs. The resources below provide some additional information on what environmental sustainability is, and why it’s important.

🔗 UN Sustainable Development Goals  (15 minutes)
See actions 13 and 15 for more information. 

🔗 UN Definition of sustainability

🔗 BBC bitesize on sustainability
For a basic understanding of sustainability.

2. What is climate change?

Climate change refers to the large-scale, long-term shift in the planet’s weather patterns and average temperatures. Climate change is a natural process the earth goes through, the changes however normally take place over 40,000 – 100,000 years, giving nature time to adapt and evolve. The climate change we refer to is the change in climate recorded since the pre-industrial times, when people began to burn coal, oil and gas for energy. The increase in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere since the industrial revolution began has accelerated the changes in our climate. This is the climate change that has resulted solely from human activity. The following resources outline how and why the planet’s climate is changing and the role of human behaviour in causing and accelerating these changes.

Short, sharp, beginner-level:

🔗 BBC bitesize on climate change (5 minutes)

🔗 BBC (10 minutes)

🔗 UN Climate Action (5 minutes)
A great introduction for those who are new to climate change.

🎥 Crash Course (1.5 minutes)
A short watch, which provides an excellent overview for those who are new to climate change.

More advanced, detailed resources:

🔗 Met Office (10 minutes)

🎥 Crash Course (15 minutes)
A slightly longer watch, which provides more depth on what climate change is, what’s causing it, and how it will impact us.

🔗 NASA Global Climate Change (longer read)
An in-depth read, which provides statistics and figures on the scale of climate change.

3. What is biodiversity, and why is it under threat in the UK?

Biodiversity is the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.
Humans rely on these systems for survival: we need fresh water, clean air, and plants for food. We also need a natural world that is complex, thriving and full of variety – we need biodiversity.

As a result of decades of industry and farming, along with changes in land use, there has been a significant decline in biodiversity in the UK. While there have been efforts to address this decline – including through the creation of protected areas, which help to ensure that particularly important, biodiverse spaces remain in good health for generations to come – the evidence shows us that there has still been a significant loss – and even extinction – of some species. This is highlighted in the 2019 State of Nature Report, which claims that 41% of species in the UK have seen their population size decrease since 1970, with 15% of species now considered to be at threat from extinction. So while we are aware of the need to halt, and reverse, the loss of biodiversity, we simply aren’t acting quick enough.

The links below provide more information around the causes of biodiversity loss, its impact on both the planet and humanity, as well as what we need to do to reverse the decline.

🎥 Natural History Museum – What is biodiversity? (3 minutes)
Provides a short, sharp overview of what biodiversity is, and why it is so important.

🎥 The Royal Society – Why is biodiversity important (6 minutes)

🔗 BBC (5 minutes)

🔗 World Economic Forum (9 minutes)

4. What is causing these issues, and what are the impacts likely to be if we do nothing?

We know that the planet is warming and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. We also know that we are facing a biodiversity crisis, with a record number of species on the brink of extinction. But what are some of the key factors driving these changes, and what will happen if we do not take urgent action to address this? The resources below provide some insight into why these changes are happening, and what the likely outcome will be if we continue on our current trajectory.

Climate change focused:

🔗 WWF – Our planet is warming. Here’s what’s at stake if we don’t act now (15 minutes)

🎥 The Economist (16 minutes)
This provides more insight into what the world may look like based on a 3°C warming scenario.

🔗 UN (10 minutes)

Biodiversity focused:

🔗 World Health Organisation (10 minutes)
Provides some useful information on the impact which biodiversity loss is having upon our health.

🔗 Greenly (15 minutes)
If you’re short on time, read from ‘Sixth Mass Extinction?’ onwards for an overview of how biodiversity loss will impact parts of our everyday lives through the likes of food production and infectious diseases.

5. What is the scale of change required to ensure we avoid these impacts?

So we know what the impacts will be if we do nothing, but how much do we need to change, and at what pace, to avoid this scenario? It can be daunting to think about the changes required globally to prevent the most damaging impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. However, as the following sections show, there is hope that if we take proactive steps as both a collective, and as individuals, there is still time to avoid the worst-case scenario.

🔗 United Nations – Climate Plans Remain Insufficient: More Ambitious Action Needed Now (10 minutes)

📁 UN Environment Programme – Emissions Gap Report 2022 (5 minutes)
Summary of Emissions Gap Report 2022.

🔗 The Nature Conservatory – Climate Change FAQs (30 minutes)

🔗 IPCC – AR6 Synthesis Report Headlines (15 minutes)

6. What is being done to address these issues at an international, national, and local scale?

Governments have a key role to play in tackling the causes and effects of climate change. This section explores the direction which both the UK Government and the Devolved Nations are setting to help drive progress forwards, as well as the attempts of international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) to set a global consensus over the need to work together to address these challenges. To a large extent, these two levels of policy-making go hand-in-hand, as the UN has an important role to play in bringing national governments together to agree targets and set a global direction for climate action. Local strategies are also in place across the UK to help communities drive forward climate action. To find out more about where you can find support, take a look at the resources available on your local council website. If you have time, take a read of their climate action plan too, to get a greater sense of how this fits into the regional, national, and international context.

International, global governance:

🔗 United Nation – Climate Action

🔗 United Nations – Race to Zero
Provides some useful context on international efforts to reach net zero emissions – among nation states, businesses and a range of organisations.

National Government:

🔗 UK Government – Environment Improvement Plan – Executive Summary (15 minutes)

🔗 UK Government – Net Zero Strategy (30-60 minutes)
See Executive Summary (pages 12 – 34)

🔗 Welsh Government – Net Zero Strategic Plan (30-60 minutes)
     🔗 Cynllun Strategol Sero Net Llywodraeth Cymru

🔗 Scottish Government – Net Zero Plan (30-60 minutes)

Local:

🔗 Carbon Copy – Local Council Action Plan
A great tool which can help you find out the status of climate action in your local area.

🔗 Friends of the Earth
Another great way to find out what local action you can get involved with in your community.

Section 2

The Link to Sport and Physical Activity

Sport and physical activity are vitally important. Not only do they vastly improve our physical and mental health, they also play an essential role in bringing people together – whether it be within a local community, or across different parts of the world. However, the sector is beginning to wake up to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. This section looks in greater detail at the threats a changing climate pose to our ability to participate in sport and physical activity, before delving into the role which the sports sector plays in contributing to the problem in the first place. Lastly, the section turns its attention to what sport can, and is doing, to help address these issues.

7. How are environmental issues impacting sport?

The warming climate is impacting all sports and physical activities. Whether it be the increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves causing summer events to be delayed, or the increase in average global temperatures reducing the number of viable locations for winter sports to take place, no sport is left untouched. Changes to the environment are directly impacting the ability for us to both partake in and spectate sport all over the world. In the UK, we have seen a doubling of events where rain has stopped play in cricket, an increase in the number of golf courses suffering from the impacts of coastal erosion, and a spike in the number of grassroots football pitches having to deal with more frequent, intense flooding. The links below provide more information on these impacts, and what the future of sports participation may look like if we don’t act swiftly and decisively.

Short, sharp, beginner-level:

🎥 COP 26 – Athlete Video (2 minutes)
A short, powerful video outlining the athlete voice on environmental sustainability.

🔗 BBC Sport – 2050 Sport Webpage
Provides multiple resources which capture the link between sport and environmental sustainability – including scenarios on what may happen if we do not act quickly and decisively.

🔗 World Economic Forum (10 minutes)

More advanced, detailed resources:

📁 Play the Game – The Impact of the Climate Crisis on Venues and Athletes (30 minutes)

📁 Rapid Transition Report – The Snow Thieves (45 minutes)

📁 Game Changer – How Climate change is affecting sport in the UK (60 minutes)

8. How does sport and physical activity contribute to the worsening of environmental issues?

It’s also important to recognise that while sport is set to suffer significantly from the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, the sector is contributing to the problem through its own carbon footprint. The makeup of this footprint ranges across a number of areas, with energy consumption and fan/spectator travel being two of the main culprits. This section provides more information on the scale of the impact the sports sector has upon the environment, including a handful of case studies which highlight the need to take action to reduce this footprint.

🎥 The Economist Educational Foundation (4 minutes)
A great insight into the younger generation’s perspective on climate change and sport.

📁 Play the game – Understanding the footprint of sports (15 – 30 minutes)
Includes some excellent case studies detailing information on the footprint of individual sports, and efforts to reduce these.

📁 Rapid Transition Alliance – Report on Global Sport, the Climate Emergency, and the Case for Rapid Change (longer read)

🎥 Rapid Transition – Webinar (60+ minutes)
An excellent watch, which pulls together voices from across the sector to emphasise the opportunities which exist for sport to harness climate action.

9. How is this linked to other important issues, such as climate injustice and social disparities?

Like all challenges, sport recognises that those with less will be hit the hardest. Climate injustice is one of the greatest challenges the country will have to face and it must be addressed to ensure a fair transition to net zero.

With the need for ever increasing levels of mitigation and energy resources to adapt to the changing climate, utility costs for clubs and organisations are rising. For marginalised groups and those on lower incomes, this knock on effect will prevent them accessing and taking part in sports, along with being able to use well maintained facilities.

This section provides more information on the ways in which climate change will be felt unevenly across different parts of society, including through sport and physical activity. It also includes links to some useful tools which can ensure the action we take within the sports sector helps to address environmental and social issues at the same time.

Short, sharp, beginner-level:

🔗 What is climate justice? (7 minutes)
Provides a short explanation of what climate justice is, and what we can do to achieve it.

🔗 UN Climate Justice (10 minutes)
A definition of climate justice in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

🔗 Global sports matters (10 minutes)
Outlines why the impact of climate change on sport is an environmental justice problem

More advanced, detailed resources:

🔗 Global sports matters (10 minutes)
Outlines why the impact of climate change on sport is an environmental justice problem

🎧 The Sustainability Report (50 minutes)
A really great listen which provides background to the concept of climate justice and how sport can help achieve it.

🔗 The Just Transition (Longer read)

🔗 Joseph Rowntree Trust (Longer read)
Provides detail on the links between environmental and issues.

Tools on how to incorporate this into action:

🔗 Julies Bicycle
Provides support on how to weave environmental and social justice into your work.

10. What role can sport and physical activity play in helping to address these issues?

Sport is uniquely positioned to bring people together and to create a platform for good. Clubs and organisations have the power to raise awareness of our rapidly changing climate, whilst introducing climate friendly activity to large numbers of people within the UK. Given many sports and activities take place in our natural world, organisations and governing bodies that use outdoor spaces to host their activities also have the potential to engage and connect people with the environment. All this means that the sector is well-positioned to lead the way by setting ambitious, yet realistic climate action plans, which help to encourage positive change across other parts of society.

At a more local level, the sector can take simple measures to make big changes by unlocking the power of sport to drive forward sustainable, placed-based initiatives across areas such as work, transport, and health. The very act of participating in an activity can have a positive impact on the environment, from walking to the stadium instead of driving, or creating cycling routes fit for purpose to and from your local football club.

This section looks at the opportunities at hand for sport to help address environmental issues and drive positive change across a range of scales.

📁 Energy Saving Trust – Cricket (14 minutes)

🔗 UN – Addressing Climate Change through Sport (15 – 20 minutes)

🔗 Deloitte – The Role of Sport in Mitigating Climate Change (30 minutes)

11. What is the sector aiming to do about this? How does it plan to solve these issues?

This section provides a summary of the work already underway to help the sector reduce its impact on the environment and maximise the opportunities at stake for it to play a key role in accelerating climate action across society. The resources included below demonstrate the strategic direction which is being set at both international and national scale.

International, global governance:

🔗 UN – Addressing Climate Change Through Sport (15 – 20 minutes)

🔗 UN – Sport for Climate Action (15 – 20 minutes)

🔗 UN – Sport for Nature Framework (30 minutes)

National Government:

🔗 UK Government (30 minutes)
If you’re short on time, see chapter 3.3 on environmental sustainability.

🔗 UK Sport – Environmental Sustainability Strategy (30 – 60 minutes)

🔗 Sport Wales – Environmental Sustainability Plan (30-60 minutes)
     🔗 Chwaraeon Cymru Cynllun Cynaliadwyedd Amgylcheddol

Section 3

What do I need to do, and how do I get started?

Sustainability is not something that can be achieved overnight. It takes time, effort, and commitment. This section is focused on how each and every part of the sector can get off the blocks and start to make an impact. Short on time? You can dip into focused content with top tips and quick guides on how to make a positive impact ranging from reducing plastic use, planning active travel and action planning for your facilities. We’ll also touch on carbon calculators, helping you to understand your personal carbon footprint as well as that of your organisation. This will enable you to prioritise actions that will have a greater impact.

12. I’m part of an organisation which is yet to think about environmental sustainability - what are the basic things I need to do in order to get started?

The content below aims to signpost you towards resources that will enhance your knowledge about how to start conversations and take action when it comes to environmental sustainability. We know how reliant sport is on volunteers and understand that there are competing priorities on time, so the links below will take you to a series of online videos, webinars, guidance and training materials depending on the time you have available and how you’d prefer to access the content.

  1. Kick off the conversation. Climate Outreach provides some useful support (30-60 minutes) on how to start having challenging conversations about the impact of climate change in order to help normalise it, and spark action within your organisation. If you need support making the case for prioritising environmental sustainability, take a look through this guidance (10 mins) on the benefits which sustainability can have for reducing business costs.
  2. Assess the level of understanding or knowledge within your organisation. If you feel your club or organisation would benefit from learning more about the link between climate change and sport, consider running Carbon Literacy Training (1-2 days). This is provided by the Carbon Literacy Trust, who have designed a specific course to help the sports sector become more environmentally sustainable. Another option is the Nature Wise (Eco-Literacy Training) course (4.5 hours), which is designed to help participants understand the links between human activity and ecosystem disruption and to develop knowledge to take action for nature recovery.
  3. Assess your impact. For more information on this, see question 14.
  4. Look at what other similar sized organisations are doing. For more information on this, see question 15.

Small, grassroots clubs / organisations:

  • Watch this short video (3 mins) from Sport England, which provides an overview of some of the first steps you should take to help your organisation become more environmentally sustainable.
  • Once you have watched the video, Sport England provides a supplementary guide (~20 mins) to help you learn more about these steps and why they are important. On their website, Sport England also provides more information about what they are doing on environmental sustainability, and further support which they have on offer to help you.
  • Read this short article (10 mins) by Sport Wales, who provide top tips on key areas to target when it comes to pulling together an environmental sustainability plan.
  • Read over these top tips (10 mins) – produced by CharityJob – to find out more about where to focus your efforts and resources when it comes to sustainability. While this has been designed for the charity sector, much of the information provided is relevant to the sports sector – particularly for smaller organisations who may not have dedicated resource for environmental sustainability.
  • Use this worksheet (~30-60 mins) to start mapping out your initial thoughts and ideas. This is a great introductory resource to help facilitate some mind-mapping with your club members, and will help them to understand the club’s impacts on the climate. It’s easy to work through, and provides a great starting point for those that don’t know how, or where to start when it comes to taking climate friendly actions to structure their thoughts, and start identifying key areas to focus on. These worksheets can also be given to your club members to help open up discussions, and get them thinking about what difference they’d like to see and/or be a part of. In short, they’re a great way to engage your audience, get everyone on board, and start to put ideas into action

Larger clubs, organisations:

  • Read this guide produced by the Australian Sports Environment Alliance, which provides a roadmap of the key steps which organisations within the sport sector can take to become more environmentally sustainable. It’s a fairly long read (~45-60 mins), but if you’re shorter on time, focus on steps 1-3 (pages 21-4). Although this resource is produced outside of the UK, it provides an excellent framework to give you an idea of the first steps you may wish to take.

13. I’m part of an organisation which has already started thinking about environmental sustainability, but want to know how to be more ambitious in developing formal plans / targets. Where can I find guidance on how to do this?

This section has been developed to help you move beyond initial conversations on environmental sustainability, and turn short-term initiatives into more established plans which embed these principles and bring positive results in the long term. Again, we’ve separated these out into organisational size, and time burden, in order to make it as easy to navigate as possible.

Small, grassroots clubs / organisations:

  • Community Leisure UK’s Climate Change Action Plan (10 mins) provides an excellent example of how to start formalising action on environmental sustainability into a clear action plan. The plan sets out a series of realistic, achievable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which build on a series of objectives set out in their Environmental Sustainability Strategy (10 mins). A brilliant example of how to start turning ideas into action.
  • On their website, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have a number of easy, quick-read articles (10-15 mins) which provide advice on simple steps which small organisations can take to become more environmentally sustainable. These articles cover the essentials on key areas, such as how to reduce water consumption in the workplace, sustainable procurement practices, and how to cut energy consumption.
  • Earth Day provides a number of quick guides and toolkits on how smaller, volunteer-led organisations can become more environmentally sustainable – including advice on everything from how to reduce plastic, to how to reduce the carbon footprint of day-to-day operations.
  • Cycle Planner is a handy tool which aims to help make finding cycle routes easier, and increase the number of active journeys at an individual and organisational level.

Larger clubs, organisations:

  • Read this guide produced by the Australian Sports Environment Alliance, which provides a roadmap of the key steps which organisations within the sport sector can take to become more environmentally sustainable. It’s a fairly long read (~45-60 minutes), but if you’re shorter on time, focus on steps 4-7 (pages 24-38).
  • The Outdoor Friendly Pledge provide guidance (15 mins) for athletes on how to set, implement, and achieve their own commitments on environmental sustainability. A useful resource to share with athletes across a range of levels and disciplines who want to use their platform to promote, and contribute to, positive climate action.
  • The Department for Education provides some extremely useful guidance (30 mins) on how to increase the energy efficiency of facilities, which helps to reduce both cost, and carbon-footprint alike. Although this guidance has been designed for the education sector, it provides a useful framework for thinking about how to increase the energy efficiency of sports facilities.

14. Do I need to be accounting for my organisation's carbon, and if so, where can I access resources to do this?

Carbon emission calculators can be a useful tool in prioritising your actions and setting clear targets when it comes to environmental sustainability. There are a broad range of tools available and they can range from identifying the organisational footprint, the impact of an event (see question 16, below) or your own personal carbon emissions.

The complexity of calculators can range significantly and they can appear daunting. It is important to note that no tool is perfect – they all rely on assumptions and estimates. They should be viewed as a valuable tool to aid understanding of your environmental impact and the actions that you and your club can take to reduce this impact. The tools do not require absolute precision to be useful.

As a guide, we would typically expect the highest emissions to be in the following areas:

  • Energy use (for those organisations with their own facilities);
  • Travel (participant and spectator travel to training and events);
  • Sporting equipment and kit; and
  • Purchase of food and drink.

🔗 Carbon Trust – Carbon Calculator
A carbon calculator for small and medium sized enterprises.

🔗 Welsh Government – Net Zero Carbon reporting
    🔗 Canllaw sector cyhoeddus Cymru ar gyfer adrodd ar garbon sero-net
Aimed at public sector bodies, this is a useful guide on how to think through your                     organisation’s carbon emissions.

🔗 World Wildlife Fund – Carbon Footprint Calculator (10 minutes)
A more individual-focused calculator – but a great way to learn more about your own carbon footprint, and some initial steps which you can take to help reduce this.

🔗 Zero Carbon Business – Guidance on how to calculate carbon (10 minutes)
Provides some guidance on how carbon calculating works.

🔗 Normative for small business – Business Carbon Calculator

🔗 Pawprint
This calculator has a nice, user-friendly app. It also provides guided suggestions on how to make reductions.

Section 4

Learning from others

An important part of the journey to becoming more environmentally sustainable is to learn from those who are ahead of the game. While no two sports, clubs, or governing bodies are the same, it’s likely that many of you will face similar questions around how to put sustainability plans into action. Understanding the journey which other, similar, organisations took to get where they are today can help demystify the challenges around getting started. In this section, we share a series of case studies and examples of organisations who are leading the way on sustainability, in the hope that they will inspire and support you to bring your own initiatives to life.

15. Which organisations across the sector are demonstrating best practice on sustainability, and where can I learn more about their journey?

Smaller, grassroots clubs / organisations:

The following resources provide a series of examples of a range of small organisations and clubs across the sport and physical activity sector who are proactively setting clear, ambitious targets to become more environmentally sustainable. They range in depth and scope, but all provide a useful blueprint on how smaller organisations can begin to thread together ideas into clear, concise action plans.

In addition to these, the following resources provide further examples of best practice – both in and out of the sport sector – which can help guide you as you begin to formalise your sustainability action plan:

  • Leicester’s Nirvana Football Club is an excellent example of the power which small sports clubs have to act as catalysts for positive change in the communities they serve. Working with De Montfort University, Nirvana are pioneering a people-centred approach to reducing their carbon footprint, and are using the power of sport to protect those who are the most vulnerable to social and environmental issues.
  • Oxfordshire on the Move are doing some excellent community-led work to help people who need it the most to transform their health and wellbeing through physical activity. Read more about their initiatives here (5-10 mins) to find out how they aim to address the challenges which they identify.
  • Look locally – the younger generations are increasingly well-educated on the importance of environmental issues and are leading the calls for greater climate action. The Eco-Schools programme empowers young people to lead from the front and make a difference by driving forward initiatives in their local school and community. They identify ten key topics to focus on, which provide a useful starting point for your club/organisation as you begin to consider how you can make a difference.

Larger clubs, organisations:

  • Often referred to as the world’s ‘first green football club’, Forest Green Rovers are one of the leading lights in the sport/sustainability world. Check out the following articles by Fifa the UN, and Sport Positive to learn more about their journey.
  • Lord’s Cricket Ground has some excellent short, sharp guidance on how to make their matchday operations more sustainable.
  • Wimbledon’s All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) are doing some brilliant work, not only to decarbonise their own operations, but to use the power of sport to engage fans on issues around the environment, and drive positive change.
  • SkySports are joining many football clubs in making a net zero pledge.
  • Join Future for Football, and learn how to ask the questions you need answers to about how your club is going to address climate change.

Section 5

Running Sustainable Events

Whether it be a regular weekly matchday or an annual competition, events require a significant amount of resources, travel, and energy – all which take their toll on the environment. Events – however big or small – also provide unique opportunities to engage and educate audiences on environmental issues, or launch new campaigns or initiatives to drive long-term action. Below, we provide some useful information on how to incorporate sustainability into the heart of the process – from planning, right through to delivery – to help make your event as sustainable and impactful as possible.

16. I’m running an event - how do I ensure it is as environmentally sustainable as possible?

There are lots of factors to consider when running events, and even more so if you are trying to run them sustainably. Luckily, there are some simple measures which you can take to minimise the effect which your event has on the environment. This may be as straightforward as sending out a message to attendees asking them to travel to the event using public transport or car sharing.

The links in this section provide lots of resources to help you plan your event by highlighting key areas where you can make a difference, such as travel, food and waste. It will also assist you in working out and measuring the impact which your event has on the environment, which will help you identify clear targets on how to reduce this going forwards.

🔗 UK Government – Gold Framework (Longer read)

🔗 Carbon Trust – Green Event Guide (30-60 minutes)
Provides guidance on implementing sustainable practices at events, including inspiring change and innovation.

🔗 TCS London Marathon – Guidance on Sustainability (30 minutes)

🔗 Outdoor Friendly Pledge – Guidance and Support on Hosting Sustainable Events (15-20 minutes)

🔗 Julie’s Bicycle – Creative Climate Tools
Provides guidance on how to measure the impact of events which you host. This has been developed for the Arts and Creative Industries – but provides a series of useful tools which are transferable across to the sport and physical activity sector.

Section 6

Staying in the Loop

While we hope this starter pack provides you with ample resources to get started, our understanding of climate change and how sport can best engage with environmental issues is constantly progressing. A key part of building – and maintaining – momentum when it comes to sustainability requires staying in the loop with the latest information, support, and guidance. Below, to keep you in the loop with all things sport and sustainability we’ve shared websites to bookmark along with a few newsletters which are worth subscribing to.

17. Are there any sites or places which are useful to continue revisiting to ensure I have access to the latest information, research, and developments?

  • BBC Sport / Sustainability HUB – brings you all the latest developments from across the world;
  • Through their ‘Cool Down’ initiative, the Rapid Transition Alliance is a helpful place to network with other sports clubs and join forces on campaigns to help drive progress on environmental sustainability across the sector;
  • Sustainability Report – provides a wide range of sports / sustainability commentary, from short, snappy guides, to in-depth, longer pieces on issues such as athlete advocacy;
  • BASIS – The British Association for Sustainable Sport – Resources
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Partner with BASIS

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Join BASIS

Complete the form below to start your BASIS membership journey.

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Join BASIS

Complete the form below to start your BASIS membership journey.

By submitting this form, you agree you have read and agree to our privacy policy, and that you will be added to the BASIS Newsletter mailing list. You can opt-out later if you wish.

Join BASIS

Complete the form below to start your BASIS membership journey.

By submitting this form, you agree you have read and agree to our privacy policy, and that you will be added to the BASIS Newsletter mailing list. You can opt-out later if you wish.

Become an affiliate

Great news, you can become a BASIS affiliate right now. Just fill in the form below.

By submitting this form, you agree you have read and agree to our privacy policy, and that you will be added to the BASIS Newsletter mailing list. You can opt-out later if you wish. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.