Extreme heat, air pollution, and flooding are just some of the effects of climate change that impact both athletes and organizations that help them compete.
According to the , extreme heat impacts all outdoor sports in the season, while winter sports are being forced to cut on their seasons because their locations have fewer sub-zero days.
鈥淎t the 2018 winter Olympics in PyeongChang, 98 percent of the snow in the Jeongseon Alpine Center was manmade. On the other hand, heat-related illness can affect athletes, spectators, and organizers, forcing events to adapt. In 2018 the U.S. Open tennis tournament was forced to offer a 鈥渉eat break鈥� to athletes as temperatures neared 100 degrees F (almost 38掳C).鈥�
This brought into focus the relationship between sports and climate change, for both its role as a contributor and a victim.
Before being rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics has announced plans to reduce its emissions. The measures include requiring 60 percent of all facilities to use pre-existing buildings, powering the events with renewable energy, and launching a carbon offset program.
Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee announced that the games will be climate positive from 2030.
This decision by the IOC sends a strong message to the global sports community that the only way we can take the climate change fight to another level is by being united.
