Play suspended: Sport and Climate Change
Welsh Sports Association (WSA) partners Howden have produced the below piece, targeting solutions that the sport and leisure sector can work towards to tackle the increasingly dangerous effects of climate change.
- Extreme weather directly and indirectly impacts sport, affecting athletes, spectators, infrastructure, and pitches.
- The laws and regulations regarding climate risk are changing and will have a significant impact on sports organisations in the coming years.
- It’s crucial that sports organisations start preparing, and building resilience for future changes now, while simultaneously taking steps to reduce emissions and decarbonise the sports industry.
Players, coaches and supporters all have first-hand experience of the impact of weather on sport. Whether it’s the anticipation of waiting to find out if a match will be cancelled, standing on the sidelines in the pouring rain, or dealing with summer heatwaves affecting play, weather has real consequences for all stakeholders across Welsh sport. Scientific evidence indicates that the world is getting warmer and is likely to exceed a 1.5 degree increase in global average temperatures by 2026. This will lead to a more chaotic climate system and more frequent and intense extreme weather events, with wetter winters and drier summers expected across Wales.
The risks are broad
Heat waves can reduce athlete performance and pose health risks for players and spectators, potentially turning sports stadiums into heat islands. Droughts can damage turf pitches, increasing the risk of injuries on dry surfaces and raising maintenance costs due to soil salinisation. Extreme weather events like storms, flooding, and sea-level rise can significantly damage on building infrastructures and supply chains. Additionally, the increase in heavy precipitation and flash floods can lead to submersion risks for pitches, resulting in commercial impacts such as revenue loss, increased insurance costs, and supply chain disruptions.
There is also increased pressure on sports organisations to set net zero targets, and draft plans to achieve these targets. This includes reduction in direct emissions from fuels e.g. natural gas for heating, diesel for company cars and generation (Scope 1), indirect emissions from energy use e.g. purchased electricity for running offices, etc (Scope 2), and indirect emissions from our activities and events e.g. team, staff and travel, catering (Scope 3).
‘Cymru, well-being and the world’
In 2022, World Rugby adopted an ambitious Environmental Sustainability Plan 2030 to integrate sustainability into its governance, address its environmental impacts, organise sustainable events, and promote sustainability in rugby through education and advocacy. Here in Wales, the Football Association of Wales launched its first sustainability strategy in June 2022, titled ‘Cymru, well-being and the world’, outlining its vision to use the power of football to improve the nation’s well-being.
In recent years, the insurance industry has evolved to address climate-related risks in sports. Outdoor sports and activities are heavily influenced by the weather, making parametric insurance solutions an important option for protecting against extreme weather events. These solutions, which are index-based, provide financial protection and quick claims processing in the event of a loss, such as for event cancellations. When combined with adaptation measures, appropriate risk management solutions can be integrated into long-term strategies and action plans to reduce risk and build resilience across the sporting world.
Whether you call it sustainability, transition or resilience planning, there’s an opportunity to make the next round, if action is taken now. Sport will continue to be increasingly affected by the impacts of climate change, but as history as shown, it will also enable positive change.
Recommendations for the sports industry
- Develop and implement individual sustainability and decarbonisation plans to reduce the environmental impact of sports.
- Integrate climate risks into risk management practices and governance.
- Adopt appropriate risk management solutions, including insurance policies such as parametrics insurance solutions, comprehensive management liability insurance, adaptation measures, and develop long-term strategies and action plans.
- Stay updated on changes in practices, laws, and regulations.
Erin Owain, Senior Associate, Climate Risk & Resilience at Howden, will be attending and speaking at the WSA Sustainability in Sport Conference on Tuesday 12 November – an opportunity to ask questions and seek advice on parametrics insurance! Learn more here.
This piece was co-written by Erin Owain and Gareth Davies, Howden’s Head of Parametrics and ex-rugby professional.
