Sports are undoubtedly a vital part of life for many people, providing a source of fun and connection, and supporting healthy living. At the same time, the sector also has a significant carbon footprint. Encompassing everything from international tournaments and large teams to grassroots clubs and personal sports activities, the sector creates emissions in various ways.
Why Carbon Literacy® for the Sports Sector?
The sports sector greatly impacts the environment due to its sheer volume and reach. The global sports industry is responsible for approximately 350 million tonnes of CO2e. Noting the sector’s impact, many sports organisations and governing bodies have made net-zero targets, with 270+ signatories of the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action (SfCA) and the ‘Race to Zero’.
Additionally, the sector has incredible influence, playing a big part in millions, if not billions, of people’s lives. Fans, participants, staff, and volunteers of all ages engage with sports, and thus there is a distinct opportunity for the sports sector to empower people and ignite climate action.
The Carbon Literacy Project Sports Kit will support your organisation’s carbon-reduction action and give you and your peers the confidence to speak on climate change while encouraging others to act. The Kit combines the knowledge of sector specialists in sports sustainability and CLP’s expertise in creating sector-specific Carbon Literacy courses. It will enable the global sports community to improve its understanding of the importance and relevance of climate change within the sector.
The Carbon Literacy Sports Kit can catalyse climate action at all levels of the sports sector, be it a sports governing body, a professional club, a community team, or a venue. It was developed with support from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games organising committee and piloted with support from UK Sport and BASIS.
Carbon Literacy training will help the sector address its climate impact and, in doing so, use sports as a unifying tool to drive climate awareness and action. The training ensures that everyone has the same level of knowledge about climate change, allowing learners to address sector-wide and organisational challenges.
One of the most common queries from sporting organisations is for advice and support persuading colleagues of the social and economic case for rolling out Carbon Literacy. Upon training completion, participants will often feedback that the training speaks for itself with many of the co-benefits of reducing emissions being clearly examined and explored during the session, however we are aware that some organisations sometimes need a little extra support, which is why we have curated the resources below.
Below are some resources, free for you to use, to help you make that case.
Read about the carbon footprint of the sport sector at both international and grassroots levels.
Hear how the Sports Kit was co-created with Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.
Learn about the variety of action that is being taken across the Sports sector to tackle climate change.
Watch the replay of 'The Role of Sport in Combating Climate Change' hosted by the United Nations.
Sport Generic Staff Course
Course now available to request, please email sport@carbonliteracy.com for more information.
To request access to the Sport Toolkit, please Contact Us listing ‘Sports Toolkit’ as the subject. Please include the following:
If you’d prefer not to use the contact form, please email us at sport@carbonliteracy.com