Despite recent calls to reduce the environmental impact of major sporting events, comprehensive measurements, evaluations, and reports on environmental sustainability (ES) within the sport sector are ...rare. Consequently, the purpose of this multi-method case study was to assess the environmental performance (EP) of an international multi-sport event. Survey and interview data were collected from 15 event managers and executive volunteers (N=15). The findings indicated the event organization demonstrated a high level of effort towards initiating an ES movement within the Games but ultimately achieved a weak to moderate level of EP. Further, structural, systemic and cultural organization barriers prevented the implementation of many ES policies and programs. Sport event EP success is contingent upon organizers understanding both the operational reality in which they must stage the event, and their strategic capability to fulfill this goal.
Purpose: This paper presents a study of atmospheric climate impacts on community-level sports clubs' (CLSC) in Australia and Canada, their vulnerability and resilience, and organisational responses.
...Design/Methods: A qualitative methodology was used with a multiple case research design. Data (interviews, documents) was collected from a sample of 23 CLSC organisations managing grass turf sport fields exposed to climatic extremes in temperate regions of both countries.
Findings: CLSCs in both nations experienced vulnerability to climate impacts. Direct damage to playing fields resulted from extreme climate events. Indirect impacts include higher injury risks, interrupted and/or cancelled competitions, insurance risks, plus higher operating and capital costs. Adapted management was evident for water resources, playing turf, and organisational policies.
Practical Implications: Provides insights into the changing practice of sport management at the community-level.
Research Contribution: The results challenge the assumption that climate is a static and benign resource for sport. This study demonstrates impacts of climate extremes on sport in the northern and southern hemispheres, the potential for adapting sport management practices, and developing resilience.
Sporting societies around the world are being impacted by a variety of contemporary climatic challenges. The sport management literature indicates that these impacts have disrupted sport. Some ...adaptations have been implemented, but a comprehensive planning framework is absent from the literature. Learning from other industries, thus, was considered, and an examination of the literature from the water and forestry industries was conducted. The examination resulted in the discovery of six key themes offering insights or practical lessons to guide sport organizations in their efforts to organize for adapting to climatic impacts.
The aim of this paper is to present research examining how the climate hazard of extreme heat impacts varsity-level sport athletes and facilities, current responses, and options for adaptation.
A ...sample of 30 participants from a higher education institution athletics department was used with a two-phase Delphi study method that applied two iterations of questionnaires and mixed method analysis. The institution was situated in a region with a Köppen classification of "Warm Summer Continental Climate".
Heat hazards aligned primarily with slow-onset, rather than fast-onset, climate impact categories. Adapting to heat hazards aligned with incremental adaptation rather than transformative adaptation. These findings suggest climate adaptation is a new concept for university sport and so is at a pioneering stage of practice.
Identifies options for sport managers for integrating adaptation into the strategic and operational thinking of sport organizations.
This paper extends knowledge by presenting evidence of heat risks to the sport as perceived by sport managers and participants during an era of climate change. The results address gaps in the existing literature by using primary source data to add to the evidence base for sport and climate change, and by identifying options for climate adaptation.
► We consider the carbon impact of automobile usage for two minor ice hockey teams in Ontario. ► Carbon calculators are used to establish benchmarks for carbon footprints. ► Awareness of carbon ...footprints can spur pro-environmental behaviours and actions. ► Individuals and sport managers are called to reduce carbon footprints.
Fossil fuels used in automobiles have generated over 15% of the carbon emissions worldwide (Nascimento et al., 2009) and driving represents the human activity contributing the most to air pollution (Barkenbus, 2009; Wiederkehr, 1995). As such, the purpose of this study was to generate understandings concerning the environmental impacts of ice hockey at the community level. Specifically, interviews with parents (n=32) of minor “rep” ice hockey players on two teams (16 parents from “A” level and 16 parents from “AAA” level) in Ontario, Canada were conducted to elicit information on automobile usage for “away” game travel. Using this information, two carbon footprint calculators were employed (CarbonZero and PlanetAir) to ascertain the carbon footprint of these hockey players. The results of the investigation show that the teams journeyed 44,036 (“A” team) and 33,477 (“AAA” team) kilometres, respectively, for “away” games and the total environmental impact of this travel was approximately 20tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Organizational and individual behavioural initiatives, to mitigate impacts, are discussed as are future research initiatives about this important issue.
Global sport governance and environmental sustainability is a novel topic in the academic literature. This paper explores global sport governance with respect to the congruence exhibited between ...website disclosures of environmental policy and the implementation in practice by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). Congruence is noted as a requirement for success. To begin, this paper discusses the notions of global sport governance, environmental policy and governance, and congruence for environmental sustainability. Next, content analysis is used to explore the various environmental disclosures and initiatives by the ASOIF. The results provide evidence of the environmental governance conducted by the sport organizations. A total of 44% of the organizations under study did not report any environmental disclosures or initiatives; however, the majority supported the growth of environmental action by sport with disclosures on their websites. The results outline the current achievements with respect to congruence through three key elements, including formulated strategies, policy development, and implementation, which are noted as leading to successful environmental sustainability. This study offers a baseline concerning the status of these international sport organizations and the pursuit of environmental sustainability.
This study develops a framework for debating the constituent elements in sport environmental sustainability (sport-ES). The framework for the debate utilizes appreciative theory; a definition of ES ...by the
United Nations (UN) Brundtland Report (1987); an application of
Küskű’s (2007) and
Özen and Kűskü’s (2009) concept of environmental citizenship, paradoxes, uncertainties and trade-offs based on the literature,
Busch and Hoffmann's (2009) environmental dimensions and six areas of environmental uncertainty, the extension of the areas of environmental uncertainty by the authors of this manuscript and a vision of the future (
Belz, 2006). This framework provides eight key questions for debate on topics such as the definition of sport-ES and sport environmental citizenship, constraints within the natural environment (including the extent, importance and consequences of the limitations) and actions aimed at conserving the natural environment (including the level of response, actions, alternatives and consequences) by the years 2050–2060. The authors of this manuscript hope to generate energetic debate among sporting scholars, undergraduate and graduate sport management students and practitioners. The implication is that this framework is a starting place for debate. It is now up to the members in the sport academy to determine the extent of the debate, the visions conceived, strategies designed for managing arising paradoxes and if there will be a race to enact the visions.
Researchers have positioned renewable energy as sustainable and able to mitigate environmental issues associated with fossil fuels. Further, sustainable initiatives have been offered as a point of ...differentiation for brands. In order to reap the benefits of such differentiation, managers must communicate the initiatives to relevant stakeholders. The research question guiding the current investigation thus was: What is the communication by Canadian sport stadium operators to calls for sustainable initiatives, specifically in the area of renewable energy? The examination included the 15 sport stadiums that hosted a professional team in Canada and their web-based stadium communications on renewable energy (SCORE). Understandings and competencies in renewable energy are proposed as a new function of sport stadium management; communication of these competencies is seen as a key point of differentiation and best practice.
► A vision of “what could be” is offered to aid in transforming the sport facility industry for environmental sustainability. ► Eight key frameworks were utilized to generate the framework for the ...vision. ► This vision aims to spawn debate to stimulate thinking and alternative approaches in environmental sustainability.
Sport facilities need to consider transforming for ES as Etzion (2007) noted that all organizations are now confronted with the environmental degradation situation. This means that there is a need to shift to practices that support environmental sustainability (ES) or the safeguarding of the natural environment. To aid industries to transport for ES, several profit and not for profit organizations have recently devised voluntary systems or standards to drive advances. Some Canadian sport facilities, however, are engaged in various stages of transforming for ES, with or without participation in a standard certification program. The authors of this manuscript propose that a vision of where the industry could be can aid in transforming the industry. The vision offered is framed with the Precautionary Principle, Appreciative Theory, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2007) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Global Environment Outlook 4 (GEO4): Summary for Decision Makers (2007), an adaptation of Gunton and Joseph's (2007) manuscript “Toward a National Sustainable Development Strategy for Canada: Putting Canada on the Path to Sustainability Within a Generation”, the “Sustainable Value Framework” (Senge, Smith, Kruschiwitz, Laur, & Schley, 2008, p. 122), the Sport Event Environmental Performance Measure (Mallen, Stevens, Adams, & McRoberts, 2010) and the concept of Green Chemistry (Anastas & Warner, 1998; Iles, 2008). It is hoped that the vision presented spawns debate on sport facility ES. Additional research is needed to advance understandings in areas such as “What is the end point being sought in sport facility ES?” and “What is needed in terms of ES programs, measurements and reporting to reach a desired level of ES?” Time will tell if opportunities were taken to fully generate an impact concerning ES.
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