Should International Sporting Events be Boycotted to Protect the Environment?

Saudi Arabia will host… the 2029 Asian Winter Games. The decision was taken unanimously on the 4th of October by the Olympic Council of Asia meeting in Phnom Penh. The competition will take place in Trojena in the heart of the desert: is it appropriate in the middle of the global crisis against global warming?

The choice of location will require a complete reorganization of the area with luxury hotels, lakes, and ski slopes. The announcement raised the question of the impact of high-level sports competition on the environment which is at the heart of the public debate in France. Can sport play an important role in fighting global warming? How can high-level could sports events contribute to tackling climate change?

Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelone, Spain — Maylis Kilfiger

There is an undeniable connection between sport and climate change as sport both affects and is affected by this crisis. Although the impact of sporting organizations on climate is complex and hard to measure, we can all agree that unsustainable practices are accelerating global warming in the same way as other worldwide industries. Especially knowing that sporting events are a major way to reach and influence millions of people all over the globe. By using this influence in a good way, it is possible to raise awareness of global warming and promote an eco-responsible society.

For instance, the Rapid Transition Alliance’s report states that the global sports sector contributes the same level of emissions as a medium-sized country. What exactly is being taken into account?

• the carbon footprint from transportation to/from events
• the construction and use of various sporting venues
• the supply chains for sport-related equipment
• the logic of the location’s choice itself. Why hold the winter games in the middle of the desert?

Who to hold accountable?

Blaming the sports industry for its lack of commitment to the climate crisis is easy but investigating to find impactful solutions is more delicate. However, its impact on the environment can’t be denied.

“Sport, during the last decades, last years, played a huge role in human rights, inclusivity, disabilities, also women’s place. It plays a huge role in all these challenges in society. I really trust that they will also play a huge role in the environmental challenges that we have to face.” Théophile Rallet, Events Manager at ASO

To what extent the responsibility can be shared among :

• Athletes and practitioners
• Sports federations
• Politicians of the host-country event
• Supporters and buyers of derivatives

To illustrate how complex this is, let’s take a few key examples :

Due to their popularity, do sportsmen and sportswomen have a role to play? They have indeed a much greater presence and influence with the public than the scientists who are constantly warning us about global warming.

The media often focuses on the transport of athletes but when 60,000 to 80,000 people travel to the other side of the world to attend a sporting event, no voices are raised. So, is a boycott an effective solution to face climate change?

Let’s dig deeper into the subject with the 2022 football World Cup hosted by Qatar. We chose to study French reactions as they are very heterogeneous. Indeed, Paris has joined several French cities in announcing they will not show World Cup matches in public places as a protest against human rights and environmental abuses. We went to ask Parisians in the street: will they watch the 2022 World Cup or boycott it?

GIF — A Parisian expresses his opinion: It’s a shame! Money is not everything

We spoke with a number of members of the public in Paris and the majority will continue to watch despite the organization of the sporting event.

The main arguments were :

• This issue has been dealt with too late because the choice of location was made in 2012
• People think that it’s the government and federation’s responsibility to deal with this topic
• Their love for soccer is more important than the ecological problem linked to the World Cup
• It’s important for people to support their country

Still, some people will not watch or participate knowing how the decision was made.

The main reasons are :

• The organization of this event is an ecological disaster and a human scandal
• People think that the credibility of soccer is decreased because of these scandals
• Financial interests are the only thing that matter and come before everything else

We also sought the opinion of an expert on the subject: Theophile Rallet who works at AESO, one of the most important sports event companies in the world, which organises the Tour de France, the Paris marathon and half-marathon and the Paris-Dakar rally. “We must reinvent the way we promote sport, in order to make it durable.” The full interview with our expert Théophille Rallet is available by clicking here.

3 areas of improvement to make high-level sporting events sustainable

Regarding the major impact that high-level sport has on the environment, it is important to open ourselves to other ways of doing things and getting rid of our bad habits. The change needs to be done at public and private levels to include all individuals in a common contribution.

• limit the practice of high-impact sports: Not all sports are equal, some sports have a more or less impact on the environment. For example, Formula 1, skiing, or swimming have a bigger ecological impact. The aim is not to stop the practice but to do it better and with an awareness of the environmental issues linked to sports activity. Above all, to have a logical practice of sport in agreement with the weather conditions. Indeed, it makes more sense to have a ski competition in a cold area with real snow and mountains rather than in a desert without any snow.
• athletes as role models: Athletes have a big part in influencing sports fans about global warming. They need to act as role models by setting an example through their media appearances and their practice of sports. This can be done through partnerships with brands or their digital presence on social networks.
• improved infrastructure management: better management of the sports infrastructures requires appropriate energetic consumption by guaranteeing an eco-friendly use. Above all, avoid building any new structures but rather use the ones already built. This will allow better use of the existing resources and it is a financial gain which allows for the preservation of the existing environment.

Still, the most important thing is to understand that in order for the change to be effective it must be done at all levels and by a common effort.

As we all know, global warming plays an essential role in our everyday life. Sport can be a part of the solution, as it has a huge influence on society. Sports can spread messages all over the planet and raise awareness of the climate change situation in which we are going through. On top of that, the sports sector can reduce its carbon footprint by adapting to new rules, which can be put in place by sports institutions and clubs, thus reducing emissions and meeting new environmental goals.

About this article

This article has been written by a student on the Grenoble Ecole de Management’s Advanced Masters in Digital Strategy Management. As part of a content creation assignment, students are given the task of writing articles based on their digital interests and disseminating the articles online. Articles are marked but we make minimal changes to the content. Thanks for reading! James Barisic, Programme Director, MS DSM.