Sustainability Initiatives in Sport Management

Sport management is increasingly embracing sustainability as a core strategic objective, driven by environmental, social and economic imperatives. Initiatives span the design and operation of facilities, event planning, supply‐chain management and fan engagement. Stadiums and arenas are being retrofitted with renewable energy systems, water‐recycling technologies and low‐carbon building materials to reduce operational footprints. Life cycle assessments guide organisations in identifying hotspots of greenhouse gas emissions across transport, energy use and procurement, while carbon management plans set targets for reduction and offsetting. Engagement programmes encourage spectators to adopt sustainable travel modes and waste-minimisation behaviours. At the organisational level, sustainability reporting and performance signalling foster transparency and accountability, reinforcing commitments among stakeholders. Across team and event contexts, embedding sustainability goals within governance structures and partnerships with suppliers and local communities has emerged as a best practice for delivering measurable environmental benefits while maintaining financial viability and social value.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Seminal analysis of spectator travel to football matches has quantified greenhouse gas emissions across multiple competitive tiers, revealing that fan transport can constitute a significant proportion of sports-related emissions. Variations in travel distance and mode by league level underscore the need for targeted travel plans and incentives to shift spectators towards public and active transport. Findings demonstrate that tailored communication strategies and partnerships with transport providers can yield substantial emission reductions without compromising attendance levels.

Sustainability Initiatives in Sport Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainability initiatives in sport management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Carbon footprint: The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an activity, organisation or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).

Life cycle assessment (LCA): A methodological framework for assessing the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product’s or service’s life, from raw material extraction through disposal.

Scope 3 emissions: Indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in the value chain of the reporting organisation, including both upstream and downstream activities such as transportation and supply‐chain processes.

Triple-bottom-line (TBL): A sustainability framework that evaluates performance across three dimensions—environmental, social and economic—to measure the broader impacts of organisational actions.

References

1. Greenhouse gas emissions as a result of spectators travelling to football in England. Scientific Reports (2017).
2. Unveiling willingness to pay for green stadiums: Insights from a choice experiment. Journal of Cleaner Production (2024).
3. In search for climate neutrality in ice hockey: A case of carbon footprint reduction in a Finnish professional team. Journal of Environmental Management (2024).
4. An Exploratory Analysis of the Environmental Sustainability Performance Signaling Communications among North American Sport Organizations. Sustainability (2020).
5. Fans' perceptions of pro-environmental sustainability initiatives in sport and triple bottom line benefits. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship (2023).