Building Sustainability Into The Sporting Ecosystem - By AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers argues that sport's massive global influence can turn climate action into a popular movement through sustainable venues and manufacturing. By leveraging athlete influence and eco-friendly events, the sporting world can champion a greener future for communities and the planet.
When the crowd cheers for their favourite sporting icon in a packed stadium, or in front of a television screen in a small town, it brings together communities. Today, that influence carries an even greater responsibility because the future of sport is inseparable from our planet's future.
Globally, football commands a following of nearly 3.5 billion people, while cricket engages close to 2.5 billion fans many of them here in India. The numbers exemplify the scale that gives sport an unparalleled ability to shape attitudes and behaviours, one that can make climate action a mass movement.
Integrating Sustainability into Sport
At the moment, the sustainability efforts in sports are largely centred on carbon offsetting. The Tata Indian Premier League has, in the past, planted a tree for every boundary hit. Likewise, Envision Racing, a British Formula E car racing team, honours every fan's sustainability pledge by planting a sapling. These are commendable efforts, but still inadequate.
The entire ecosystem leagues, administrators, event organisers, stadium developers, broadcasters, and manufacturers of sports goods, needs to embrace sustainability. When all stakeholders move unitedly with purpose, sport can become a powerful global force for environmental responsibility.
Encouragingly, we are already witnessing positive transformation. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games reduced its carbon emissions by 54.6% in comparison to the Games of London, 2012, and Rio 2016, establishing a record for sustainability in sporting events. Besides almost completely depending on renewable energy, the Paris Games prioritised green spaces and sustainable construction in the Olympic village, and post-Games repurposing. These initiatives demonstrate that world-class sport and climate responsibility can go hand in hand.
Sustainable Venues; Greener Events
From water-efficient stadiums to heat-resilient infrastructure, sporting venues can exemplify climate-smart urban development. Simple but noticeable actions, including reducing single-use plastics, conserving water, promoting waste separation, using solar-powered lights, and encouraging a circular economy, can transform sporting events into real examples of sustainable living.
Again, the movement of players, officials, spectators, and support staff greatly adds to the carbon footprint of big sporting events. Gradually shifting to electric vehicles and shared transport options can help make cleaner travel choices more common for fans and communities. Endeavours such as Doha's city administration providing electric bikes and scooters as last-mile transportation for spectators during the 2022 FIFA World Cup will help to mitigate the carbon footprint of large sporting events.
Beyond Venues and Logistics
Many global and Indian sportswear and equipment brands are also embracing sustainable manufacturing techniques. Through circularity-centric and energy-light processes, adoption of renewable energy, and implementing carbon-light mechanisms, they are committing to environment-friendly manufacturing.
The sidelines of sporting events can be a fit arena to propagate the benefits of practicing sustainable lifestyles. Through art installations, demonstrations, exhibits and interactions, the ideas can be seeded in society. Imagine the effect on the spectators if the players lend a hand to the stadium clean-up after the match!
Engaging the Citizens
Sporting events offer powerful platforms to exemplify and promote simple, actionable ideas. By implementing processes such as waste reduction, rainwater harvesting, and installing rooftop solar, they can inspire people to consider adopting sustainable lifestyles. Also, as admired public figures, when sportspersons demonstrate sustainable practices, they make climate action seem more attainable and attractive, especially for the youth.
As a 'Green Champion' for Project Mumbai, I have experienced it first-hand. Together with many citizen volunteers, we have pushed for promotion of plastic recycling, circular economy practices, and conducted beach clean-ups, tree plantations, and awareness drives.
Now, Project Mumbai is spearheading Mumbai Climate Week (MCW), a citizen-led forum to direct attention to climate solutions that can be adopted by communities, cities, and individuals. This landmark initiative, scheduled for February 17-19, 2026, reimagines critical climate solutions as interconnected, scalable innovations rooted in the complex dynamics of the Global South region and its economies. MCW is dedicated to harnessing the dynamic energy of Mumbai and the broader Indian ecosystem to drive impactful climate action focused on local and Global South scale.
The intersection of climate action and sports could prove fertile for planting the seeds of a movement. By integrating sustainability in each aspect of sports, we can increase awareness and introduce solutions for accelerating climate action. It can ensure that we play together for the victory of everyone -- sportspersons, fans, communities, and the planet itself.
-- By AB De Villiers, Former Cricketer and MCW champion
AB de Villiers