3 July, 2026

Sport is front of mind for many of us. With the US FIFA World Cup, Serena returning to Wimbledon, the Women’s T20 World Cup final this weekend and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this month, there’s something for everyone. But have you ever considered the role sport can play in accelerating climate action and public engagement?

Last week, we were at Earthfest’s The Future of Sustainable Sport event, bringing together Olympians, Paralympians and sustainability leaders from across sport and business.

One of the strongest themes was sport’s unique position in driving cultural shifts around sustainability. With a huge zone of influence and growing exposure to climate impacts, sport is becoming a canary in the coal mine for climate change.

Lord Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, reflected on how extreme heat is already forcing changes to major events. The marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, for example, was moved to Sapporo to protect athletes from dangerous temperatures, while sporting bodies continue to explore how competition schedules may need to adapt in a warming world.

And it isn’t just elite sport feeling the impact. Recent analysis suggests flooding and drought already cost UK grassroots sport around £320 million each year through repairs, maintenance and lost revenue. From waterlogged pitches to cancelled fixtures, climate change is becoming a practical challenge for clubs and communities worldwide.

But there is also an opportunity. Sport reaches millions of people in ways sustainability communications often cannot. Athletes are trusted voices, clubs are cultural institutions rooted in communities, and fans already have an emotional connection to the issues affecting the sports they love.

Examples include Liverpool FC and AXA’s Reds for Blue campaign on ocean sustainability, Adapt2Win’s work with athletes including Keira Walsh on climate adaptation, and The FA and E.ON helping grassroots clubs cut costs and emissions through energy upgrades.

The biggest takeaway? Sometimes the most effective way to communicate climate change is to speak a language people already care about. Flooded pitches, cancelled games and missed PBs make climate change tangible in a way that “degrees of warming” often cannot.

By Nia Vines